Understanding how geologists conduct fieldwork through analysis of problem solving has significant potential impact on field instruction methods within geology and other science fields. Recent work has highlighted many aspects of fieldwork, but the problem solving behaviors displayed by geologists during fieldwork and the associated cognitive…

Despite concerted efforts by science educators to understand patterns of evolutionary reasoning in science students and teachers, the vast majority of evolution education studies have failed to carefully consider or control for item feature effects in knowledge measurement. Our study explores whether robust contextualization patterns emerge within…

Examines ways in which students collaborate to construct, use, and revise conceptual and strategic knowledge as they solve complex genetics problems. Concludes that students used three types of knowledge during model revision: knowledge of genetics, knowledge of the process of model revision, and knowledge of their own problem-solving strategies…

Discusses schematic modeling and describes an experiment in which Lebanese high school and college students participated in problem-solving tutorials that followed a schematic modeling approach. Results indicate that both groups improved significantly in problem-solving performance and the course achievement of students in the college group was…

This position paper briefly highlights the more pervasive research and applications problems in science education and suggests a possible way to organize ideas so that psychological paradigms will have educational value. (CS)

A model of memory developed by information processing psychologists is described, illustrating how such a model could be used to guide science education research on learning and problem solving. (Author/SK)

Investigates how students develop an understanding of chemical representations with the aid of a computer-based visualizing too called eChem that allows them to build molecular models and view multiple representations simultaneously. Involves 11th grade students (n=71) at a small public high school and examines the changes in students'…

Female education majors in a physical science course were given a set of tasks analogous to a given, solved prototype-task to investigate how transfer items were handled. Also used a conceptual model along with the solved prototype and a general procedure for applying the conceptual model to the transfer items. (Author/JN)

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…

Presents a theory of learning in science based on students deriving conceptual linkages among multiple models which represent physical phenomena at different levels of abstraction. Finds that high school students who were exposed to derivational links among three models for basic electricity performed better when solving both qualitative and…

In this article, we describe the results of a study of the pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) of preservice chemistry teachers in the context of a postgraduate teacher education program. A group of preservice teachers (n = 12) took part in an experimental introductory course module about the use of particle models to help secondary school…

Describes a study that explores the instructional influence of presenting pictures at the molecular level when introducing chemistry concepts and solving chemistry problems. Explores the effect of the pictures on students' conceptions and problem-solving abilities. Contains 59 references. (DDR)

Describes a qualitative study that explores students' perceptions of their own learning. Document review, participant observation, and open-ended interviews were used to gather and triangulate data. Factors that were perceived as helpful were woven into a theoretical model. The uses of the model are discussed. (Author/KR)

Uses two studies to examine developmental and task effects in estimation problems. Results are discussed in terms of student and task characteristics and the implications of such variables on information processing model of learning. Implications for science teaching, learning problem diagnostics, and science curricula are also discussed. (TW)