A relevant aim of research in education is to find and study the reasoning lines that students deploy when dealing with problematic situations. This can be done through an analysis of the answers students give to a questionnaire. In this paper, we discuss some methodological aspects involved in the quantitative analysis of a questionnaire by means…

Students' graph comprehension may be affected by the background of the students who are the readers or interpreters of the graph, their knowledge of the context in which the graph is set, and the inferential processes required by the graph operation. This research study investigated these aspects of graph comprehension for 152 first year…

Contemporary teaching and learning approaches expect students--at any level of education--to be active producers of knowledge. This leads to the need for creation of instructional strategies, learning environments and tasks that can offer students opportunities for active learning. Research argues that one of the most meaningful and engaging forms…

Some of the properties of electromagnetic showers observed in an experimental study are illustrated. Experimental data and results from quantum electrodynamics are discussed. Data and theory are compared using computer simulation. (BB)

Examines information transfer in atmospheric physics by tracing one paper through five years of citations and suggesting patterns for highly cited papers. The results are also discussed in terms of information transfer in a popularized environment, as stratospheric aerosols have been prominently discussed in the popular press. (Author/EM)

A model of Brownian motion is discussed which includes viscosity effects. The model lends itself to Monte Carlo simulation and thus is suitable for an elementary physics laboratory experiment. (BB)

A generalized Rasch model is presented for measuring attitudes; it is based on the concepts of Thurstone's method of successive intervals. Benefits of the model are illustrated with a study of students' (N=4,035 fifth through ninth graders) interest in physics. (SLD)

Presents the origin and mathematics of Hubble's Law of the expanding universe. Discusses limitations to this law and the related concepts of standard candles, elliptical galaxies, and streaming motions, which are conspicuous deviations from the law. The third of three models proposed as explanations for streaming motions is designated: The Great…