Interviews of and questionnaires given to (n=299) 14- and 15-year-old students in England and Spain on their understanding of combustion and on the teaching and learning styles used with students found that the extensive use of practical work in English schools had only a marginal effect on their understanding of combustion. Includes…

The Diet Cola Test was designed as a process assessment of science aptitude in intermediate grade students. Investigations of the instrument's reliability and validity indicated that data did not support use of the instrument for identifying individual students' aptitude. However, results suggested the test's appropriateness for evaluating…

Describes the use of the Texas Instruments' calculator-based laboratory (CBL) and Vernier accelerometer for measuring the vector sum of the gravitational field and the acceleration of amusement park rides. (JRH)

Presents six library activity guides for reading/language arts, science, and social studies. Each guide contains a section on library media skills objectives, curriculum objectives, grade levels, resources, instructional roles, activities and procedures for completion, evaluations, and follow-ups. (AEF)

Examines the question of whether variables associated with middle school classroom practices and instructional emphasis would contribute to a prediction of science course placement in later grades. Concludes that what happens in early schooling does have a direct and substantive impact on later education. (ZWH)

Describes a professional development program to help teachers attract city children to the study of technology and science by showing science as a way to understand and control social and material surroundings. (MKR)

Developmental assumptions that are frequently regarded as constraints on elementary school science curricula are analyzed. The argument that elementary school children cannot function as experimentalists because they have not yet attained formal operational thought is not supported by the Piagetian or non-Piagetian research reviewed. (SLD)

Describes an integrated methods course in a small university, including evolution of the course, topics covered, descriptions of student assignments and activities, procedures used in student evaluation, and student opinions of the integrated course. An appendix contains the outline of topics and student activities. (15 references) (Author/MKR)

Eighteen year-11 physics students were taught heat and expansion of liquids using a predict-observe-explain sequence. Argues that the data demonstrate how students' prior knowledge and beliefs can affect their observations and interpretations of new learning. (Author/MKR)

Examined the potential of creative writing in (n=32) students' science learning. Analysis of children's stories and conversations in a Year 5/6 integrated studies setting revealed a number of themes around the processes of learning and using science and language. (19 references) (Author/MKR)

Integrating children's weather-related family folklore with scientific investigation can be an effective way to involve elementary and middle level students in lessons spanning the disciplines of science, geography, history, anthropology, and language arts. Describes weather folklore studies and examples of weather investigations performed with…

Investigated the appropriateness of microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs) for elementary school students. Reports that children expanded their repertoire of graph-making and interpreting skills and MBLs supported scientific inquiry for and by the children. (28 references) (Author/JRH)

Discusses exemplary teacher and student characteristics that can provide the base to generate an Intelligent Computer Assisted Instruction (ICAI) shell. Outlines the expertise, learning, student-model, and inference modules of an ICAI shell. Describes the development of an ICAI shell for an undergraduate course in human physiology. (33 references)…

Describes a high school biology assignment that had students read a self-selected book where the main character experiences nature and is changed by it. Evaluation was based on journal entries and a formal paper. Seventy percent of the students indicated they greatly enjoyed the assignment. (PR)

Compares science preparation requirements of preservice elementary teachers with standards set by NSTA. Questionnaire was sent to 321 AACTE institutions. Most colleges do not require recommended 12 semester hours (18 quarter hours) of science, and only 20 percent of schools have science content courses designed for elementary education majors.…