This paper describes the characterization of a student's framework of heat and temperature, and the development of a microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) intervention program for grade 9 and grade ll students. The report presents the results of classroom study, including interview questions and answers and pretest/posttest, from experimental and…

Employed an interpretive methodology to examine interrelations between teacher and student actions in a context of teaching and learning in a grade-11 chemistry class. Teacher and student goals, beliefs about teacher and learner roles, and constructions of the context were coherent to such an extent that there was little impetus for change. (24…

Describes a study that investigated the effects of using different forms of computer-based feedback on high school students' learning of science material. Hypotheses tested are discussed, five feedback conditions are described, posttests are explained, and results are discussed in terms of the information processing effects of different feedback…

Chemistry learning involves establishing conceptual relationships among macroscopic, microscopic, and symbolic representations. Employing the notion of intertextuality to conceptualize these relationships, this study investigates how class members interactionally construct meanings of chemical representations by connecting them to real-life…

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…

Presents the STS (science/technology/society) outlook profiles of 546 eleventh graders from Israeli high schools within the existing science, nonscience, and technological tracks in terms of cognition, behavior, and literacy. Findings indicate significant differences between the profiles for students regarding behavior and literacy but not for…

This study was designed to ascertain if (a) the level of biology performance of the selected 393 Jamaican 11th-graders (188 boys, 205 girls)--who constituted the main study's sample--was satisfactory or not; (b) there were statistically significant differences in their performance linked to their gender, attitudes towards biology, learning styles,…

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…

This seven-chapter report presents information on the 1980 assessment of students' science performance in the province of Manitoba. Chapter I describes the nature of and steps involved in the assessment. Chapters II, III, and IV present, analyze and discuss achievement and attitude results for grades 5, 8, and 11, respectively. Achievement results…

In recent years, the science teaching community and curriculum developers have emphasised the importance of teaching inquiry and teaching science as inquiry. One way of developing learners' skills for planning and carrying out scientific research is by allowing them to perform independent research, guided by a teacher. It was recently discovered…

This study aimed at establishing if the level of performance of 500 Jamaican Grade 11 students on an achievement test on the concept of respiration was satisfactory (mean = 28 or 70% and above) or not (less than 70%); if there were statistically significant differences in their performance on the concept linked to their gender, cognitive abilities…

Gender differences in participation and performance at "high stakes" examinations have received much public attention, which has often focused on mathematics and science subjects. This paper describes the innovative forms of assessment introduced into mathematics and science subjects within the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE)…

Compared the science attitudes of tenth-grade students from British Columbia, Canada, in 1986 with those from tenth-grade students in 1989 after a three-year science-technology-society instructional period. No positive change in students' attitudes toward science was registered. (13 references) (MDH)

In its first year, the 1987 Bilingual Program for Eleventh and Twelfth Graders provided mostly over-age, limited-English-speaking students with an opportunity for more timely graduation through instruction in English as a second language (ESL) and content-area instruction in the summer. Eligibility requirements included limited English proficiency…

This twelfth edition of "The Condition of K-12 Public Education in Maine" is designed to provide Maine citizens, legislators, and educators a yearly report on the state of Maine public schools and education. This new edition updates educational information which appeared in earlier editions, and also provides information on several new…