Previous research has cast doubt on children's ability to use specified evidence when making causal inferences, or, indeed, to differentiate between the specified evidence and their own preconceptions, or "prior theories." The present study continues previous work by distinguishing between children's reasoning in conditions where…

This study examined students' knowledge associated with AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome) and attitudes toward AIDS patients in three remote rural Oregon school districts. Subjects were 139 females and 149 males in 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10 grades. The questionnaire used in the study was designed to obtain information concerning knowledge and…

The aim of this study was to identify deficiencies in students' knowledge and understanding of basic algebraic concepts and operations. Since analysis of errors is an effective way of tracing misconceptions in mathematics, a diagnostic test was compiled for this purpose. A total of 162 items was included in the test which was administered to 4,635…

This study explored the usefulness of an approach to science instruction which specifically considered children's spontaneous conceptions about natural phenomena. The aim of the instruction was the development of conceptual understanding. The instructional approach involved diagnosing children's spontaneous conceptions, making them aware of their…

Much of the focus in science education has been on the theoretical constructs and practical implications of conceptual change. History of science, cognitive theory, and alternative conceptions have been used as backdrops for the study of the child's conceptual movement away from naive beliefs about scientific phenomena. In this study, conceptual…

Preservice teacher education, when viewed through a constructivist lens, should consider preconceptions because it is important that students be initially aware of their own attitudes and of the beliefs that they carry with them. Preconceptions also provide a reference point about which students may reflect as new meanings are acquired. This paper…

This study describes the relationship of two cognitive variables, logical thinking and disembedding ability, to learners' abilities to make conceptual shifts from less acceptable to more acceptable conceptual understandings of a physical phenomenon. The difference in the logical thinking and disembedding ability of students who exhibited different…

In a step toward creating a robust natural language understanding system which detects and avoids miscommunication, this artificial intelligence research report provides a taxonomy of miscommunication problems that arise in expert-apprentice dialogues (including misunderstandings, wrong communication, and bad analogies), and proposes a flexible…

In this paper, the verbal interaction strategies and explanation behaviors of three fifth-grade teachers teaching science units are used to illustrate relationships among curriculum materials, teacher talk, and student learning. Experimental studies with these and other teachers indicate that, if teachers become more sensitive to their students'…

Some science educators who are interested in conceptual development have considered the phenomenon of student misconceptions and alternative frameworks. Researchers have used a variety of terms to describe the situation in which students' ideas differ from those of a scientist about a particular concept. This digest was produced to briefly…

This newsletter describes an ongoing empirical field study involving a description and analysis of practical teaching situations aimed at describing the content and structure of pupils' frames of reference. The project takes the form of a series of case studies in classes of the 3-year lines of upper secondary schools in Sweden. The study seeks to…

This book studies the history of changing patterns in the dissemination, or popularization of scientific findings, to the general public since 1830. It focuses on three different areas of science: (1) health; (2) psychology; and (3) the natural sciences. The document explores the ways in which this process of popularization has deteriorated. It…

Secondary school geometry students have been found to have misconceptions concerning parallel lines. Correctional teaching programs did not seem effective in changing these misconceptions. This research describes an attempt to use teaching strategies which take into account current learning theory and which encourages students to be actively…

In considering implications for teaching and learning found in research, a number of writers have urged teachers to probe students conceptions before teaching a concept. The purpose of this probing is to allow the teacher to begin instruction from the conceptual position or positions of the students. This approach carries with it the assumption…

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD ADHD) is a labeled neurologically based disorder. This article introduces this disorder, as well as other academic skills disorders. It then discusses the myths and facts about ADD ADHD and presents a clinical algorithm for diagnosis and evaluation of a child with this disorder. Next, recommendations…