Investigated the ability of Swedish student teachers to explain everyday phenomena in science education, asking all fourth-term student teachers about phenomena where transformations of matter were involved. Analysis of students' written answers indicates that there is a great need in teacher training to work with conceptual understanding and with…

Provides construction and operation details for a tornado machine. Includes suggestions for investigations and information about tornado warnings. (DDR)

Provides historical information on the incorporation of physics as a subject into secondary schools in Spain. Cites religious and political tensions as early roadblocks to curriculum development. (DDR)

Provides details of an activity in which students spear a toy fish and learn about the refraction of light. Plans for the sighting apparatus and for making the toy fish are included. (DDR)

Reports the results of an experiment with undergraduates in a physics laboratory that indicates that preparation before a lab session improves student performance in the lab. Also concludes that follow-up work can lead to meaningful learning. (DDR)

Describes an inservice training course for science teachers that is based on the view that most issues of classroom practice are issues of pedagogy, methodology, and subject knowledge. Teachers selected issues of direct concern to their daily work, performed research by methods of action research, analyzed their findings, took appropriate action,…

Describes how to construct a simple motor from a coffee mug, wire, and magnets. Includes background information, student assembly procedures, troubleshooting, and extensions. (DDR)

Presents a (Western Australian) case study of the link teacher model, a decentralized, "train the trainer" approach to inservice education. Discusses the model's perceived effectiveness, the link teachers' role, central authority support, and new experimentation opportunities. Combining centralized syllabus change with decentralized…

Describes a teaching model aimed at promoting conceptual change concerning heat and temperature. The model is used with teachers (n=2) and students (n=92) to explore its use as a professional development tool as well as a teaching strategy. Results indicate that the teaching model is effective in changing students' ideas and the approach resulted…

Conventional science instruction often fails to address or change students' misconceptions about physical phenomena. Students stubbornly cling to anthropocentric, causal, and product conceptions about energy. This article explores scientific and pedagogical arguments favoring development of a spiral curriculum for teaching energy in (Israeli)…

Each designer contributing to this special issue was asked to prepare an introductory lesson on the physics of motion aimed at eighth to eleventh graders. This article presents a brief description of how a detailed physics content was researched, edited, and refined by subject-matter experts, and then ultimately presented to the instructional…

This instructional design sought to create an easily graspable application of physics principles. It took an engineering slant on the content, asking students to investigate physics by attempting to increase the productivity of a "Splam-canning" plant. Design strategies are outlined for six science principles and eight product utilization…

Models the motion of a gymnast around the high bar first as swinging around a rigid rod, then more accurately when the rod is considered to be elastic. Also considers how the gymnast should best move his hips. (Author/ASK)

Describes a "Basics of Teaching Physics" course as an approach to training teaching assistants (TAs) in science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) departments. The regular graduate course is based on constructivist learning: TAs construct their own understanding through guided questions, problem solving, reading and analyzing papers,…

Summarizes the main features of Michigan State University's Internet-based online degree programs in beam physics. Discuses enrollment and degree requirements; explains the WebCOSY system, an interactive Web-based homework and course management program; and examines participants, dropout rate, and grades. (Author/LRW)