At the Lake Campus of Wright State University, students are required to complete two courses in English composition. In the second, English 102, the focal assignment is an eight- to ten-page research essay, typically with either an argumentative slant or a topic that requires some sort of interpretive analysis. When the department selected an…

The world presented to our senses is essentially continuous in space and time. The simplest observations of children have shown that we are not born with ways of "breaking up" the world. The structures of our knowledge must be developed, and the major issue this paper considers is how those structures develop. The discussion focuses on Jean…

Science is often referred to, particularly in curriculum documents, as one way of knowing, one way of describing, classifying, and understanding our universe. For students to become scientifically literate, they need "to engage in the discourses … about science" (Eastwell, 2002), so developing an understanding of the nature of science…

Discusses some of the views of environmentalists toward the study of environmental ethics. Addresses the problem that environmental ethics literature is difficult to read and argues that certain opinions about the value of the study of environmental ethics are rooted in misconceptions. (TW)

Student misconceptions of projectile motion are well documented, but their effect on the teaching and learning of the mathematics of motion under gravity has not been investigated. An experimental unit was designed that was intended to confront and eliminate misconceptions in senior secondary school students. The approach was found to be…

Learning mathematics with understanding is the vision of school mathematics recommended by the National Council of Teachers of School Mathematics (NCTM). In order to design and develop learning environments that promote understanding efficiently, teachers need to be aware of student difficulties in learning mathematics. Drawing from the research…

This study was conducted to compare effects of concept mapping and conceptual change texts instruction over traditional instruction on 10th grade students' understanding of acid and base concepts. 110 students from 6 classes of a chemistry course taught by the same teacher were enrolled in the study. There were four experimental group classes and…

The aims of this study were to diagnose students' misconceptions concerning photosynthesis and respiration in plants, and to investigate reasons behind these misconceptions. The subjects were 45 ninth grade high school students and 11 high school teachers. Data were collected by interview technique. All of the interviews were audiotaped and…

As the shock of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks was drawing down, the author decided to peruse the International Relations (IR) textbooks on his home and office shelves to determine what students would find to help them make sense out of the events that so stunned the nation. Consulting ten different textbooks, he found "sloppy…

This report focuses on school superintendents--those currently in the position and those in the pipeline. The report reaffirms the importance of the superintendency, raises concerns about the lack of national data collection on school superintendents, and concludes that Americans need more demographic information about, and increased understanding…

This paper focuses on lexical ambiguity. With respect to mathematics classrooms, polysemy has been mentioned as one of the principal concerns, namely certain words having different but related meanings. It may also happen when different meanings of a word are presumed in everyday context and in another environment, in this case in mathematics…

Explains the myth and the reality surrounding the source of the cloud produced from the reaction of dry ice with water. (DKM)

Home economics is often denigrated for requiring little intellect. There is a strong cultural bias that undervalues sewing and relegates it to "handedness" instead of the loftier "headedness." According to Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, the two do not stand in opposition. Handiwork is a spatial intellectual…

Describes a constructivist approach to teaching about the phases of the moon. Addresses student misconceptions and encourages students to focus on the causes of the phases of the moon. (JRH)

Introduces Sense-Making, an alternative methodology which allows an insight into a person's perception of reality. Interviews science teachers following a viewing of "Jurassic Park" to investigate the relationship of the movie to their ontological view of science, society, and self. (Author/MVL)