Investigated a microcomputer-based system for the diagnosis and remediation of three Aristotelian alternative conceptions of force and motion held by eighth-grade physical science students. Reports that computer simulations exemplifying canonical conceptions facilitate alteration of students' naive conceptions to a significant degree. Suggests…

Used multiple-choice instruments and classroom observations of elementary education majors (n=116) to examine the importance of cooperative incentives and heterogeneous grouping in cooperative learning. Results indicate no differences in the achievement of students in the group accountability and individual accountability conditions and do not…

Investigated the nature of biology teachers' global content understandings, and sources and formation of subject matter structures (SMSs). Reports that the initial formation of SMSs was credited to college content courses and modified by the act of teaching. Variables that differentially affected SMS translation included teacher intentions,…

Describes the theory behind the workings of the Hubble Space Telescope, the spherical aberration in the primary mirror that caused a reduction in image quality, and the corrective device that compensated for the error. (JRH)

Describes activities that demonstrate the relationship of mathematics and science and their use in solving real-world problems like solid waste disposal. (JRH)

Conducted a study to identify the factors that predict persistence and success in baccalaureate engineering programs. Reports that the variables that contributed significantly were freshman achievement test scores in algebra and chemistry, high school grade point average, degree of focus of science interests, motive for engineering choice, and…

Describes a simple, safe, and inexpensive hands-on demonstration of normal and abnormal coagulation using bovine blood plasma. (JRH)

Describes activities designed to give summer school students an appreciation of the value of an integrated approach to scientific investigation. (JRH)

Describes activities that take advantage of heavy snowfalls to study numerous geological concepts including sedimentation, precipitation, morphology and metamorphosis of crystals, compaction and cementation, fossilization, and erosion. (JRH)

Describes activities that can be added to any chemistry curriculum and can offer students an opportunity to gain and practice skills in research, written and verbal communication, and database creation and use while working as a part of a problem-solving team. (JRH)

Explores the effects of the square-cube law that predicts the physical consequences of increasing or decreasing an object's size. Uses examples to discuss the economy of scales, common misconceptions, and applications of scaling laws. (JRH)

Maintains that the narrative that structured U.S. historiography in the 19th century was composed of 2 strands: (1) the story of Western progress; and (2) the liberal story of U.S. exceptionalism. Discusses U.S. historiography as expressed in the "American Historical Review." (CFR)

Compares historical writing and historiography of the 19th and 20th centuries. Asserts that early history, written primarily by amateur historians, was simplistic and prone to error. Maintains that present-day histories provide more coverage of ethnic groups and women. (CFR)

Asserts that recent efforts to demonstrate the weaknesses of Frederick Jackson Turner's Frontier Thesis only have strengthened its reputation. Discusses the significance of Turner's thesis and its evolution during the past 100 years. Concludes that historical presentism flattens the drama of history. (CFR)

Explains that, until the decay of the post-World War II consensus on U.S. history, the history of American Indians remained in academic limbo. Contends that the events of the 1960s, including the civil rights and antiwar movements, resulted in a strong interest in American Indian studies. (CFR)