Describes some inexpensive activities and demonstrations that illustrate basic concepts that are often overlooked, as a low-cost means to foster student participation in physics classes. Activities described deal with acceleration and forces, freefall, conservation of energy and momentum, conservation of angular momentum, and resonance. (JRH)

Presented in both English and French, Science 10 is an integrated academic course that helps students in Alberta, Canada better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills common to biology, chemistry, physics, and the Earth sciences. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting…

Described is the development and validation of a test designed to assess the cognitive levels of Jamaican sixth graders. Instead of the usual clinical procedure, a 30-minute videotaped test was designed in order to standardize variables associated with the test's administration. The film presented situations involving seven conservation concepts…

Debates as to the appropriateness of using the Karplus Islands Puzzle as an instrument to assess formal-operational thought. (CP)

Explores the cognitive development of Nepalese students by administering Piagetian-type tasks and comparing geographically and culturally different children. Boys and girls (N=256) of ages 8, 10, and 12 were administered tasks of conservation, classification and seriation, and causality. Implications for curriculum development in Nepal are made.…

Eighty-two children (ages 4.4 to 6.5 years) were administered a Backward Digit Span test to measure M-space and four conservation tasks (number, substance, continuous quantity, and weight). Based upon a neo-Piagetian theory of intellectual development proposed by Pascual-Leone (1969), two hypotheses were tested: (1) A significant relation should…

Reports a study that investigated the relationship among (1) teacher's attitudes and implementation of inservice workshop developed learning cycle science materials, and (2) elementary school student's conservation reasoning and language used to describe properties of objects. Data were gathered from 100 students from grades K-5 and 16 teachers…

This study (n=192) examined the use of analogical instruction to overcome misconceptions about conservation of matter. Students who understood the concept conservation of matter when iodine was evaporated were able to transfer their understanding to the evaporation of acetone. This indicates that teaching by analogy can be an effective tool in…

Presented in English and French, Biology 20-30 is an academic program that helps students in Alberta, Canada, better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting ideas and principles that transcend and unify the natural science…

This report describes the results of an attempt to identify a learning hierarchy for each of a number of science concepts mainly encountered first in the high school grades. The concepts studied relate to stoichiometric calculations and molarity, both from chemistry; to food web relationships and problems involving Mendel's laws from biology; to…

Discusses the need to consider students' pre-existing conceptual schemes when teaching chemistry. Reports on a study done in Spain which indicates that the existence of adolescents preconceptions about gases is important to consider when teaching the principles of conservation of substance, mass, and weight. (TW)

A general model of conceptual change which is largely derived from current philosophy of science, but which can illuminate learning as well, is described. Some features of this model are illustrated by interviews with students studying special relativity in physics. Finally, some pedagogical implications are presented. (Author/PB)

Summarizes a study to widen the applicability of Piagetian theory-based conflict methodology from individual situations to entire classes. A Solomon four group design was used to study effects of conflict instruction on students' (N=127) ability to conserve volume of noncompressible matter and to apply that knowledge to gas volume. (Author/JN)

Critiques the "energy circus," an approach to the introduction of ideas of energy transformation and conservation which is in common use in secondary schools. Identifies some practical and conceptual difficulties and outlines an alternative approach used in introducing ideas about energy using real devices and arrow notation. (CW)

Presented in English and French, Physics 20-30 is an academic program that helps students better understand and apply fundamental concepts and skills. The major goals of the program are: (1) to develop in students an understanding of the interconnecting ideas and principles that transcend and unify the natural science disciplines; (2) to provide…