A group of third graders trained in the proportional reasoning associated with converting distance and elapsed time into speed scored significantly higher on an immediate retention test than the control group (no instruction), but there was no difference between groups on a delayed retention test. (MLH)

Found that the following variables significantly affected the students' performance of a task involving science skills: type of rule and number of attributes used in the prediction task, and whether the student was given a verbal description of the rule to be used. (MLH)

Showed that the female students preferred oral reports and participation in science projects; males preferred small groups and the performance of particular tasks. (MLH)

Prospective high school teachers participated in a seminar on various physics curricula taught by an instructor who was admittedly pro-Project Physics. At the end of the seminar the students as a whole had shifted their preference from a "traditional" curriculum to one with objectives resembling those of Project Physics. (MLH)

Eighth-grade students who had been exposed to the Brandwein series "Concepts in Science" exhibited their perceptions of knowledge structures by free-sorting 39 science concept statements. A similarity index was used to measure sorting consistency and to compare individual sort patterns with a condensed Brandwein standard sort pattern. (MLH)

Discusses the problem of choosing the proper unit (e.g., class or individual student) for the statistical analysis of educational research. Describes a study that was statistically analyzed eight different ways and discusses the various results and implications. Suggests that the problem of selecting the proper experimental unit may be less…

Describes the development of an instrument to assess the assimilation of environmental concepts and attitudes by high school biology students. (MLH)

A treatment group of ninth-grade students were instructed in selected science concepts with drawing-plus-text materials; the control group used text only. Results showed that the treatment group scored significantly higher on post-tests on the selected science concepts. (MLH)

Secondary school students in a classification study spent more time in classifying plants in a seminatural environment than in classifying man-made geometrical objects in a classroom. No differences were found in these results with respect to race, sex, or age. (MLH)

Concluded that sixth-graders in inquiry-oriented science classes perceived cooperation between students; those in textbook-oriented classes perceived competition between students. (MLH)