Identifies the determinants of female junior high school students' intentions to enroll in elective physical science courses in high school using the theory of the Reasoned Action model. Finds that the intentions were a function of both attitude toward performing the behavior and subjective norms. (Author/YP)

Reports the history, instruction, teacher training, and evaluation of a computer-programing course in China. Suggests some questions and problems relating to the course. (YP)

Investigates the extent to which thinking skills and mathematical competency would predict the course performance of freshman and sophomore science majors enrolled in physics courses. Finds that algebra ability and critical thinking skills were the best predictors. (Author/YP)

Examined is how research informs and influences the practice of science education. Discussed are past focuses on treatments, present focuses on students' ideas, and developing styles of research. (YP)

Compares experts', advanced students', and novice students' use of genetics knowledge to generate and test hypotheses while solving genetic pedigree problems. Reports that experts identified more critical cues, tested more hypotheses, were more rigorous in the falsification of alternative hypotheses, and were more flexible to their solving…

Examined the extent to which students' alternative conceptions changed as a function of age. Reports that many alternative views remain intact throughout the school years. Provides several suggestions for teaching and research within the context of a neoconstructivist view of learning. (Author/YP)

Compares the professional need of science teachers across subject areas and countries by using the Science Teacher Inventory of Need. Reports the results and compares them with United States' research data. (YP)

Examines the influence of both locus of control and three instructional strategies to foster an understanding of the nature of science. Reports that the nature of science was most predictable for a separate process/content/teaching methods and logical thinking ability was the best predictor of the nature of science. (Author/YP)

The importance of reporting explained variance in ANOVA designs is discussed. Three methods that can be used to obtain estimates of explained variance in ANOVA designs are described and applied to sixteen studies that were reported in recent NARST volumes. Recommends that researchers in science education report explained variance. (Author/DS)

Provides evidence to support the conclusion that relationships exist among Piagetian levels of intellectual development, intelligence quotient, content achievement, and inquiry skills in ninth and tenth grade biology students (N=92). (DS)

Purposes of this study were to (1) develop an instrument requiring several classification activities; (2) investigate the correlation between classification ability and intelligence scores of junior high school students (N=365); and (3) determine if classification ability differs with age and gender. Findings included a significant correlation…

Determined (1) if ninth-grade students (N=221) receiving pictoral treatment with critical attributes highlighted performed better on an identification test than those receiving diagram form instruction, and (2) if high verbal learners receiving a largely diagrammatic treatment performed better on a classification test than high verbal students…

Determined (1) how student attitudes toward science change as a consequence of changes in learning environment across time and (2) extent to which student attitudes are associated with student characteristics and their learning environment. Indicates students enjoy science at elementary and secondary levels with no sharp dropoff in student…

Determined whether a test of cognitive style can predict student (N=87) performance on a test of scientific knowledge, and examined possible interactions between cognitive style and teaching method in terms of student achievement. No significant relationships between cognitive style and student performance or between cognitive style and teaching…

Determined if certain variations in the format of Inhelder and Piaget's Equilibrium in the Balance task have any effect on how students (175 undergraduate and 32 ninth graders) are classified. Suggests that researchers allow subjects to experiment with the apparatus to insure proper classification of stage of development. (Author/DS)