Discusses the theory of behaviorism from a psychological perspective. Three issues are addressed: (1) the datum, including human verbal behavior; (2) the behavior stream; and (3) reduction, including a scientific viewpoint. (Contains two references.) (LRW)

The study of education does not lend itself well to an experimental approach. Educators cannot even agree on a fixed body of common knowledge constituting a discipline of education. Education is subjective, lacking governing equations, unifying principles, and invariant experiments. Education must be dealt with in words, with feelings, and from a…

Argues that history and philosophy of science can investigate scientific questions that are excluded from science itself by working as a shadow discipline, complementing the specialist science in the production of knowledge about nature. Contains 16 references. (Author/WRM)

Introduces the notion of culturalizing science instruction--making the values enacted in science teaching and the resulting contexts explicit. In contrast to the possibility of value-free instruction implied in the philosophy level of Baptiste's typology, a premise of culturalizing science instruction is that curriculum is taught in a way that…

Attempts to ascertain whether the presence of biasing values in the practice of science is an inbuilt feature of an idealized institution, Science, and judges that those values inbuilt to Science are not a source of bias. (Author/MM)

Analyzes how Thomas Kuhn's writings are used by others, especially science education researchers. Examines who cites Kuhn, in what manner, and why. (Author/CCM)

Two studies explored tendency of adults and first-, second-, and fourth-graders to explain properties of living/nonliving natural kinds in teleological terms. Findings indicated that children were more likely than adults to broadly explain properties in teleological terms. The kinds of functions they endorsed varied with age. Experimental…

Analyzes the importance of the philosophy of chemistry for teaching and learning as opposed to traditional applications of history and philosophy of science. Explores the implications of this new domain in the context of chemical models. (MM)

The orbital labels when considered as the angular part of the wavefunction can serve as an inclusive principle, which the students can use to construct the spatial shapes of the d orbitals from their labels. The spatial orientation of the different d orbitals guides the crystal field theory which includes d(sub xy), d(sub yz) and d(sub xz) lying…

Benjamin Banneker, a self-taught mathematician, surveyor and astronomer published annual almanacs containing his astronomical observations and predictions. Banneker who also used logarithms to apply the Law of Sines believed that the method used to solve a mathematical problem depends on the tools available.

Dalton's law for gas mixtures provides one method for predicting the pressure-volume-temperature (PVT) behavior of a gas mixture from the PVT behavior of the individual pure gases that comprise it. An attempt is made to separate fact from myth, to enlarge on a treatment of possible cases for application, and to provide contemporary means on…

The rule of corresponding states, which shows the connection between the thermodynamic properties of various liquids is re-examined. The overall likeness is observed by using an updated scaling technique of Lennard-Jones corresponding states (LJ-CS).

Bond stereochemistry in polyatomic hydrides is explained in terms of the principle of bond energies maximization, which yields X-H straight bonds and suggests the formation of appropriate sp hybrids on the central atom. An introduction to the electron charge distribution in molecules is given, and atomic, overlap, gross and formal charges are…

In sharp contrast to the early positivist view of the nature of science and scientific knowledge, Kuhn argues that the scientific enterprise involves states of continuous, gradual development punctuated by comparatively rare instances of turmoil and change, which ultimately brings about a new stability and a qualitatively changed knowledge base.…

This article begins by comparing general systems views that have already been appropriated by developmental psychopathologists to the dynamic systems (DS) approach and the advantages of the latter perspective are detailed. It is argued that the DS framework provides a more rigorous set of principles that can be applied to the diverse disciplines…