Explains the Commission on College Physics' (CCP) change in priorities from preparing future physicists toward providing more appropriate physics courses for the nonscience college students. Discusses the development of the CCP conference which lead to the Physical Science for Nonscience Students (PSNS) project. Describes the activities which have…

Students' preferences changed from applied to theoretical aspects of physics, and from recall of facts to identification of fundamental principles during two years of study of the Physical Science Study Committee in Australian High Schools. (AL)

The author sees the physical sciences as processes of inquiry and proceeds to analyze and criticize CHEM Study, CBA, and PSSC physics in terms of their views of inquiry and of the sciences. A discussion of some desirable features for a high school program in physical science is included. Bibliography. (LC)

Extends the modeling system presented in Part I. This model is applied to two widely diverse educational processes: "Student Actions" and "Do Homework Problem." Its computational syntax imposes completeness criteria on the modeling and its uniformity. (AIM)

Continues the work done by Mackay (1971) and Gardner (1973) in which attitudes of students enrolled in PSSC physics were assessed. (PEB)

THIS SPECIAL ISSUE OF "PHYSICS TODAY" REVIEWS THE STATUS OF SECONDARY SCHOOL PHYSICS, AS WELL AS COLLEGE PHYSICS AND PHYSICAL SCIENCE. SECONDARY LEVEL PROJECTS INCLUDE PHYSICAL SCIENCE STUDY COMMITTEE PHYSICS, HARVARD PROJECT PHYSICS, THE ENGINEERING CONCEPTS CURRICULUM PROJECT, AND THE NUFFIELD PROJECT. THOSE AT THE COLLEGE LEVEL…

Describes studies by L. D. Mackay and P. L. Gardner that were designed to teach attitudinal objectives in the Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) course. Differences in results are attributed to the effect of socio-economic level, passage of time and reduced teacher enthusiasm, factors extraneous to PSSC, and a slightly different sample. (GS)

Provides a refinement to the Harvard Project Physics Course handbook exercise "Stepwise Approximation to an Orbit." (CP)

This guide contains Parts III and IV of the students' guide to the first year of the three-year integrated biology, chemistry, and physics courses being prepared by the Portland Project Committee. Part III is titled "Energy and Work" and Part IV is titled "Ecology." (GR)

The purpose of this paper is to summarize and review the results of the Harvard Project Physics (HPP) research and evaluation activity to make available to interested science educators the design, implementation, and results of a major curriculum evaluation effort. This activity was conducted during the years 1965-1970 and had considerable support…

Compares curriculum project adoption figures derived from examination entries with figures derived from questionnaires in an attempt to place the questionnaire returns in perspective and give an indication of the confidence which may be placed in them. (GS)

Students whose Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) physics course was supplemented with the PSSC films did not achieve significantly higher scores on the PSSC Achievement Test or the Test on Understanding Science than students who did not see the films, when intelligence and science background were used as covariates. (AL)