Because traditional instruction ignores students' personal construction of mathematical meaning, mathematical thought development is not properly nurtured. Several issues must be addressed, including adults' ignorance of math- and student-learning processes, identification of math-education research specialists, the myth of coverage, testing…

Identifies and clarifies an interpretation of scientific discourse that can be used as a lens for viewing problems of teaching science. Discusses why reform visions for science education are reasonable, desirable, and yet problematic in lower track classrooms. Presents data to explain and characterize lower-track science-classroom discourse.…

Reports on the effects of constructivist versus traditional teaching approaches on university students' learning about osmosis and diffusion. Students understood diffusion and osmosis more deeply in the constructivist-informed classroom, which used small discussion groups rather than traditional large lecture groups. Suggests ways to improve…

Describes the implementation and evaluation of a constructivist course for science teachers in which teachers are inducted into "critical constructivism" through their own action-research projects. Illustrates the induction process and professional development of one biology teacher of 13- to 15-year olds in Brazil. Contains 23…

Investigates conceptions of the geosciences held by a university geology instructor and five students before and after a teaching intervention. Argues for the use of repertory grids to elicit personal constructs. Advocates targeting the societal aims of geological education within a constructivist framework. Contains 54 references. (Author/WRM)

Young pupils find collaborative learning hard to sustain, even though it is recommended by developmental psychology and classroom intervention theories. Investigates the effect of two role attribution strategies on communication in peer groups of different gender composition in 8th grade science classes. Confirms the effectiveness of social role…

Describes the difficulties that high school and university students have in thinking about force, identifying forces, and drawing force diagrams. Finds that students using a computer tutoring program made limited progress in learning to construct free-body diagrams because of their alternative conceptions and faulty teaching methods. Offers…

Explores the tension between subject knowledge and pedagogic content knowledge in elementary teacher education by documenting students' and inservice teachers' learning about forces in the context of floating and sinking. Describes significant features of the learning process and examines subject-specific aspects of learning by demonstrating how…

Reviews three learning models (objectivist, collaborative, and constructivist) and information technologies that can be used to support the effective application of these learning models in construction engineering education. The effectiveness of an information technology is analyzed through the appropriateness of the technology in supporting a…

Reports on a qualitative study of the learning environment of a biology class. Suggests that both intrinsic and extrinsic motivation--which could lead to deep involvement in science learning--are constrained by teacher-centered methods. Contains 31 references. (DDR)

Describes an exhibition on radiation and the environment. Reviews students' and lay people's conceptions and how conceptions and constructivism can guide exhibition development. Considers whether such an exhibition can facilitate cognitive change and aid in the understanding of environmental matters using data from 16-year-olds' use of the…

Explains a professional development model that is informed both by constructivist and sociocultural theory. Focuses on professional development, personal development, and social development. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Examines student conceptions of their experiences with science, describes the variety of those conceptions over the years of schooling, and investigates patterns across those years. Six categories of conceptions were found, each portraying essential meanings of science. Results suggest making modern philosophical views of the nature of science…

Explores a creative middle-school structure that provides a block of about two hours in the school day when one teacher has a group of students engaged in a variety of interdisciplinary activities. The concepts of learning circles and group-dependent projects are discussed. The core of the proposed middle school is constructivism. (SLD)

States that constructive thinking about variables seems to be a key to accelerated learning in science and that computer modeling can enable this. A taped sequence of a group in the exploratory use of a model reveals the potential of such activity. (Author/ASK)