Three former secretaries of education--William Bennett, Lauro Cavazos, and Terrel Bell--have touted state-level SAT scores as proof that educational financing does not matter. Recently, Brian Powell and Lala Carr Steelman adjusted scores for participation rate and detected a very strong relationship between expenditures and SAT scores. Bigger…

Presents a framework characterizing cognitive models generated by sixth-grade students for simple opening/closing control mechanisms, like the elevator door. The students' conceptions, missing conceptions, and misconceptions are analyzed at three levels: device knowledge; perception of the control process; and perceptions of information flow. (LAM)

Discusses variables related to task performance in the solution of the water-level problem, where subjects were asked to indicate the water surface orientation in a tilted vessel. Subjects ages 7 to 15 years participated. Suggests that field effects and the kind of rules in use contribute to the differences in performance, which can be shown even…

Describes a study of the scholarly literature of sociology that examined whether citation rankings derived exclusively from references appended to journal articles produce a skewed picture of scholarly impact, and whether the inclusion of references from monographs would uncover a different group of influential authors. (Author/LRW)

Explains the design and development of an educational virtual environment to support the teaching of planetary phenomena, particularly the movements of Earth and the sun, day and night cycle, and change of seasons. Uses an interactive, three-dimensional (3D) virtual environment. Initial results show that the majority of students enthused about…

Interviews with directors at five Ontario summer camps found that three camps exposed children to stereotypes of Indigenous peoples and to cultural appropriation. This is inconsistent with goals of educating campers about and showing respect for Indigenous cultures. Given the current issues of land-claims and Aboriginal rights, non-Indigenous…

Identifies certain conceptions regarding the science content studied by students aged 9-11 years and develops a strategy for altering these conceptions. Reviews research on misconceptions and defines action research. (DDR)

Reports the results of research that explores how scientific literacy sustains belief in pseudoscientific claims. The population of college biology students who were non-biology majors completed questionnaires which were assessed and used to plan instruction. (DDR)

Developed is a classroom activity that illustrates the scientific method. The importance of observation, interpretation, and prediction is discussed. The activity uses pictures of the surface of Mars. (KR)

Discussed is a common error made by students in judging the distribution of the magnetic field of a circular loop along its diameter. Qualitative and quantitative explanations of the magnetic field distribution are presented. (CW)

Discusses the need for library collection development to address the needs of the increasing elderly population by providing information in the areas of gerontology, nutrition, and consumer health. Works cited concern the positive aspects of aging or ways of coping with negative aspects. (29 references) (Author/CLB)

Reports on some potential teaching problems associated with children's scientific ideas about the concept of mutation. Provides information on the sample, methodology of study, and analysis. Concludes that in biology teaching the treatment of the concept must ensure that its genetic sense is specifically delineated. (RT)

Describes a class activity, a game called "Beware--Radiation," developed as a framework for the introduction of the topic of radiation. Reports that both students and teachers had similar and mostly wrong preconceptions. (Author/YP)

Describes a pattern of failure to apply relevant scientific principles among pupils. Tenth grade Israeli students were tested and later interviewed in order to determine areas of knowledge in which there was some question concerning knowledge of scientific principles. Suggests that teachers must involve the pupils in situations in which erroneous…

Discusses problems and misconceptions concerning the appropriate use of computers in K-12 classrooms. The use of software to support computer-assisted instruction (CAI) is described, teacher-written software is discussed, telecommunications issues are considered, and the role of administrators and teachers is examined. (two references) (LRW)