Getting schools to leap onto the Information Highway is the latest in a series of corporate forays marked by ignorance, self-interest, and marketing madness. Educational implementation of computer-based technology is highly experimental, despite the billions spent annually. The competitive jockeying for position to build and fill the…

Investigated DIALOG's RANK command to generate a list of prominent authors in biodiversity for use in cocitation studies. Concluded that RANK did not retrieve a quality set because highly cited authors of general texts presented a misaligned picture of specialization. Suggests that limiting citations to journal articles would present a more…

Describes an experiment that uses a bottle, a cork, and a wooden match to study students' explanations of what they observe to reveal misunderstandings about pressure and to produce some incorrect interpretations such as creation of a gradient of pressure. (DDR)

A Minneapolis superintendent presents diary excerpts of his three-year experience and dispels myths about improving education. He argues the futility of believing that more, less, or private is better; that educators are nincompoops; or that money talks. Transforming education requires core goals, customer support, consequences (accountability),…

Develops a "theory of stretched analogies" to explain limitations of student-as-customer and athletic motivational notions. Schools are neither shopping malls nor knowledge factories; for unengaged students, there will be nothing to purchase. Also, caring teacher-coaches must decide how high to set the bar. The goal is helping all…

Explains how students' alternative conceptions about curriculum topics interfere with classroom learning. Describes the Royal Society of Chemistry's Teacher Fellowship Project entitled "Challenging Misconceptions in the Classroom," which develops classroom materials to diagnose and challenge specific alternative conceptions. Uses key…

Presents an account of one teacher's path to realizing the depth of intuitive beliefs about science. Organizes chemistry misconceptions into eight patterns of reasoning that include thinking rules and alternative conceptions. (DDR)

Multicultural education has focused on increasing academic achievement and promoting greater sensitivity to cultural differences. Unfortunately, achievement-oriented programs stressing culturally based learning styles, bilingual or bicultural approaches, selective cultural programs, or minority- or gender-based grouping for math and science have…

Provides teachers with some ideas about the development of physical knowledge to make them more receptive to the differences between their own and their students' thinking. Illustrates an adapted version of Piaget's model of the growth of physical knowledge using the development of classical mechanics. Contains 12 references. (Author/JRH)

Argues that doing and learning science are not the same thing. Suggests strategies involving active learning of a nonpractical nature which encourage discussion of science by children working in small groups. Presents examples of less familiar practical alternatives. (JRH)

Examines 9th grade students' explanations of chemical reactions using two forms of open-ended essay questions, those providing students with key terms to be used as "anchors" on which to base their essay, and those that do not provide terms. Results indicate that more misunderstandings were elicited by the use of key terms as compared to…

Analyzes the answers provided by (n=98) 12-year-old students to questions on an end-of-the-year science examination. Points out that although students are able to explain day and night, they have difficulties explaining why the moon always presents the same face to Earth. Addresses implications for teaching and learning. (Contains 17 references.)…

Explains how misconceptions act as barriers to learning and must be addressed by teachers in the delivery of instruction. Points out that if misconceptions are not overcome, no new learning will result from a student's time in the classroom. Reports the results of an action research project that concluded that the majority of students make no…

Investigates the relationships between students' free exploration of interactive science museum exhibits, conceptual understandings, and cognitive developmental levels. Classifies participating subjects (n=45), ages 5-13, as preoperational, concrete operational (empirical-inductive), or formal operational (hypothetical-deductive). (Contains 22…

Studies misconceptions held by grade 9 students (14-15-years old) in Turkey about photosynthesis and plant nutrition. Uses a questionnaire to test students' conceptions and reports conflicting and often incorrect ideas about photosynthesis, respiration, and energy flow in plants. Suggests that there are difficulties in changing students' prior…