Researchers from BBN Laboratories and Lesley College (Massachusetts) have begun exploratory studies to build an understanding of the learning that occurs when middle school students interact with science-based simulations. Sixty hours of discussion among eight middle school students were videotaped as they used the simulations from the…

Action research is one of the more increasingly popular and innovative techniques for engaging teachers in shaping change in the classroom. The research in this monograph was conducted by teachers in classrooms in Florida and Georgia. Papers were selected from 65 action research papers written in fulfillment of one of the requirements of the…

The Environmental Studies Center Outdoor Science program should represent a continuation of the county science curriculum. However, science teachers were insufficiently involved and generally unprepared to conduct effective classroom follow-up activities with students upon returning from outdoor field excursions sponsored by the Environmental…

Microcomputer-based laboratories (MBLs) are believed to have significant potential for improving laboratory experiences in science classrooms. A study funded through a grant project called STEPS to Better Science sought to broaden the knowledge base by examining MBL use by teachers and students in a variety of science classrooms in six high…

This paper describes a study designed to investigate the development of scientific reasoning or logical thinking patterns of South Korean secodary school students. The scientific reasoning or logical thinking patterns were categorized into patterns of logic such as seriation, combinations, proportion, control of variables, probability, and…

Analogies and examples from student's experiences are frequently cited as important to teaching conceptual material. This study was conducted in order to explore the effectiveness of an analogical teaching technique, which uses a connected sequence of "bridging" analogies, compared with a more standard teaching-by-example technique. The…

Designed to address the major conceptual problems associated with evolution and variation and survival in populations, this module can be used with high school students or college nonscience majors including those in elementary education. It is one in a series developed by the project "Overcoming Critical Barriers to Learning in Nonmajors'…

This international research report consists of five papers discussing five different topics in education. "Views on the Implementation of the Curriculum--Experiences of the Finnish Practice" (P. Kansanen) analyzes research results regarding the national curriculum for the Finnish comprehensive school system and compares them with a…

An episodic and activity oriented approach is employed in this unit that illustrates the theme of interdependence of living things. Concepts related to dependence, competition, community, and ecosystems are developed through a case study of a raccoon problem. Various means of solving the raccoon problem are explored within a societal context. Five…

The increasing availability of the computer in the classroom has created a need for informed and creative instructional software. Two areas of cognitive research in mathematics and science learning have implications to instruction and, consequently, to educational software design. These are research on misconceptions and on differences between…

This manual was developed to provide guidance to individuals working in Project SOAR (Stress on Analytical Reasoning), a pre-freshman summer program for science majors anticipating matriculation at Xavier University of Louisiana. Following an overview of Xavier University and Project SOAR and an outline of general instructions, specific…

In this survey, an attempt is made to summarize the perspective on so-called 'misconceptions' research of those whose work in this field has not been guided by learning theory. Following the terminology of Driver and Erickson (1983), this research is called 'problem-oriented' in this paper. Its epistemological assumptions and assumptions about…

The need for teachers to determine whether their students have the skills necessary to learn and to help their students develop missing skills is emphasized. It is felt that it is possible to teach both content and learning skills simultaneously without sacrificing content. This document offers informal, diagnostic testing devices that can be used…

Results are reported of a study that: (1) examined the relationships between university students' entry characteristics and achievement in biological science; and (2) assessed the effectiveness of interactive instructional video-tapes in improving science achievement. Among the variables examined as likely to predict achievement were scholastic…

Argues that cookbook chemistry laboratory experiments do little to teach scientific inquiry. Suggests providing students with laboratory experiences that follow the introduction of a concept and challenge students to investigate that concept through an experiment involving very few initial instructions. Lists some such challenges used in chemistry…