Explores implications of the view that there is no such thing as the scientific method for biology education. Suggests fresh approaches to the teaching of drawing in biology, the teaching of classification, and the teaching of human biology by illustrating opportunities for investigating and describing the world scientifically. (Contains 32…

Previous research has shown that students often have multiple conceptions within any particular topic area in science, and these conceptions are usually strongly linked to specific problem situations or contexts. Investigates the nature of any possible relationship between these conceptions. (Author/MM)

The purpose of this article is to explore some research into teaching and learning algebra, and to consider related classroom issues. This leads to the development of diagnostic instruments that may be used by senior secondary teachers as students leave the middle years and embark on rigorous mathematical study. It also outlines an effective…

Many adolescents whom professional school counselors regularly counsel are ambivalent and unmotivated to behavioral change. Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) is a counseling approach designed specifically for clients with these qualities. The purpose of this article is fourfold: (1) to identify the complexity and misconceptions of counseling…

In this paper we will examine the persistence of "misconceptions." We used data from a longitudinal study of personal ideas in 24 students' thinking about ecological processes. The results show students often speaking about personal experiences dating from an early age, to which they had also referred in similar interviews conducted years before.…

It is not unusual for interest groups to issue reports that further their own political agendas--and to muddle the facts in the process. For this reason, newspapers generally ignore them, treat them with great skepticism, or make sure they properly vet the research with independent observers. Not so in the case of the study of charter schools…

This study was based on the framework of the "conflict map" to facilitate student conceptual learning about causes of the seasons. Instruction guided by the conflict map emphasizes not only the use of discrepant events, but also the resolution of conflict between students' alternative conceptions and scientific conceptions, using…

Over the past 10 years, sociologists have attended to the impacts of the Internet on youth subcultural coalescence, display, identity, and resistance. In this article, the authors develop a critique of this body of work, describing how existing research places undue emphasis on young people's experiences either online or offline and how a lack of…

The 1944 G.I. Bill is often thought to have democratized higher education in the United States. This paper reviews evidence showing that the G.I. Bill's impact on education enrollments was more limited than is generally recognized. It attributes the gap between the law's perceived and documented effects to the symbolism surrounding postwar…

One of the most confrontational issues before American school boards and administrators is the effort by some Christian fundamentalists to have their views on life and its origins taught in science classes as a scientifically valid alternative to biological evolution. The issue continues to plague science education, suggesting that few school…

This study was conducted to assess the perceptions of school psychologists regarding myths and misconceptions pertaining to traumatic brain injury (TBI). A sample of 304 school psychologists in the state of North Carolina was surveyed on 11 common myths and misconceptions about TBI. Results indicated that this group performed significantly better…

A look at real data shows that Reckase's psychometric theory for standard setting is not applicable to bookmark and that his simulations cannot explain actual differences between methods. It is suggested that exclusively test-centered, criterion-referenced approaches are too idealized and that a psychophysics paradigm and a theory of group…

While a growing number of diverse children are entering U.S. schools, misconceptions remain regarding language acquisition. Analysis of weekly interactions in an urban children's playgroup in the South reveals how the concept of language diversity as a deficit is still widespread. Mothers of young children still believed that efforts to learn…

Instructors used an electronic response system to enhance student-centered learning in large and small college biology classes. The system worked well to engage students in learning the subject matter and to assess their prior knowledge and misconceptions. It provided useful feedback to students as well as instructors. Problems encountered…

K-3 students were interviewed to elicit their knowledge and thinking (including misconceptions) about families, a major topic in primary social studies. Along with valid knowledge, the students displayed significant knowledge gaps and misconceptions about marriage, kinship relations, and family life in the past, in other cultures, and in urban vs.…