The purpose of this study is to provide insight into short-term professionalization of teachers regarding teaching socioscientific issues (SSI). The study aimed to capture the development of science teachers' pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) for SSI teaching by enacting specially designed SSI curriculum materials. The study also explores…

Indicates that the ability of tenth-grade students (N=600) to distinguish between teleological or anthropomorphic explanations and causal ones is different and independent from the ability to distinguish between teleological or anthropomorphic formulations and factual ones, and that special treatment should be given to develop each of these two…

This article reports on answers by children (grades 1-9, n=83) to oral and written questions concerning the phase change from liquid to gas. The development of concepts was followed, proceeding from concrete to abstract ideas. Many students were found to experience difficulties in problem solving even though they may have had the necessary level…

A study (n=631) of children's ideas on motion of objects is reported. On three items of a four-part questionnaire, responses changed as the children matured, passing through distinct, successive stages with respect to their conceptual understanding. If teaching strategies to overcome misconceptions are to be effective, they must be appropriate to…

Addresses the teacher's role in the integration of science and technology studies within an educational reform in Israeli junior high schools. Concludes that a realistic goal would be to enable science and technology teachers to cooperate with one another. Contains 35 references. (DDR)

This study (n=192) examined the use of analogical instruction to overcome misconceptions about conservation of matter. Students who understood the concept conservation of matter when iodine was evaporated were able to transfer their understanding to the evaporation of acetone. This indicates that teaching by analogy can be an effective tool in…