Describes a study of Israeli ninth graders who answered a questionnaire on scientific attitudes, curiosity, and computer studies, to determine whether computers have an effect on development of student attitudes toward science by encouraging students' curiosity levels. Results indicate computers provide an opportunity to develop curiosity, thus…

A remedial instructional strategy (developed and implemented in ninth-grade physics classes) was found to significantly affect low/mixed ability students' achievement. The method was developed on the basis of a needs assessment of students' backgrounds and a detailed task analysis of the physics course's cognitive demands. (JN)

Investigated was the influence on learner outcomes of the repeatable testing provision of Bloom's mastery learning model for ninth graders in an Introduction to Chemistry and Physics course. Neither student achievement nor attitude toward learning science was favorably influenced by repeatable testing. (MNS)

The effects of cooperative learning on attitudes of students toward laboratory work were studied with ninth-grade biology students in Nigeria. It was found to be successful in developing favorable attitudes. Reasons for this are discussed. (MNS)

Investigated effects of teacher-induced imagery generation on rule recall and transfer using boys in ninth-grade physical science classes assigned to imagery encouragement or discouragement treatment groups. Results indicate that imagery utilization significantly facilitates rule recall and that imagery encouragement during instruction leads to…

Describes the rationale and activities developed and tested by the Biology Critical Thinking project (BCT). Presents the project guidelines for developing activities, a list of skills selected as goals of BCT, instruments used in determining effectiveness of the activities, results of the pilot study, and a sample activity involving vitamins. (MDH)

This study compared the effects of an advance organizer and a prerequisite knowledge passage on learning and retention measured at low and high levels of the cognitive domain. The advance organizer group performed better on the framework test; the prerequisite knowledge group performed better on prerequisite knowledge test. (Author/YP)

Reports an experimental study of 80 ninth grade biology students randomly assigned to treatment and control groups to determine whether the use of human examples in instructional strategies on Mendelian genetics increases acquisition and retention of genetics concepts. Results indicate that use of human examples in contrast to traditional examples…

The management problems of the implementation process of an Individualized Audio-Tutorial (IAT) learning unit in ninth grade biology in Israel are discussed. The sequence of the learning activities in relation to four problems which were raised during the implementation process are presented: (1) administrative problems at the school level; (2)…

Examined is the effectiveness of a smoking-prevention program in modifying high school students' attitudes and values in such categories as health, peer pressure, and social image as related to smoking. The intervention lasted four to six weeks within the framework of ninth- and tenth-grade biology classes. (Author/YP)

Most school curricula include the study of health as a separate subject or as part of science. Despite this, students often leave school without a clear understanding of many health concepts. This study investigated a group of grade eight and nine students' knowledge of personal health and physical fitness concepts and its relation to locus of…

In a previous study, the benefits of matching instruction with students' needs were examined. Three personality variables were used for the purpose of matching: Maslowian need level; locus of control; and cognitive style. This study used the ninth-grade physical science students (N=301) participating in the previous study to (1) examine…

This paper reports a six month intervention program in two ninth grade science classes and one eleventh grade human biology class. One teacher, one researcher, and 64 students participated in this action research to improve student learning and attitude through training in metacognition. The researcher was a participant observer, who introduced…

This research compared the performance of ninth grade females and males on flight protocol, with particular attention to interpretation of the graphs of paths of falling bodies, rolling objects, and projectiles. These subjects were chosen because they had received no formal instruction in projectile motion, yet through typical life experience, had…

This investigation of the impact of an Individualized Audio-Tutorial (IAT) biology learning unit upon students in five ninth grade classrooms in an urban junior high school in Israel focused on the students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment, and their attitudes toward IAT and toward science and understanding the process of…