Presents the results of two national surveys of two-year college physics faculty that included educational background, teaching, and interaction with students. Reports certain strengths of these colleges including: the focus on students, the attention to introductory pedagogy, and the willingness to take students from where they are to where they…

Presents a two-part activity which gives middle-level students concrete experiences with two different aspects of the concept of diffusion. (MKR)

Presents the case study of a university-level instructor teaching a course in physical science to prospective elementary and early childhood teachers. Concludes that the beliefs of the instructor constrained the enacted curriculum to an extent that gaps between the needs of students and the enacted curriculum were wider at the end of the course.…

Describes an in-depth, comprehensive method that enables students to understand the basic concepts of visual perception. (JRH)

Uses videotaped lectures and interviews to understand lectures in a physics course for prospective elementary teachers. Reports that the professor staged Aristotle, natural philosophy, and students' observations and intuitive knowledge in opposition to Galileo, controlled experiments, and mathematical inscriptions. Concludes that this form of…

Through a physical, historical, and epistemological analysis, it is shown how much is wrong with the idea that relates impetus theory to a "non-grown-up" physical and epistemological conception. The possible relevance of impetus theory for science education is strongly pointed out. (Author/PR)

Discusses the term microworld; develops a conceptual framework to analyze the sense in which the world metaphor may or may not hold; and describes a study of high school physics students working individually with the computer microworld "Elmira" that was conducted to analyze how their thinking was worldlike. (Contains 11 references.)…

Compares physics teaching at a large American university with teaching at Jilin University in Changchun, China. Describes the teaching atmosphere, staff duties, and student requirements at both the undergraduate and graduate level. (MVL)

Outlines a theoretical framework for viewing students' conceptions and the effect of analogies on students' conceptions. (PR)

Describes the effects when a clear toothbrush is used as total internally reflecting light pipe when attached to a laser. Several explanations are given describing the nonuniformity of the transmitted light resulting from surface and internal irregularities found in the toothbrush. (MVL)

Describes a method for producing beat frequencies by carrying a vibrating tuning fork quickly toward a wall or chalkboard. A mathematical explanation is provided. (MVL)

Provides a description, photograph, and relevant analysis of a simple device for demonstration of rotational motion. (LZ)

By developing a sequence of mathematical models of harmonic motion, shows that mathematical models are not right or wrong, but instead are better or poorer representations of the problem situation. (MKR)

Describes the theory behind tapered resistors and liquid crystals and their use in the Duracell battery test strip. Presents related electrical problems for students. (JRH)

Presents the Astro-Blaster as a method of the laws of conservation of momentum and energy during the creation of a supernova. Several elastic balls are aligned for a drop, followed by multiple collisions which result in the top ball reaching tremendous heights relative to the drop height. (JRH)