One of the clear findings of recent research on the learning of science has been that students who have completed science courses commonly use conceptions held before instruction to interpret natural phenomena. This paper reports on a study of conceptual change in mechanics with particular concern with the nature of student awareness of any…

Reports on a study of 208 high school students on the relationship between interest in 4 subject areas and the quality of experience in class. Finds that interest was a significant predictor of the experience of potency, intrinsic motivation, self-esteem, and perception of skill. (CFR)

This 1-week study explored the extent to which high school students (n=140) acquired meaningful understanding of selected biological topics (meiosis and the Punnett square method) and the relationship between these topics. This study: (1) examined "mental modeling" as a technique for measuring students' meaningful understanding of the…

This study investigated the retention of meaningful understanding of the biological topics of meiosis, the Punnett square method and the relations between these two topics. This study also explored the predictive influence of students' general tendency to learn meaningfully or by rote (meaningful learning orientation), prior knowledge of meiosis,…

Asserts that students' opportunities to learn subjects can be organized into sequences that span grades and schools. Examines national patterns in opportunities for learning mathematics and science from grade 8 to grade 10. Finds that the level of mathematics in grade 8 is closely related to that taken in high school, but this is not true of…

The purpose of this study was to explore the utility of the Theory of Planned Behavior for predicting the behavioral intentions of teachers enrolled in the Institute in Physical Science. The study investigated three determinants of teachers' behavioral intentions set forth in the theory of planned behavior, namely attitude toward the behavior,…

Asserts that, although international understanding is essential for survival, most high school students do not acquire the necessary skills and knowledge for competing in the global community. Finds that geographic knowledge can be integrated into literature courses and includes exemplary lesson plans. (CFR)

Discusses a study of psychological development in 37 Soviet ninth and tenth grade students. Applies cluster analysis in categorizing types of self-determination in terms of subjects' estimation of their past, present, and future selves. Finds the most common pattern, a critical attitude toward childhood accompanied by moderately high…

Maintains that regional atlases are an important educational tool that must be updated to remain current and valuable. Reports on a user survey among 123 Canadian geography teachers about content and design of atlases. Finds that teachers value simplicity and up-to-date information and not CD-ROM atlases. (CFR)

Analysis of data from the High School and Beyond panel study indicates that the willingness to consider single motherhood can be linked to the following: (1) nonconforming behavior; (2) educational opportunity costs; and (3) for whites and Hispanics, depression. This report examined 13,061 females from the 1980 sophomore cohort who responded to…

An ethnographic study is presented, which attempts to gain a better understanding of the gap between California high school students who are at-risk, who eventually drop out, and who are academically successful. Focus is on families, teacher student relationships, peer influence, and social context. A sample of 10 high achieving and 10 low…

High School and Beyond is a national longitudinal study of the cohorts of 1980 high school seniors and sophomores in the United States, intended to provide information through the early adulthood of these students. The Language File contains data on each student who responded that he or she had experience in a language other than English in the…

Despite enormous political, social, and psychological forces working against them, some inner city black youths defy the odds and succeed academically. This study focuses on a group of successful at-risk minority students in an urban secondary school, and in particular on their student experience, including interactions with school culture,…