Reports results of a study testing a selective attentional model which predicted that textbook study questions adjunct to a flow diagram will focus students' attention more upon questioned information and less upon nonquestioned information. A picture-word diagram describing biogeochemical cycles to high school biology students (N=176) was used.…

Presents results of a study suggesting that prior mathematical ability is a primary influence on performance in an introductory, preprofessional physics course and that it has a secondary influence on the tendency of college students to drop out of the course. (CS)

Reports on a study involving eighth grade earth science students (N=287) which indicates that a problem solving approach is useful in improving overall achievement, particularly in facilitating application of earth science subject matter. (CS)

Reports on a study which investigated the effects of varying percentages of high cognitive questions on primary and intermediate students' achievement at the knowledge, comprehension, and analysis levels. Also investigated the effects of redirecting questions on student achievement. (CS)

Reviews research in science instruction studies with similar independent variables, involving grades 6-12 and reported within the 1963-1978 period. An analysis of 52 studies revealed six clusters that possessed significant positive cognitive outcomes. Includes the finding that systematic innovation provides positive improvements over traditional…

Determined the effect of computer assisted instruction (CAI) materials on college students' attitudes toward computers and chemistry. Includes the finding that the attitude of women toward computers was improved by using CAI.

Reports results of a study investigating the ability of college students to solve problems using proportional reasoning. Also discusses implications for consideration of Piagetian cognitive level of students in planning college courses. (CS)

Argues on the basis of Piaget's theory that self-regulated cognitive activity of the student plays a crucial role in the construction of logical reasoning strategies used in testing hypotheses. Proposes six sequences in the development of hypothesis-testing conceptions and provides alternatives. Also distinguishes three families of teaching…

Analyzes a study which examined the effects of teacher vagueness on comprehension of high school biology students (N=48) regarding the vascular system of angiosperms. Includes the finding that teacher vagueness terms significantly affect student achievement and student perception of lesson effectiveness. (CS)

Reports results of a study exploring the effects of preservice secondary teacher anxiety and modeling on acquisition of a science teaching skill and concomitant student performance, using randomly assigned microteaching sessions as treatment and control groups. Discusses results and aptitude-treatment interactions. (CS)

Reviews 27 studies relating age (or grade) and developmental level to science learning among students in grades 6-12. Includes results that measures of student ability are better predictors of cognitive achievement than developmental measures, and that age and grade level are weakly related to developmental level and cognitive achievement. (CS)

Examined effects of operational levels of ninth-grade (N=16) and college (N=40) students on causal explanations they recalled after instruction. Results indicate concrete/formal students recalled explanations requiring chaining of two implication statements while formal subjects outperformed concrete subjects in reconstruction of complex…

Determined effect of testing frequency on data obtained using intensive time-series design. Eighth-grade, earth science student attitudes toward science class and class achievement data were not affected by frequency of data collection. Results of a previous study were also replicated, giving increased confidence in validity of data yielded by the…

Investigated influence of sex-related contextual nature of tasks (male-related, female-related, and content-free tasks) and perceived difficulty of these tasks on logical reasoning of Nigerian high school students (N=70). Results indicated that males scored higher than females on male-related tasks and females scored higher on female-related…

Determined if student questioning skills could be taught within framework of an ongoing chemistry course and if acquisition of these skills depends on high school students' (N=108) level of intellectual development. Results indicate that questioning skills can be acquired by students, regardless of their level of Piagetian intellectual…