Presents a brief description of the Dutch school system's structure. Describes the most important issues that have contributed to the development of physics education resulting from changes with respect to the physics curriculum, the final physics examination, and stimulation by a Dutch curriculum development project. (RT)

Presented are two case reports about an instructional experiment. "Peer Perspectives" uses nonspecialized faculty to experience some aspects of an introductory course for providing perspective, insight, and feedback to those who wish to make their courses more appropriate to nonmajors. (YP)

Presented are two case studies on the perspective of the history of science. Provided are the contributions of 12 famous scientists with their historical illustrations and diagrams. Five conclusions are drawn from these studies. (YP)

Presents the results of a survey of engineers in R&D. Reports 1987 pay raises, highest academic degree, salary range, age and experience for 12 engineering fields. Compares these results to other years. Concludes that many variables led to overall gains for metallurgists and biologists and losses for mathematicians and ceramists. (CW)

Attempts to show that not only can density be taught to lower ability pupils but that by doing so, there is the possibility of assisting pupils to develop their reasoning powers. Lists teaching activities that help in this process. (CW)

Describes the history and structure of physics education in secondary schools in China. Discusses the selection of course content. Cites the historical failure of the cultural revolution for the present bias of theoretical over practical physics. Discusses the China-U.S. physics examination and application project. (CW)

Celebrates the 300th anniversary of "Principia Mathematica" written by Sir Isaac Newton. Reviews Newton's life and the circumstances which relate to "Principia." Relates the contributions of other scientists of Newton's time. Discusses Newton's life after the publication of "Principia." (CW)

Discusses: (1) feature of videodisc technology which make it a versatile educational tool; (2) availability of videodiscs for teaching physics and astronomy; and (3) example of the ways these videodiscs can be used in instructional settings. Tables listing physics and astronomy videodiscs (title, author, source, cost, and abstract) are included.…

Reviews interesting and useful electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of the organic solid state. Offers speculation as to areas of fruitful research. Discusses organic superconductors, conducting organic polymers, organic metals, and traces recent history of creation of organic metals. (JM)

Advocates daily use of short statements, dilemmas, or questions which raise open-ended societal/ethical issues for students. Includes rationale for this strategy together with 12 examples for use by teachers in developing materials for their courses. Topics selected are appropriate for biology, chemistry, physics, and the social sciences. (DH)

A Chicago program that had nonscience faculty attend science classes as students, interrupting instruction with questions and comments and recording their cognitive and emotional reactions to the instruction process, revealed that such an approach to providing feedback to teachers is feasible, productive, and enjoyable. (MSE)

Discusses the application of cognitive processes of physics teaching including idea first and name afterward; translating symbols into words; describing phenomena in words; reversing a line of thought; making decisions; inapplicability of formulas; recognizing the importance of non-examples; comparison and serial ordering; and estimating and…

Examines thought processes closely linked with intellectual development and transcending boundaries of many disciplines. Among the topics discussed are: nonuniform change without calculus; discrimination between observation and inference; asking one's own questions; hypothetico-deductive reasoning; and types of knowledge. (JM)

Educational robots are defined, their essential characteristics and features are outlined, and their educational applications and what makes them run are discussed. Classroom experiences with five educational robots--Topo, Rhino XR-2, RB5X, Hero I and Tasman Turtle--are described. (MBR)

Investigated whether dropouts and other students having difficulty with physics could be identified by including mathematics reasoning items along with mathematics skill items on a 13-item mathematics pretest and by using records of past performance in conjunction with the pretest. Sample included 483 students in an introductory, noncalculus,…