Survey results contrast teachers' (n=159) knowledge and understanding with the understanding levels expected by England's science National Curriculum. Teacher's understanding with respect to the concepts of force, energy, and changes in materials are discussed. (Contains 29 references.) (MDH)

Discusses (1) the need for teachers to understand student conceptions; (2) alternative conceptions that students formulate; (3) changing conceptions; (4) representing conceptual knowledge for studying conceptual change; (5) strategies for inducing change; and (6) a taxonomy of conceptual change. (Contains 61 references.) (MDH)

Describes the "Physics by Inquiry" course that is designed to address student misconceptions. Explains how the course was taught at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro for teachers and how it was taught at Ohio State University for elementary-education majors. Concludes the course is exportable to many different environments…

Conceptual change teaching is an instructional method that helps students modify, extend, or exchange their alternative conceptions for the appropriate scientific conceptions. Provides activities and a diagnostic test to apply the method to the concepts of heat and temperature. (MDH)

The articles in the December 1997 "Educational Administration Quarterly" about replacing the American comprehensive high school lacked historical perspective. Despite contributors' efforts to dissociate them from such schools, certain "innovative" restructuring measures (community building, team teaching, and block scheduling) have historically…

Parents and private schools are generally satisfied with Milwaukee's voucher program. Four results are fairly negative: loss of active parents from public schools; student attrition from private schools; closure of four private schools; and lower achievement-test scores. Also, proponents are using dubious findings to support unwarranted program…

Summarizes a complex study of a science-teacher-education program whose goal was to graduate teachers who held conceptual change conceptions of teaching science and were disposed to put hem into practice. Concludes that there are influences on prospective teachers from their content coursework that have significant implications for how they view…

Presents examples of chemical education research that illustrate changes in focus, method, and direction over the past 50 years. Contains more than 50 references. (WRM)

Teaching to the test has significant undesirable effects. This practice skews scores and invalidates the test, promotes convergent thinking, promotes learning that may be obsolete, excludes the arts and extracurricular activities, promotes didactic instruction over discovery learning, involves only short-term memory, and excludes higher-order…

Some advocates of "all children can learn" downplay the need for adequate resources and child-friendly public policy. Educators' heroic efforts alone are insufficient. Other destructive fallacies include the principal as sole instructional leader and exception-based, uniform standards. The effective-schools movement has become too…

A Maine study found that homework often disrupts family life, interferes with parents' own teachings, and punishes children in poverty for lacking computer access and/or a supportive home environment. The standards movement requires teaching in a more tightly controlled system, leaving no room for homework, an unknown variable. (Contains 13…

Discusses 10 misconceptions about the substance, methodology, and efforts of teaching and learning via interactive television networks (ITN), including the idea that ITN will replace teachers, ITN will save money, ITN will rescue failing schools, all students will succeed in ITN classes, and all teachers can teach well on ITN. (SM)

The top-down, heavy-handed "Tougher Standards" movement has taken over many schools, with full support of business groups, politicians, and many journalists. Primary opponents are classroom teachers and parents. Raising standards translates into higher scores on poorly designed tests. Best teaching builds on actively learning students. (MLH)

Responds to the article "Reconstructing Multicultural Education: a Response to Mike Cole" in which Cole defends his views of antiracist education and the role of cultural racism, the teaching of controversial aspects of other cultures, reconstructed multiculturalism as opposed to student misconceptions, and nationalism within the context…

The concept of waves is fundamental due to its occurrence throughout the natural world. Because the concept occurs in so many places, students come to the classroom with prior knowledge, as well as misconceptions, about waves. Students have misconceptions about what is waving in a wave, what properties of the medium determine wave speed, and how…