A study identified misconceptions about resource allocation for teacher salaries that generate distrust among stakeholders, and the study examined an Arkansas legislative response to that distrust. Methodology consisted of three questionnaires. The first one was administered to the state financial director/coordinator in each state department of…

This use of the term "student's misconceptions" reflects a knowledge transmission view of teaching rather than a constructivist view. Among science educators there has been an undue emphasis on changing student views into views accepted by the scientific community. This overemphasis mirrors the preoccupation with transmitting the "right answer"…

In addition to the cult mystique that the notion of self-directed learning (SDL) has attained, controversy has arisen over its definition, its proper environment, and other issues. Consequently, a number of issues have arisen. The first is that adults are naturally self-directed. The reality is that adults' reactions to and capability for SDL vary…

In an effort to investigate the effects of a teaching strategy that helps students to identify concept conflicts through experimentation and guided investigation on students' conceptual changes and learning outcomes, 596 students (393 junior high school, 170 senior high school, and 33 college students) were administered two solution tests…

The processes of photosynthesis and respiration are basic to the understanding of many other aspects and functions of biological systems. Because of their curricular significance, these processes served as the focal point in an investigation of student conceptions and instructional effectiveness. In this study, students in a college nonscience…

Misconceptions associated with the origins of force and the effectiveness of a bridging strategy for developing correct conceptual models in mechanics are identified for high school physics teachers in this paper. The situation investigated was whether a table exerts an upward force on a book. Student misconceptions related to this phenomenon as…

The self-reported errors of college and university presidents are examined and analyzed from the perspective of organizational learning. Very little is known about how presidents take on their roles, identify and assume their responsibilities, and learn about their workplaces or the difficulties they face and the mistakes they make in doing so.…

In most research that investigates factors influencing the success of analogies in instruction, an underlying assumption is that students have little or no knowledge of the target situation. It is interesting to ask what factors influence the success of analogies when students believe they understand the target situation. If this understanding is…

Discusses some of the misconceptions commonly held suggesting that mixing ideal gases causes an increase in entropy. Argues that the combining processes and resulting total pressure have absolutely nothing to do with the mixing itself. (TW)

Reports concepts which 12th-grade physics students hold about motion before and after a lecture is given. Compares quantitative and qualitative research methodology and describes some responses to test items. Shows six questions, student responses, and typical incorrect explanations used by students. (YP)

Presents two views about lenses and optics in attempt to clarify a story written by Carolyn Hermann, "Through the Magnifying Glass." Cites two references for additional reading on students' optics difficulties. (RT)

Reports on a study in which clinical interviews were conducted with three elementary school children to determine the extent to which they held naive misconceptions about important biological topics, and to determine agewise trends in the development of biological knowledge. (TW)

Reports on a study designed to investigate secondary school students' misconceptions of conservation principles and fields. Results indicate that misconceptions appear to persist and that students were unable to transfer knowledge readily. Also teachers appear not to be fully aware of students' misconceptions. (ML)

Offers perspectives on research related to students' ideas about science prior to instruction. Discusses possible origins of prior knowledge, the requirements for conceptual change, and reviews instructional implications. (ML)

Cognitive and situative theories have both proved very useful in furthering our understandings of mathematics learning. An important current area of investigation is to synthesize these perspectives in order to provide more robust theories of learning and to bring theory and practice into better relations with each other. This paper contributes to…