Argues that the paradox of mathematical knowledge--that mathematics cannot be separated from empirical experience and yet cannot be explained by empiricist epistemology--can only be resolved if the causal interactions between knower and environment are accepted. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Describes a physics-curriculum project that utilizes hypermedia and an historical, conceptual approach. Argues that textbooks are often boring and are inadequate tools for student learning. Contains 32 references. (DDR)

Reports on research designed to discover whether certain conceptual difficulties experienced by present day students in the realm of action at a distance are parallel to the experiences of scientists in previous generations. Contains 60 references. (DDR)

Details an eight-year project designed to reform a physics curriculum using a philosophical, historical perspective and inservice teacher training. Includes information on the development and implementation of the project as well as details about the teacher's guide. (DDR)

Reconstructs students' and teachers' understanding of the structure of the atom based on a framework characterized by considering the history of science as competing research programs and by believing that some great scientific research programs progress on inconsistent foundations. Contains 107 references. (DDR)

Illustrates how the genesis and development of complex numbers can be explained by and supports a fallibilist model of trials and tests. Discusses the educational implications of this quasi-experimental approach. Contains 33 references. (DDR)

Discusses the influence of contextual factors in a given time period, both social and theoretical, on the design of curriculum materials used to guide instructional practice. Suggests that teachers need to develop an historically and philosophically grounded perspective. Contains 41 references. (DDR)

Examines the influence of phenomenalism from a realist perspective and its offshoot, operationalism, on concept formation in biology. Compares the basic tenants of phenomenalism with those of realism. Contains 69 references. (DDR)

Reflects on how physics and physics education in Slovakia has been influenced by totalitarian social organization. Focuses on two historical periods, 1939-1945 and 1948-1949. (DDR)

Offers a critical examination of some of the basic claims of studies that employ ideas from social constructivism and the sociology of scientific knowledge. Argues that social constructivism cannot explain some of the most characteristic features of the physical sciences. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Argues that discussing theories, including their origin, development and replacement by other theories, can help students understand both the objective and subjective aspects of the scientific process. (DDR)

Addresses two research questions pertaining to the search for students' potential alternate conceptions within the history of science and the possibility of helping students overcome these misconceptions through historical experiments. Contains 19 references. (DDR)

Provides historical information on the incorporation of physics as a subject into secondary schools in Spain. Cites religious and political tensions as early roadblocks to curriculum development. (DDR)

Describes the process of transforming the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences and Arts into a national research center. Discusses the political and legal aspects of its transformation. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Traces the evolution of physics teaching and research in Bucharest and Jassy, the two most important Romanian intellectual centers. Reports on three stages of historical development and selected biographies of Romanian scientists are included. (DDR)