Investigated were effects of learning structure on change in preference for science courses. Results indicated that physics students learning in ways they prefer register greater gains in preference for physics than do students in incompatible learning structures. No significant differences were found for students in biology, chemistry, or…

Presents a position strongly advocating inquiry training in science for students at all levels, but particularly at the elementary level. (SL)

Discusses the use, types, and advantages of simulation activities in problem-solving instruction. Reviews a research study of simulation in medical education. (MLH)

Describes a heuristic model that facilitates the conceptualization of linguistic-imaginal processes and forms the basis for a method of relating learner aptitudes to specific instructional stimuli in science education. (MLH)

High school chemistry students were grouped according to their scores on a divergent thinking test into either a homogeneous or heterogeneous group. Concluded that following an instructional film, there was more verbal interaction in the homogeneous group. (MLH)

Studied a group of high school biology, chemistry, and physics classes; concluded that there was no relationship between scientific attitudes and class size, but there was a significant improvement in achievement in smaller groups. (MLH)

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)