Investigated use of analog tasks for determining difficulties that high school chemistry students (N=619) might encounter in solving molarity problems. One finding is that analog task used is a predictor of success on a molarity test. (Author/JN)

A long-standing issue in cognitive psychology is the question of content effects upon problem-solving skills, that is, do students' problem-solving abilities generalize across specific subject matter domains? Although Piaget argued that formal reasoning strategies are independent of content, the well-known decalogs of Piaget can be interpreted as…

Good problem solvers and poor problem solvers in advanced physics (N=8) were significantly different in their ability in translating, planning, and physical reasoning, as well as in problem solving time; no differences in reliance on algebraic solutions and checking problems were noted. Implications for physics teaching are discussed. (DH)

Determined whether chemistry students (N=332) understood analog tasks that could be used for teaching the mole concept. Also identified possible difficulties that students might have in solving mole problems. Seven major conclusions are reported and discussed, including the finding that two-step problems were more difficult to solve than one-step…

Metacognitive skills may be defined in a variety of ways. Generally, these ways all apply to people's thinking about their own personal thinking. This research study analyzed students' interactions to computer programs to assess their metacognitive skills. The metacognitive skills assessed were: (1) planning a course of action; (2) monitoring the…

This study investigated how students processed information obtained by reading a passage related to inertial reference frames. Two groups of 10th-grade students (one group consisting of students identified as potential National Merit Scholars and another consisting of students enrolled in level-I biology) read a science text passage and answered a…

Reported the development and validation of an integrated model of performance on chemical concept-volumetric analysis. Model was tested on 265 chemistry students in eight schools.Results indicated that for subjects using algorithms without understanding, performance on volumetric analysis problems was not influenced by proportional reasoning…

During the summer of 1986 a group of 15 racially diverse students entering 10th and 11th grades participated in an intensive 4-week course taught by members of an NSF-funded project. The project's goals were to develop science and mathematics curricula based on the principles of systems dynamics. The course was a test of materials intended to…

Results of interviews with high school chemistry students (N=14) during equation-solving sessions indicate that those who were able to construct diagrams consistent with notation of their balanced equation possessed good concepts of subscript and the balancing rule. Implications for chemistry teaching are discussed. (DH)

Definitions for the terms open-ended, problem solving, and investigations are considered. The interaction between these terms and teaching styles are discussed. Student influences over the learning process in this type of investigation are examined. (CW)

Researchers of problem solving in science often find themselves in the situation of studying complex problems within a scientific discipline while constrained by the necessity of studying simple, well-defined problems. They then often generalize the results to the more complex problem. In this paper, this process is explored as it applies to the…

Computerized science simulations were employed by high school biology students in an attempt to enhance their problem-solving skills. The simulations were administered under unguided (discovery learning) and guided (guided discovery learning) conditions while a control group received no simulations. To ascertain the effectiveness of the…

This study examined the science process skill of prediction problem solving using naturalistic research methodology and information-processing theory. The think-aloud interview led to the identification of several specific program exploration and prediction behaviors. A total of 14 high school biology students made predictions concerning the…

Most physics problem-solving studies provide data that indicate problem representation is different between experts and novices. This paper presents "cognitive aids" guiding the process of elaboration of a problem representation through intermediate representations. Intermediate means that the representation is situated somewhere between…

Reviewed are 15 studies on cognitive style and problem solving in science education. The effects of problem context, problem type, and three kinds of cognitive style on subjects' abilities to encounter and solve problems are investigated. Three protocols of the subjects' encountering activities are provided. (YP)