Explores the relationships between seventh-grade students' misconceptions of genetics and natural selection and four cognitive variables: reasoning ability; mental capacity; verbal intelligence; and cognitive style. Reports that only the reasoning ability was significantly related to the number of misconceptions. (Author/YP)

Trying to change the predictive rule for the sinking and floating phenomena, students have a great difficulty in understanding density and they are insensitive to empirical counter-examples designed to challenge their own rule. The purpose of this study is to examine the process whereby students from sixth and seventh grades relinquish their…

Reports a study to examine secondary school students' (n=200) responses to two figurally and spatially similar problems from mathematics and science that require different responses before and after instruction. Results indicated that most students gave the same response to both questions. Reasons for this pattern are discussed. (MDH)