The research reported here follows previous articles in this special issue which detail a national study involving a team of researchers across four higher education institutions in New Zealand. A key theme that emerged from a collection of questionnaire, interview and observational data was the central importance of teacher-student and…

This study was undertaken to explore the effectiveness of the learning-cycle method when teaching direct current (DC) circuits to university students. Four Physics II classes participated in the study, which lasted approximately two and a half weeks in the middle of the spring semester of 2003. Participants were 120 freshmen (55 females and 65…

Contends that student success in introductory science courses at the college and university level depends on formal operational reasoning ability, size of working memory, and the degree of field independence. Reports the study findings related to cognitive predictor variables based on the testing of Venezuelan science majors (N=95). (ML)

Discusses a study which examined if inadequate study approaches contributed to the high attrition rate in tertiary science courses in Papua New Guinea. Test results of undergraduate students (N=118) indicated that their test scores for study motives and strategies were higher than Australian norms but did not correlate with academic achievement.…

The effect of manipulation of the perceptual field factors on undergraduate student performance in proportional reasoning tasks was investigated. Evidence was found to support the hypothesis that the manipulation of the perceptual field factor can affect student performance. Reports data correlated with the Group Embedded-Figures Test. (CW)

Studies the interviews of 24 professional scientists to seek their views on the long range effects of their initial training. Analyzes the interviews for content, teaching, and types of learning experience. Concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings for science education. Argues for a reduction in content. (CW)

Reports on a study in which the Introductory Science Teacher Education (ISTE) instructional package was used to promote favorable science related attitudes in preservice teachers in Nigeria. Reports that the ISTE could produce better science related attitudes than the traditional science teacher program. (CW)

Freshmen and sophomore science education students (N=32) were observed to determine their performance (attentive responses) on four cognitive variables. One result found is that 44 percent of students used the fastest mode of short stimulation/short response time, but had the lowest mean score on the four cognitive variables. (JN)

Compared performance in A-level science examinations of students who took an integrated science course (SCISP) with students who studied the separate subjects of physics, chemistry, and biology to 0-level standard. Results show no significant differences between the performance of the two groups. (JN)

Describes students' perceptions of their studies in the Preacademic School at the Hebrew University and discusses their attitudes, expectations, and opinions with regard to a desirable preacademic preparatory program. Students expressed concern about deficiencies in learning skills. (ML)

Explains an investigation which examined Nigerian students' (N=200) ability to respond to depth cues and to visualize the effects of rotations. Study results indicated that performance on cues tests correlated significantly with performance on rotation tests suggesting that cues influence students' ability to visualize the effects of performing…

Presents the information and opinions obtained in a survey of the penetration made by technological and socio-economic aspects of science in English schools. Findings indicate that technological, social, environmental, and economic aspects received greater emphasis in further education institutions than in secondary schools. (ML)

Discusses the responses of science graduates (N=34) to control of variable problems. Two content areas (biological/plants and physical/pendulum) and two formats (experimental planning and data interpretation) were employed in their study. Results suggest that different problems elicit a variety of solution procedures and are affected by prior…

Assessed Venezuelan college freshmen's (N=709) level of formal or concrete operations and its correlation with performance in various courses. Findings show 84 percent were concrete; achievement in chemistry had the highest correlation with formal operations, and decreasing correlations occurred with mathematics, biology, biology lab,…

Presents a theoretical framework for and a detaled description of a model for teaching scientific analogies. The framework focuses on the definition of an analogy, analogical learning, variables related to analogical learning, evaluating outcomes of analogical limiting, and limitations of using analogies in teaching. (JN)