Kindergarten children who had been given cues during instructional sessions on serial ordering performed significantly better on serial ordering posttests than did the control group (no instructional sessions). Author concludes that the acquisition of serial ordering capabilities depends in part on learning and not solely on the development of…

Studied whether or not viewing different versions of a silent, single concept film would affect the responses of elementary school children to tests related to the film. No significant correlations were found between pretest and posttest scores and 19 independent variables related to the children. (MLH)

Studied the intellectual differences between third and fourth grade Filipino children who had studied Science--A Process Approach (SAPA) and others who had studied a traditional curriculum. The SAPA children performed significantly better than the control group on a test of observing, comparing, and classifying simple geometric objects. (MLH)

Presents a test designed to assess the "Understanding of the Nature of Scientific Enquiry" (UNSE) of Israeli students who studied the BSCS curriculum. Test results showed a 60 percent mastery level in knowledge of experimental methodology, indicating that the students had not mastered the type of tasks in the test. (MLH)

Studies of the hierarchical attainment of conservation of physics concepts revealed significant differences with respect to age, sex, and grade level in a random sample of seventh and eighth grade students. Conservation of a quantity did not necessarily depend on the prior conservation of its constituent fundamental quantities. (MLH)

Recommendations for science teachers of grades 7-12, according to a questionnaire survey of hiring officials, include a broad science background, good communication skills, and a bachelor's rather than an advanced degree. (MLH)

Studied was the performance of four Piagetian tests for formal reasoning by students between the ages of 9 and 15. Concluded that boys performed better than girls. (MLH)

Secondary science students were tested, using Piagetian tasks to determine their level of intellectual development, and then tested on scientific concepts classified as concrete or formal. Results showed significant multiple correlations between the scores on the tasks and the subject matter tests. (MLH)

Conclusions include that, between Intermediate Science Curriculum Study (ISCS) courses and non-ISCS courses, there is no difference between the students' perception of both classroom activities and teacher personality traits. (MLH)

Describes two types of computer-based experiments: simulation (which assumes no student knowledge of the workings of the computer program) is recommended for experiments aimed at inductive reasoning; and modeling (which assumes student understanding of the computer program) is recommended for deductive processes. (MLH)

Analysis of teacher questionnaires sent to all public elementary schools in the Mideast, New England, and Southwest regions of the United States showed that an adequate budget for supplies and equipment may not be sufficient to get the teachers to use innovative teaching techniques; inservice training appears to be necessary. (MLH)

Identifies 20 out of 108 science misconceptions, selected by 30 percent or more of a sample of 1,444 high school and university students in Lebanon. (MLH)

Concludes that the group taught by the audio-tutorial method made significantly higher scores than did the lecture-laboratory group on both (1) achievement tests and (2) a retention test administered 11 weeks after the termination of the college Animal Biology course. (MLH)

Discusses recommendations for doctoral programs in science education, including that the doctoral student should author at least one research paper before the dissertation, participate in apprenticeship work with other agencies, such as the teacher education faculty or the audiovisual aids department, and be well-advised of all options available…

Studied two groups of preschoolers taught observational skills by the Montessori method or Science-A Process Approach (SAPA) curriculum. Found no significant difference in competence level between groups, but the SAPA children acquired observational skills in a shorter period of time. (MLH)