Criticizes radical constructivism of the Glasersfeld type, pointing out some contradictions between the declared radical principles and their theoretical and practical development. Suggests the possibility of an ideological substratum in the construction and hegemonic success of subjective constructivism, and briefly advances an alternative…

Describes an experiment demonstrating Lenz's law by measuring a magnet falling through a copper tube compared to a nonmagnet falling. Presents diagrams and pictures showing the apparatus. (YP)

Discusses the nature, resolution, focal length, and angle of a pinhole camera. Describes the development and some applications of the camera. Nineteen references are listed. (YP)

Examining the metaphor of the child, or lay adult, as an intuitive scientist results in a theory of the development of scientific thinking centering on progressive differentiation and the coordination of theory and evidence. This metacognitive and strategic development requires thinking about theories and evidence. (SLD)

Argues that London newspaper satirists are important in the history of Charles Darwin's theory of natural selection: (1) they were among the interpreters of a paradigm shift in biology from the older idealist thinking to the newer empiricist thinking and (2) they simplified the idealist-empiricist issue by making it more accessible to the general…

Using criteria to determine whether a discipline is a science, the author defines andragogy as a technological discipline that applies principles discovered by the sciences of adult education--educational psychology, sociology, economics, and anthropology. He suggests that andragogy could become the general science of adult education by studying…

Discusses J. R. Searle's theories about language, based on three works dating from 1969-95. Looks at the distinction made between constitutive rules and regulative rules of language use, his approach to analyzing speech acts, the view of language as a means of stating facts, and the role that our conception of science plays in Searle's theorizing.…

Explains how an understanding of evolution's heuristic, or explanatory, advantage can inform today's evolution/creationism debates. (WRM)

Criticizes the account of observation given by Alan Chalmers in "What Is This Thing Called Science?" and provides an alternative based on direct realist approaches to perception. Contains 15 references. (Author/WRM)

Supports the need for study of the foundational concepts of nursing. Evaluates nursing teachers' experiences in implementing a foundations unit, showing that it raised conceptual awareness and helped students link theory and practice. (SK)

Explains why teachers addressing the nature of science should know the work of Michael Polanyi. Outlines Polanyi's intellectual career and examines his ideas on the education of scientists, research, and knowledge. Polanyi presaged Kuhn, Feyerabend, and the constructivists, yet insisted that science produces true knowledge about reality. (Contains…

Reports on an ethnographic study of a molecular biology research laboratory called Sally's Lab. Portrays the social and cultural construction of a scientific community by studying the daily practices of the lab members and interpreting these observations. Concludes that there is not one set of experiences that pertain to all members within a given…

Lists references that focus on the empirical research related to the nature of science as an educational goal along with a few influential philosophical works. The list proves useful to educators and scholars in other fields interested in the nature of science and how understanding can be realized as a goal of science instruction. (Author/SAH)

Focuses on two of the principal issues for science curriculum developers who wish to introduce the history and philosophy of science into science teaching along with the justification for and the placement of historical materials within teachers' work schemes. Proposes a new model for inclusion of such material that directly addresses children's…

Undergraduate students do not always make a clear distinction between physics and mathematics, particularly early in their studies. Offers a simple historical example and show how it can be used to illustrate some of the important differences and relationships between the two. (Author/SAH)