Describes a teaching experiment that uses the Learning Cycle to achieve the reorientation of physics' students conceptual frameworks away from commonsense perspectives toward scientifically rigorous outlooks. Uses Archimedes' principle as the content topic while using the Learning Cycle to remove students' nonscientific preconceptions. (JRH)

Public education is under attack. There is a general assault on the public sphere as a central aspect of our common existence. The problems of city schools stem from our failure to place educational reform within a broader vision of social and economic justice and our unwillingness to take political action to realize that vision. (MLH)

Describes activities for biology teachers that will stimulate discussions on virus structure, cell biology, rhino viruses, and new trends in treating the common cold. Provides opportunity for inquiry and problem solving in exercises that emphasize an understanding of how common cold viruses might pack inside nasal epithelial cells. (14 references)…

The double-bind message given women about preventing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection suggests that, if a partner will not use a condom, the woman should use a spermicide. The debate about the protection offered by spermicides is reviewed, and research on prevention effectiveness is urged. (SLD)

Argues that current data regarding the absolute protection of spermicides against the human immunodeficiency virus and other sexually transmitted diseases are not conclusive. Urges condom use, with female barriers in a fall-back position to protect against bacterial sexually transmitted disease. (SLD)

College students (157 men and 158 women, mostly white middle-class) rated their agreement with statements reflecting myths about male rape. A majority disagree with all the myths, most strongly with the myth that rape is not traumatic for men. Results are discussed in terms of societal attitudes. (SLD)

This article covers the following: (1) contrasts several perspectives on science education reform by examining recommendations for introductory science courses; (2) identifies research finding that can guide reform; (3) discusses the impact of research on national precollege curriculum reform; and (4) offers a set of recommendations to guide…

School boards should focus on knowledge, skills, and attitudes students need to function in tomorrow's world, instead of determining what education programs the community wants and can afford. Results-oriented evaluation is a house of sand, because students come from varied backgrounds and most results are caused by the system originating them.…

Provided is a list of 92 references. Categories include general references, debunking astrology, identifying U.F.O.s, ancient astronauts, Velikovsky and worlds in collision, lunacy and the moon, Sirius B and the Dogon tribe, the face and pyramids on mars, the Tunguska Event, and the Bermuda Triangle. (CW)

Written test was developed and administered to diagnose misconceptions in different areas of chemical equilibrium among 162 undergraduate chemistry students and 69 teachers of chemistry. Responses reveal widespread misconceptions among students and teachers in areas related to the prediction of equilibrium conditions, rate and equilibrium,…

Reports on specific problem-solving difficulties of 240 chemistry teachers from 5 Nigerian states who volunteered to take part in 3 written tests and an interview. Describes the contrasts between successful and unsuccessful problem solvers, and discusses the pedagogical and psychological implications of the findings. (16 references) (JJK)

Describes attempts to instruct 12 children, aged between 10 and 11, during a 12-hour course in LOGO that proper attention should be paid to the external angles through which the turtle rotated. Results suggest that using LOGO to draw closed figures may lead to confusions about angle that are not amenable to conventional intervention techniques…

The lack of sound and practical guidelines and materials, which precludes adequate technical assistance, is one cause of the inferior quality of evaluation practices in bilingual education. Other contributing factors include incompetent program evaluators, misinformed local administrations, inappropriate state and federal policies, and complex…

Discusses the use of drawings to nurture problem-solving attitudes and independent learning. Drawings help develop thinking skills, clarify misconceptions, develop representational preferences, supply a context for relationships in K-8 mathematics, and illustrate mathematical connections. (MDH)

A program for teaching the concepts of electric energy, voltage, and current is proposed. The ideas and concepts are introduced in a sequence that places more emphasis on some aspects that are normally treated very briefly. A phenomenological orientation, qualitative and quantitative micro- and macroscopic treatments, and the inclusion of the…