Results of a University of South Florida study indicate that the students with two years of basic science preparation appeared to have a better fund of knowledge as judged by the faculty and as evidenced by their performance on the National Board of Medical Examiners pediatric examination. Overall and in other categories, no significant difference…

While a science teacher needs to be thoroughly grounded in science content and methodology, the science teacher also needs to be a reading teacher. Science experiments and demonstrations need to be integrated with reading in the science curriculum. Reading in science helps students with comprehension, the development of concepts and…

The purposes of this study were to: (1) identify the types of questions that students ask during science learning; (2) explicate the role of students' questions in the knowledge construction process; (3) investigate the relationship between students' questions and approaches to learning; and (4) discuss some emergent issues related to student…

This report describes a project for improving problem solving skills in students at the secondary level. The targeted population consisted of high school students in growing communities located in the suburbs of a large Midwestern city. Various studies have indicated that students lack problem-solving skills. Analysis of student and teacher…

This document presents a sample of the Arkansas science curriculum and identifies the content standards for physical science systems, life science systems, and Earth science/space science systems for first grade students. Each content standard is explained and includes student learning expectations, first grade benchmarks, assessments, and…

After two decades of efforts at curriculum reform, the United States has yet seriously to embark on the task of developing an active learning approach to mathematics in the elementary schools. (Author)

Presents responses to an earlier report concerning a procedure for the derivation of the Ideal Gas Law from Charles', Boyle's, and other gas laws. Logic errors and solutions that work are discussed. (CS)

Describes the stages and outcomes of a junior high school science lesson on erosion and deposition utilizing a "kids as researchers" theme. Stages include awareness, discussion, investigation, experimentation, generalization, and extension. (SK)

Justification for maintaining field experience in undergraduate geological education is presented. Emphasis is placed on educating the student rather than providing technical training. (SA)

Cautions physics instructors to be aware of the "hidden curriculum" or what it is that causes students to study more for a grade than for mastery learning. The problem of the hidden curriculum is also discussed as it applies to the personalized system of instruction. (SA)

Undergraduate and graduate students are often confused about several aspects of modeling physical systems. Describes an approach to address these issues using a single physical transport problem that can be analyzed with multiple mathematical models. (DKM)

Gives a step-by-step description of a problem-solving microscale chemistry laboratory to show how this implementation of problem-solving teaching can be put into practice. Pedagogical and practical issues are discussed. (DKM)

Considers what college students think reasoning about physics involves. Discusses whether it is possible to identify students' general conceptions of physics and the effects of a course on students' concepts. Data indicated that students' understandings had an effect on problem solving, qualitative problems, and misconceptions. (YP)

This article discusses problem solving and how science educators can integrate problem solving into their instruction. The Search, Solve, Create, and Share (SSCS) model was developed based on the findings of problem solving research. (YP)

Discussed are two contrasting views about the nature of scientific thinking including Pearson's and Collingwood's. The contexts of questions, methods, problems, experiments, and history are described as contexts of inquiry. The physical thoughts of scientists from pre-Aristotelian times to the present are outlined in relation to contexts of…