This document contains the final program and abstracts of the 1996 National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) Annual Meeting. The presentations are classified in the following strands: (1) Learning: Students' Conceptions and Conceptual Change; (2) Learning: Classroom Contexts and Learner Characteristics; (3) Teaching; (4)…

Instruction should be designed to incorporate learning theories that explain how intellectual skills are developed. Through these appropriate learning theories, students learn to think conceptually, critically, and creatively when analyzing situations, developing solutions to problems, and learning from their experiences. Several critical issues…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on informal workplace learning. The first paper, "The Impact of Actor Strategies and Work Type on Learning Projects: A Multiple Case Study" (Rob F. Poell), reports on a multiple case study of four learning projects in two organizations that demonstrated that individuals' strategies and the type…

An informal study found that zoo visitors want to know not just the name, weight, and age of animals in a collection, but also about diet, reproduction, life span, and behavioral characteristics. What kinds of learning opportunities, beyond enhanced signage, can be offered to the sophisticated new breed of visitors in zoos, aquariums, and nature…

A project contacted approximately 800 voluntary organizations in northwest England to describe the learning activities in which volunteers take part. Data were collected through mail surveys, telephone interviews, face-to-face interviews, general observation, structured time observation, and case study. The following were among the findings…

East African maternity care and child rearing practices are discussed from a cross-cultural perspective. A brief background section is followed by discussion of: (1) health and nutrition as preconditions for educational achievement; (2) care of mothers and children and child rearing in East Africa--by far the longest section; (3) the roles of…

Based on the premise that science and technology directly affect a wide range of personal activities and impact policy issues of national and international importance, this report aims to show why it matters that all sections of the public should have some understanding of science and to stimulate action by scientists and others to improve this…

Zoos generally claim their four purposes to be conservation, research, entertainment, and education. This paper is intended to synthesize the literature relevant to the educational function and provide an annotated bibliography of that literature. The first section of the synthesis, "Audiences," addresses staff, volunteers, outreach programs, and…

This pronoun study examines the effect of two classroom learning environments on the acquisition of English personal and possessive pronouns by Primary Two students in Singapore on the premises that: 1. Students from the formal learning environment will perform better than those from the informal learning environment in the shorter term; 2.…

The Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology (SIAST) assesses applications to its Prior Learning and Assessment (PLAR) program. This 1999-2000 report is the second annual account of SIAST assessments of PLAR requests. PLAR Policy identifies the following standards for quality assurance in assessing learning for credit: (1)…

Not long ago, both city and country children grew up mostly outdoors, with direct experience of plants and animals and of the ways in which the necessities of daily life were grown, made, and used. When they weren't helping with household work, children spent much of their time exploring and puttering around in the outdoor environment, relatively…

Students' alternative conceptions arise out of an interconnected system of beliefs: about the nature of science, of learning, of the natural and social world. Cross-cultural perspectives on these world views are therefore essential. This study probed middle school students' conceptions about plants. Tribal students were found to have a richer and…

Schools need to be reoriented and restructured so that what is taught and learned, and the way in which it is taught and learned, are better integrated with young people's real-world experiences. Many indicators suggest that the meaningful aspects of school have been lost in the encounter with modern times. The title of this address--"Every…

While rediscovering her Chippewa spirituality, the author learned that life's tests are gifts. The ways she learned in the White world had prevented her from serving her people. She had to undergo pain to learn about compassion before she could be of service. Native people need to positively reinforce children and allow them to talk about their…

Reported are the results of a study at the Royal British Columbia Museum where an interactive computer program, "Explore the Seashore," was added to an exhibit to test its effects on visitor enjoyment and learning. Details of the presentation and structure of the hypercard media are presented. (CW)