Three topics in particular in the National Curriculum can benefit from the use of varied resources off the Internet. Explains how to make physics more palatable using the internet. (Author)

Students need to do more than just look at web pages to learn from the Internet, they also need to interact and communicate with others. Describes ways to use resources from the internet in physics teaching. (Author/MM)

A new website from the Institute of Physics, physics.org, will now provide answers to many questions about physics. Developers describe the design and purpose of the site and look forward to forthcoming enhancements. (Author/MM)

Describes a long-term in-service training program for physics teachers grades 7-12 designed to enhance teachers' subject matter and pedagogical content knowledge. Teachers' opinions of the program were examined using a survey. Results suggest that the courses and activities that were most valuable for day-to-day teaching were those in which…

Reviews the use of concept cartoons in support of the constructivist view of learning, and gives two particular examples to show how they can help students' understanding of the formation of shadows. (Author/MM)

Who owns a new science course once it has been developed? If teachers teach a course in their own way, does this transformation improve or deform it? The development of "Advancing Physics" provokes some fresh thought about these questions. (Author/MM)

The 20th century brought great changes. Scientific advances have improved transport, communication, and information for millions but the development of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction has threatened us all. Now we must continue our first steps towards a war-free world by developing a loyalty to humanity. Scientists must accept…

The introduction of citizenship as a National Curriculum subject in English schools offers new opportunities for the effective teaching of science. Presents some challenges for busy physics teachers and the resources available to support them. (Author/MM)

Outlines an alternative atomic model to the probability model, the descriptive quantum atomic model Electronium. Discusses the way in which it is intended to support students in learning quantum-mechanical concepts. (Author/MM)

Focuses on the quantum atomic model Electronium. Outlines the Bremen teaching approach in which this model is used, and analyzes the learning of two students as they progress through the teaching unit. (Author/MM)

Defining "force" in everyday terms is not a simple matter. Discusses experience with various examples and shows that it is useful to examine whether students have indeed grasped the correct meaning. (Author/MM)

Does a sensori-motor experience help a physics student understand the movement of molecules in solids, liquids, and gases? Students aged 9-10 were given either traditional demonstrations of solids, liquids, and gases and the variation of molecular motion with temperature (iconic presentation), or they were involved in physical activities as they…

Describes how the sound card of a personal computer can be used to collect data in physics experiments. Discusses gravity and simple waveforms. (Author/MM)

Describes a simple exercise in percolation theory that can be performed easily and quickly in a laboratory using paper and a hole punch. (Author/MM)

Considers whether there might be cultural elements that lie behind the tendency of physics to be a more popular option with boys than with girls. Concludes that making sweeping assumptions about male and female preferences is liable to create more problems. (Author/MM)