Describes high school physics projects for investigating road safety problems. Includes diagrams of laboratory apparatus and explanations of experiments. (CS)

An Australian secondary school physics course utilizing an electronic programmable calculator and computer is described. Calculation techniques and functions, programming techniques, and simulation of physical systems are detailed. A summary of student responses to the program is included. (BT)

Described is the construction and utilization of a Dewar assembly for measuring the heat of vaporization of liquid nitrogen. The device is fabricated from a thermos bottle replacement filler. (SL)

Describes the construction and application of two new types of detectors that use the discharge provoked in a gas by the passage of a charged particle as the means of detection. (MLH)

Describes an elementary one-semester course in the physics of sound and light with an emphasis on applications in art, music, photography, and theater. (MLH)

Includes five brief articles on: solar-heating demonstration equipment, mercury or sodium vapor lamp spectroscopy, an apparatus for simulating variable stars, a voltage-to-frequency converter, and an introductory absorption experiment for low-energy beta particles. (MLH)

This study reported how four science teachers used action research to promote their students' motivation in learning physical science. Four teachers with one of their 8th grade physical science classes participated in the study. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research design were used in the study, and data collection included…

Starting from a situated cognition perspective, this paper reports on the activity of 9th grade students who are interpreting the shape of a graph arising from the motion of a bouncing ball. In an unfamiliar context, informed by previous knowledge of similar experiments, the obstacle of understanding why the graph does not start from the origin is…

There is a growing consensus among educational researchers that traditional problem-based assessments are not effective tools for diagnosing a student's knowledge state and for guiding pedagogical intervention, and that new tools grounded in the results of cognitive science research are needed. The ConMap ("Conceptual Mapping") project, described…

This is the first in a series of reports that explore the career experiences of workers with physics training. A survey conducted in 1994 examined the education and employment experiences of a large sample of members of an academic honors society for undergraduate physics students. The analysis focused on 328 holders of bachelor's degrees in…

The Comprehensive Unified Physics Learning Environment (CUPLE) is a project that brings together innovative uses of the computer for physics teaching into a single, multi-purpose learning environment. The status of college-level introductory physics teaching is reviewed. In these courses, physics instructors have been forced to be satisfied with…

From the theoretical reference frame of constructivism, much of the rhetoric and positive research findings in support of microprocessor based laboratory (MBL) activities facilitating science learning can be interpreted in terms of the increased opportunities for student-student interactions and peer group discussions about familiar and discrepant…

This CD-ROM, designed for students in grades K-2, explores the world of simple machines. It allows students to delve into the mechanical world and learn the ways in which simple machines make work easier. Animated demonstrations are provided of the lever, pulley, wheel, screw, wedge, and inclined plane. Activities include practical matching and…

This document contains an annotated bibliography aimed at the teaching of the physical sciences at the tertiary level to those who wish to become more informed about teaching related research evidence and undertake science education research. The bibliography offers an overview of teaching and learning in the physical sciences and key references…

Using interesting interactive educational tasks increases student motivation in difficult subjects such as biology, physics, and chemistry and creates more effective science instruction. This paper presents a method for developing interactive educational tasks that make science subjects easy to understand. (Contains 10 references.) (YDS)