In recent years, there have been many exchanges of perspectives and debates in the field of conceptual change. Most of the classical views on conceptual change have been criticized, and there have been recent discussions around bridging the cognitive and socio-cultural approaches in the research on conceptual change. On the other hand, researchers…

It is difficult to explore and understand how student knowledge develops with regard to complex systems, such as ecosystems. This study proposes the use of a Knowledge in Pieces(KiP) framework to analyze student knowledge and development in the domain of life sciences. The aim was to utilize quantitative and qualitative analyses of student…

The aim of this study is to examine the development of science concept in Turkey. It is seen that the historical process of science concept in Turkey has developed within two stages. The first setting is the later stages of the Ottoman State and the Republican Era, at which time positivism was prevalent as noted in the objectives of the national…

Continuous professional development of teachers is of growing interest globally, as it is considered vital to cope effectively with ongoing changes and to improve the quality of education. This qualitative case study explores potential and actual barriers that hinder teachers' professional development in Ethiopian schools. Data was collected via…

Many types of learning require the mapping of information across situations. The proposed organizational framework extends the cognitive study of mappings across problems to include mappings across representations, solutions, and sociocultural contexts. I apply one-to-one, one-to-many, and partial mappings to analyze representative cases that…

This article is a study of a South African teacher educator's interpretations and approaches to implementing a constructivist approach to teaching. It examines his beliefs about teaching physical science to prospective teachers as it relates to his aligning his teaching with the new reform: outcomes-based education. The goals of the reform include…

Analyzes senior high school students' astronomy conceptions by means of a written questionnaire presented during the beginning of the first semester. (Contains 42 references.) (Author/YDS)

Studies such as the Effective Teachers of Numeracy Study (Askew, Brown, Rhodes, Johnson, & Wiliam (1997) have contributed much to our understanding of what constitutes effective teaching of numeracy. This paper aims to build on these findings and to contribute a model that could be used to understand teachers' numeracy practices and the…

This yearbook contains essays that examine the construction of knowledge. The 10 articles, which are called "opinions," are divided into 5 sections, most of which examine the construction of scientific knowledge. An editor's introduction begins each section. Section 1, "Constructivism as an Epistemology and Philosophy of…

This digest features a review of learning styles research with a focus on the Dunn model of learning styles which delineates five types of stimuli: (1) environmental; (2) emotional; (3) sociological; (4) physical; and (5) psychological. Issues related to practical applications of the Dunn model to mathematics and science education, learning…

Analyzes how practice in mathematics education might be reformed toward a professional practice. Argues that conventional school mathematics be replaced by a constructivist school mathematics based on children's use of their schemes of actions and operations in learning situations as illustrated through examples of the numerical schemes of…

Focuses on one target group of seventh-grade science students (N=19) who are working to achieve consensus and a coherent explanation of light and shadow effects. Articulates the beginnings of a framework for consensus building with inquiry discourse. Contains 41 references. (DDR)

Describes the professional development framework utilized in the Integrating Laboratory Instruction and Assessment (INLAB) project directed at changing teacher practice. The framework is based upon the establishment of an intellectual community of learners. (DDR)

Describes the application of a teaching model to the teaching of a science course entitled Changes in Matter. Discusses the teaching sequence and the outcomes of the unit in terms of students' conceptual development. Concludes that the approach requires a conceptual, methodological, and attitudinal change for teachers and students. (DDR)

Constructivism, as a set of theories about how learners learn, has been an important discourse in the educational research literature for a number of years. Interestingly, it has been far more visible in science education research than in environmental education research. This article considers conceptual change theory within constructivism as a…