Describes Australian secondary school, undergraduate, and postgraduate students' use of analogy and anthropomorphism along with their alternative conceptions for mental models of chemical bonding. Finds that learners make use of analogy and anthropomorphism to aid their explanations of chemical bonding, and in addition reveals that learners across…

A previous study of prospective teachers found that students from different countries and different levels of electrochemistry hold common misconceptions, indicating that concepts were presented to them poorly. Reports on how prospective teachers' scientifically incorrect ideas were used to form assertion-reason-type questions and how these…

Discusses the misconceptions revealed by the teachers' answers and outlines more accurate answers and explanations based on established evidence and uses these to provide a more complete understanding of plate tectonic process and the structure of Earth. (Author/YDS)

Discusses an attempt to promote the development of prospective elementary teachers' own subject-matter knowledge of the division of fractions as well as their awareness of nature and likely sources of related common misconceptions held by children. Indicates that before the described mathematics methods course, most participants knew how to divide…

Presents an activity in which students must arrange five fractions represented by dominoes in ascending order and justify their reasons for the ordering. Representing common fractions with dominoes helps identify students' misconceptions about fractions. (ASK)

Shows an example of bad physics by illustrating that the tidal effect is caused not only by the moon but also by the sun. Proves that differences in the gravitational tug on water at various parts of a basin is responsible for tidal mechanism. (CCM)

Examines the utility of a group normative education program designed to challenge male college students' (N=71) misperceptions of college drinking norms. Participants demonstrated more accurate perceptions of campus drinking norms and a significant reduction in consequences of alcohol use. Results suggest that normative education may be an…

Describes a study of how much children know about the human skeleton and gives advice for teaching the topic more effectively. (Author/WRM)

Discussion of visualization and animation in computer-assisted learning packages focuses on a case study of secondary students in England in an economics course. Highlights include visualization and animation as conceptual anchors; as sources of misconceptions; and the role of instructional activities. (LRW)

Explores implications of the view that there is no such thing as the scientific method for biology education. Suggests fresh approaches to the teaching of drawing in biology, the teaching of classification, and the teaching of human biology by illustrating opportunities for investigating and describing the world scientifically. (Contains 32…

Previous research has shown that students often have multiple conceptions within any particular topic area in science, and these conceptions are usually strongly linked to specific problem situations or contexts. Investigates the nature of any possible relationship between these conceptions. (Author/MM)

The purpose of this article is to explore some research into teaching and learning algebra, and to consider related classroom issues. This leads to the development of diagnostic instruments that may be used by senior secondary teachers as students leave the middle years and embark on rigorous mathematical study. It also outlines an effective…

Many adolescents whom professional school counselors regularly counsel are ambivalent and unmotivated to behavioral change. Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) is a counseling approach designed specifically for clients with these qualities. The purpose of this article is fourfold: (1) to identify the complexity and misconceptions of counseling…

In this paper we will examine the persistence of "misconceptions." We used data from a longitudinal study of personal ideas in 24 students' thinking about ecological processes. The results show students often speaking about personal experiences dating from an early age, to which they had also referred in similar interviews conducted years before.…

It is not unusual for interest groups to issue reports that further their own political agendas--and to muddle the facts in the process. For this reason, newspapers generally ignore them, treat them with great skepticism, or make sure they properly vet the research with independent observers. Not so in the case of the study of charter schools…