Reported the development and validation of an integrated model of performance on chemical concept-volumetric analysis. Model was tested on 265 chemistry students in eight schools.Results indicated that for subjects using algorithms without understanding, performance on volumetric analysis problems was not influenced by proportional reasoning…

Presents a study which examined elementary science textbooks (grades four and six), noting (1) text organization and structure; and (2) the degree of problem solving required in chapter activities (according to Bloom's taxonomy). Reports a need for a more varied use of text structures and the inclusion of activities that utilize higher-level…

Presents a predator-prey simulation which involves students in collecting data, solving problems, and making predictions on the evolution of prey populations. Provides directives on how to perform the chi-square test and also includes an Applesoft BASK program that performs the calculations. (ML)

Introduces questions and activities involving soap bubbles which provide students with experiences in prediction and logic. Examines commonly held false conceptions related to the shapes that bubbles take and provides correct explanations for the phenomenon. (ML)

Discusses 10 fundamental ideas that are useful in teaching chemistry at the high school and college levels. Also provides background information, including the role of problem solving. (JN)

A brief overview is given of the part of meteorology which deals with the circulation of the atmosphere. This is followed by eight illustrative application problems for mathematics classes. (MNS)

Reviews several sources of published materials which contain learning objectives for general problem solving as well as problem solving in mathematics, science, and computer science. Lists of objectives are included where appropriate. (JN)

Reports research supporting the hypothesis that concrete-operational college students playing the game Master Mind with an observer where there is verbal interaction designed to stimulate thinking about the problem-solving situation will show greater cognitive growth than subjects not playing the game. Implications for science instruction are…

The effects of text-provided aids on readers' understanding of scientific passages are discussed. Two techniques are pretraining on definitions and signaling. In the experiments, subjects read a scientific passage with either definitions pretraining, signaling, both, or neither. Results indicated these techniques helped readers build mental models…

This second part of a two-part article highlights some mathematics involved in the study of meteorology. Examples are given of the application of mathematics to the study of the atmosphere, with three problems discussed. (MNS)

Discusses inquiry and discovery methods in elementary school science education; emphasizes the importance of teachers knowing whether they are using the inquiry approach and to what extent. Presents a chart listing the steps involved in problem solving, indicating whether a step is teacher- or student-controlled. (BC)

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of scaffolding in helping students understand a complex problem. Seventy-nine 10th-grade students (15 to 16 years old) from an urban public school participated in this study. The ethnic breakdown of the students at this school was: 39.4% White, 18% Black, 22.4% Hispanic, and 20.3 %…

The BrainLink project offers educational materials that focus on current neuroscience issues with the goal of promoting a deeper understanding of how the nervous system works and why the brain makes each individual special while conveying the excitement of "doing science" among upper elementary and middle school students. Project materials engage…

The BrainLink project offers educational materials focusing on current neuroscience issues with the goal of promoting a deeper understanding of how the nervous system works and why the brain makes each individual special while conveying the excitement of "doing science" among upper elementary and middle school students. Project materials engage…

The BrainLink project offers educational materials focusing on current neuroscience issues with the goal of promoting a deeper understanding of how the nervous system works and why the brain makes each individual special while conveying the excitement of "doing science" among upper elementary and middle school students. Project materials engage…