This study explores the utility of the theory of planned behavior for understanding and predicting the behavioral intentions of secondary science students. Data were collected from secondary science students enrolling in earth science (8th grade), biology (9th grade), physical science (10th grade), or chemistry (11th grade). Cause-effect relations…

The 1990's represent an unusual period in physics. Some areas are in a state of unusual excitement, while there are divisions growing within the discipline over priorities. Another problem facing the field at this time is that few U.S. nationals are going into careers related to physics. In addition, the percentage of females and minorities…

The different approaches to the generation of power from solar energy may be roughly divided into five categories: distributed collectors; central receivers; biomass; ocean thermal energy conversion; and photovoltaic devices. The first approach (distributed collectors) is the subject of this module. The material presented is designed to…

The environment we live in today is filled with human-created electromagnetic fields generated by a variety of sources, including radio and television transmitters, power lines, and visual display terminals. (In addition, there exists a natural background of electromagnetic fields.) The term "electromagnetic pollution" is often used to…

The refinement of the cognitive knowledge base was studied through exploration of the transition from novice to expert and the use of an instructional strategy called novice knowledge engineering. Six college freshmen, who were enrolled in an honors physics course, used an expert system to create questions, decisions, rules, and explanations…

The physics-industrial arts partnership is a program developed to strengthen high school students' theoretical and practical knowledge within the general areas of physics. It is designed for two groups of students--science students enrolled in physics classes and industrial students enrolled in woods, metals, auto mechanics, or electronics. The…

The intent of this book is to give the reader an insight into the possible reference sources available in the area known as science and technology. One purpose of this book is to allow the student of this literature to enter the maze of material without feeling unduly overwhelmed. The first chapter covers the history of science, specifically:…

A handbook for teaching assistants (TAs) at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Maryland, College Park, is presented to provide information concerning departmental organization and facilities as well as teaching ideas and problems. TAs with the department are either graders who primarily grade homework and tests and…

The four projects described here, a selection of those funded by the Annenberg/CPB Project, focus on the use of telecommunication and information technologies as tools for teaching in higher education. All are written by people directly involved in the projects described. The introductory section, "Overview: Issues in Educational…

For many years, methods of teaching reading have been based upon a mechanistic paradigm that something can be understood by reducing it to its most basic parts. This scientific paradigm has led to several misconceptions about reading: (1) that comprehension can be reduced to separately identifiable parts, (2) that meaning is contained within the…

Drawing upon research from a number of fields, this paper explores parallels between new paradigms in the sciences--particularly physics, chemistry, and biology--and new paradigms in reading and literary theory--particularly a socio- or psycholinguistic, semiotic, transactional view of reading and a transactional view of the literary experience.…

Reported is a study having several major purposes. Among these were (1) to investigate the change in "understanding the nature of science" as shown by high school students studying physics-astronomy at a summer science institute and (2) to compare the level of understanding possessed by the summer science group with normative secondary…

Described is an approach to assessment of intuitive and analytic modes of thinking in physics. These modes of thinking are associated with Ausubel's theory of learning. High ability in either intuitive or analytic thinking was associated with success in college physics, with high learning efficiency following a pattern expected on the basis of…

Discusses the teaching of electronics, to secondary school seniors, as a means of building up a wide range of concepts basic to science and engineering. (JR)

Discusses fundamentals of rainbow formation, including the reflection and dispersion theories underlying primary, secondary and high-order bows. Included is a series of further analytical problems. (CC)