Describes a set of manipulatives that are used to establish a secure understanding of the concepts related to the environmental factors that affect the activities of enzymes. Includes a description of the model components and procedures for construction of the model. (DDR)

Describes a biological research project that identifies and characterizes genes and gene products involved in the cell cycle using the fungus Aspergillus nidulans. (DDR)

Explores the problem-solving behavior of a university lecturer as well as that of undergraduate and graduate students. Identifies and describes 14 physical and cognitive actions employed in the problem solving. Contains 28 references. (DDR)

Analyzes students' main difficulties in learning the concept of electric field. Briefly describes the main conceptual profiles within which electric interactions can be interpreted and concludes that most students have difficulty using the idea of electric field. Contains 28 references. (DDR)

Presents an update on the Association for Science Education (ASE) Primary Science Committee's five-year study of children's scientific development. Uses a questionnaire and asks the same questions each year to see how and when children change their ideas. Focuses on one student who is 5 years old. (DDR)

Argues that the paradox of mathematical knowledge--that mathematics cannot be separated from empirical experience and yet cannot be explained by empiricist epistemology--can only be resolved if the causal interactions between knower and environment are accepted. Contains 26 references. (DDR)

Presents a review of research into alternative conceptions about the weather. Exposes the need for further research into secondary students' understandings. Argues that some misconceptions are the result of the imprecise use of terms. Contains 16 references. (DDR)

Asks whether theories of knowledge representation provide a basis for the development of theories of knowledge structuring in instruction. Discusses codes of knowledge, surface versus deep structures, semantic networks, and multiple memory systems. Reviews research on teaching, external representation of cognitive structures, hierarchical…

This introductory article discusses a blind-variation and selective-retention model of the creative process developed by Donald Campbell. According to Campbell, creativity contains three conditions: a mechanism for introducing variation, a consistent selection process, and a mechanism for preserving and reproducing selected variations. (Author/CR)

Reports on a study that constructs a Lakatosian teaching strategy that can facilitate conceptual change in students' understanding of chemical equilibrium. Results indicate that the experimental group performed better on tests. Contains 81 references. (DDR)

Analyzes didactic problems related to the inseparability of electric charge from the mass, the impossibility of its direct observation, and the meaning associated with the basic concepts of electricity. Contains 44 references. (DDR)

Demonstrates how an historical case such as the invention of the telephone can be used to teach invention and design in a way that combines engineering, social sciences, and humanities. Turns the historical problem of transmitting speech into a learning module. Contains 53 references. (DDR)

Examines the concept of number sense in mathematics learning, compares this concept to that of phonological awareness in reading, and urges application of existing research to improving mathematics instruction for students with mathematical disabilities. Reviews research on building automaticity with basic facts, adjusting instruction to address…

Hypothesizes that the structure of a teacher's oral discourse is a factor that influences student learning. Sets out to establish the conceptual and discursive frameworks of three teachers. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Illustrates how a well-designed curriculum can lead students to construct an unwanted conception. Concludes that the conceptual-change-cum-discourse perspective has the potential to integrate the affordances of both methodological approaches and past empirical accomplishments. Contains 33 references. (DDR)