Investigates the effectiveness of using the newspaper to teach sciences and social studies in grades K-6. Semantic mapping was used and attitudinal measures were collected from preservice teachers, inservice teachers, and elementary students to measure the effectiveness of this technique. Results indicate positive attitudes and a substantial…

Inquires into the pre-trip preparation and interaction between elementary teachers and students during a field trip to a discovery center of natural history. Reports that teachers did not specifically prepare students for their visit to the center and many teachers exhibited formal school behaviors in this informal environment. (Author/CCM)

Assesses informal learning in experiential settings. Elementary teachers (n=20) from public and private schools participated in an on-site seminar involving experiential learning in science centers, a wildlife refuge, and a zoological sanctuary. The significance of instruction provided by guides, types of exhibits, and the use of informational…

Reports on a study in which upper-level elementary education majors (n=37) at an urban university participated in a cooperative controversy lesson. Concludes that before the cooperative controversy lesson, 73% of the students felt that the nature of science was fact-based. After participating in the cooperative controversy exercise, 60% of the…

Reviews literature on conceptual change and the study of concepts. Introduces a theory of one particular type of concept. Contains 25 references. (DDR)

Opens with the theoretical construct of figural concepts. Argues that geometrical figures are characterized by both conceptual and sensorial properties. Investigates the effects of interaction between conceptual and figural components. Contains 19 references. (DDR)

Describes a theoretical framework based on cognitive/developmental research. Argues that science learning is a gradual process during which initial conceptual structures based on children's everyday experiences are continually restructured. Contains 46 references. (DDR)

Suggests that misconceptions about natural selection arise from mistaken categorization. Proposes that students often fail to understand the ontological features of equilibrium processes. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

Studies the role of intuitive rules in science and mathematics education. Describes the effect of two intuitive rules on students in grades 7-12 as they perform tasks related to mathematical and physical objects. Contains 28 references. (DDR)

Presents evidence indicating that spontaneously generated analogies can play a significant role in expert problem solving. Focuses on an evaluation strategy known as bridging that has been observed in solutions to both science and mathematics problems. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Discusses how to develop teacher subject knowledge for effective delivery of the program of study at the primary level. Indicates that providing teachers with the necessary skills and confidence is complex. Contains 27 references. (DDR)

Reports on a comparative study of aspects of the science knowledge of primary student teachers in Singapore and Great Britain. Results indicate that there no connection between content knowledge and the ability to teach that knowledge. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Describes the development and evaluation of a pilot package as a prelude to the production of a series incorporating the use of puppets in video, comics, and print materials for primary science. Explains that science educators perceive the package as enrichment rather than as curriculum materials. Contains 18 references. (DDR)

Attempts to elucidate the relationship between physics achievement and psychological constructs. Concludes that cognitive factors and interest contribute relatively stable components in all the path analyses. Contains 27 references. (DDR)

Explores the development of children's conception of a substance and reports the findings in relation to children's understanding of boiling water and particle ideas. Argues that boiling water should have a broad significance in the curriculum. Contains 23 references. (DDR)