While the Department of Education boasts lower of school dropout rates, graduation rates are also decreasing in some areas. Although the percentage of students graduating on time has remained unchanged, the percentage of noncompleters who eventually get a high school diploma (through a GED or alternative program) increases yearly. Inadequate…

Discusses the image the populace has of mathematics. Suggest ways of overcoming the misconception of mathematics. (ASK)

Explores faulty models that students have for physiological processes. Undergraduate students (N=393) in three different research universities predicted the changes in heart rate, strength of cardiac contraction, breathing frequency, and depth of breathing under conditions that result in increased cardiac output. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Presents materials to stimulate active learning through modified concept mapping activities designed to help students appreciate alternative perspectives by using cartoons as a stimulus and focusing on the links within a concept map fragment, and encouraging the probing of understanding by annotating the linking words. (Author/YDS)

Describes two studies investigating children's views of their internal body maps. Reports that the majority of 8-9 year old children did not connect tubes and organs in their drawings, and the majority of 7-11 year old children drew relatively small, unconnected, and freely suspended organs. (Author/YDS)

Describes a study of the ability of fourth-year university student-teachers to use their theoretical knowledge of redox concepts to interpret natural phenomena of everyday life. Uses word-association tests, multiple-choice and open questions and reports that the students have difficulties in recognizing the scientific nature of well-known everyday…

Identifies the misunderstandings and problem-solving strategies of secondary students when solving stoichiometry problems. (Author/CCM)

Students react similarly to a wide variety of conceptually unrelated situations. Describes a rule that is manifested when two systems are equal with respect to certain quantity A, but differ in another quantity B. Indicates that in such situations students often argue that the same amount of A implies the same amount of B. (Contains 30…

Finds that many restoration projects have attempted to replace the native species, but project planners often have an imperfect understanding of the plant communities they are trying to re-create. Argues that when students join these projects, they may receive an inaccurate impression of local ecosystems. (Author/CCM)

Attempts to allay the confusion between technology education and educational technology. Discusses their purpose and direction as well as the standards used in both areas.(JOW)

Examines how students completing a two-semester organic sequence understand, explain, and apply hydrogen bonding to determine the physical attributes of molecules. Suggests that some students completing what is typically their second year of college-level chemistry still possess misconceptions about hydrogen bonds. (Contains 21 references.) (ASK)

Examines children's understanding of burning focusing on questions such as: "What are children's views of burning prior to and after instruction?," and "Do children's views become more scientific?" A significant difference was found in children's understanding before and after instruction. (Author/MM)

Discusses the place of the topic of evolution in high school biology curricula in history, new challenges and misconceptions about science, and the need for biology education. (Contains 20 references.) (YDS)

This article reports on results of an exploratory study on undergraduate pre-service teachers' understanding of graphical representations of motion functions. The study described pre-service teachers' explorations using a CBR device. Pre-service teachers' growth was studied in two dimensions: (a) in their learning of the mathematics involved and…

Proper cooling of foods is known to reduce spoilage and help prevent food-borne illnesses. Nonetheless, little is known about consumers' awareness of guidelines regarding appropriate refrigeration of food or their actual refrigeration practices. Focus groups of consumers of common ethnic backgrounds were designed to evaluate food safety knowledge…