Describes a new physics program which depends mainly on student performed experiments and investigations, and subscribes to Piaget's learning and developmental theories. (GA)

Explores pupils' (n=800) ideas about what scientists do, their more general knowledge about theories and how they change, and their impressions of how theory and experiment interact in the school science that they have experienced. Discusses teacher and out-of-school effects, gender, school work, and development with age. Contains 22 references.…

Discusses briefly Piaget's views on intellectual development as related to science teaching. Describes intellectual activities observed in science classrooms and shows how specific science lessons can be designed to encourage cognitive development. (GA)

A course is described that is designed to encourage exploration, conceptual invention, and expansion of an idea. Results are given that relate to curricular experimentation with chemistry. (SA)

Reviews the objectives of laboratory work in chemistry education, current laboratory practice, and factors likely to impact on the nature of laboratory work in the future. Proposes that more investigation-style laboratory work be provided in order to foster the development of students' investigation skills. (Author/MKR)

The author describes activities he uses with secondary school science students to learn about their reasoning. (Author/SA)

This paper reports two studies that examined changes in the participants' level of moral reasoning after exposure to the Kohlberg cognitive-developmental intervention model (1975). This approach focuses on universal moral principles which are manifested in a series of developmental stages. Knowledge of these stages provides one with an outline for…

Many educators assert that the acquisition of thinking skills by students is of primary importance to science education today. This study was designed to examine the effect of an instructional approach on achievement in science process skills when compared to a more conventional method of science instruction. The DIAL(SPS)2, a directed approach to…

Describes an investigation of the strategies used by 47 high school students in solving volumetric analysis problems in chemistry. Reports that students in the high ability group mainly used the "formula" approach, while those in the low ability group tended to use the "proportional" approach to problem solving. (TW)

In an effort to improve students' interests in science and science courses, a study was conducted in Israel to evaluate students' attitudes towards science relative to two chemistry curricula. These curricula were Chemistry for High Schools (CFH), and Chemistry--A Challenge (CAC). The CFH program was mainly designed for science-oriented students…

The purpose of this study was to document and analyze teachers' and students' activities during physics practicals in order to gain critical insights into why students did not acquire the expected practical skills and how theory and practice interacted in the context of teaching for the practical examination in physics. The study involves three…

This conference on physics education was held to improve cooperative efforts in connection with 12 topics previously identified by a survey. A working group was organized in association with each of these topics with the hope of creating or reinforcing a network. Working groups included: network development procedures; graduate education and…