Two studies examined the construction of children's beliefs about projectile motion of a ball rolled off a table. Describes the concepts used by children, analyzes their use as a function of age, and gives a naturalistic description of their use. Results indicate that appropriate instruction can remediate misconceptions. (MDH)

Investigates the availability of syntactic cues to verb meaning. In Experiments 1-3, adult subjects' judgments of verbs' semantic similarity were compared with other adults' judgments about the syntactic properties of the same verbs. In Experiment 4, subjects paraphrased sentences formed by pairing verbs with unaccustomed sentence frames. (54…

Argues that mathematics education at the preschool and primary level should emphasize child-centered, hands-on, discovery learning, rather than paper-and-pencil tasks that may be too abstract for young children. Suggests that this holistic approach to mathematics fosters concept development and higher order thinking skills on a broad level. (MDM)

Discusses a conference centering around the added value of technologies in language learning. Topics include the necessity of networks, added value analysis for "a priori" specification and "a posteriori" assessment, funding, textbooks, user expectation, assessment methods, integration into other learning systems, and an action plan. (CK)

Introduces the articles in this journal issue, noting the burgeoning interest in the roots of parental beliefs, values, and goals. Highlights thematic continuities among the otherwise diverse research approaches presented, for example, synthesis of different theoretical perspectives of parent beliefs, or the context in which parental beliefs…

Two essays examine the number aspect of mathematics learning for three- to five-year olds. The first contextualizes the research and reviews its progress, focusing on how children learn in contexts where numbers occur incidentally, and on developing appropriate ways of challenging children to solve problems. The second essay presents a case study…

Described is a game that is used to introduce the concept of multiplying integers. Serving as a physical model for the concept, "Froggie Frolic" races frogs along a number line by moves that indicate direction, magnitude, and number of jumps, thus modeling integer multiplication. A teacher's guide and worksheets are provided. (MDH)

Reports misconceptions identified in students with respect to the topic of parallel lines and the teaching strategies found to be useful in challenging those misconceptions. (11 references) (MDH)

Describes one teacher's reflection concerning the quest to develop an understanding of school mathematics that promotes and sustains students' opportunities for exploration and conjecture. Recounts that a particular student's exploration of the features of parabolas eventually led to an understanding of the quadratic formula precisely because of…

Describes a series of instructional activities designed to help student develop a conceptual foundation necessary for learning about other cultures. Suggests a study of the classroom culture and subcultures. Discusses using a culture artifacts box for observation, grouping and labeling, and making generalizations that later will be compared to…

Discusses area models that can be used in grades three through nine, showing how the model generalizes from discrete situations involving the arithmetic of whole numbers to continuous situations involving decimals, fractions, percents, probability, algebra, and more advanced mathematics. (14 references) (MDH)

A four-step approach to teaching complex concepts at the college level involves a sequence of lecture, an individual assignment, small group discussion, and larger group discussion instruction. The last three steps focus on case study applications. The method is adaptable to different teaching situations and promotes expansion of student…

Presented is a list of over 50 commonly held misconceptions based on a literature review found in students and adults. The list covers earth science topics such as space, the lithosphere, the biosphere, the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the cryosphere. (KR)

Study examined types of pedagogical knowledge acquired by career-change preservice teachers in an alternative certification program. Researchers videotaped subjects, analyzed journals, and collected concept maps of teaching. Subjects exhibited four stages of pedagogical development. They showed a need to acquire theoretical knowledge about…

Presents computer approach formulated within a framework of versatile thinking designed to overcome obstacles to understanding algebra. Results from related studies comparing the computer and traditional approaches taught to 11, 12, and 13 year olds showed that the computer approach significantly improved the understanding of higher order concepts…