This small scale study aims to analyze the question papers of Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education in the subject of computer science with reference to item analysis and Bloom's taxonomy. Data were collected from 100 students of Grade 9th and 10th from the schools of Lahore city using convenient sampling technique. Data collected on the…

Latvian Education Foundation presents methods and tools to reach comprehension and develop creative thinking. The Web page www.goerudio.com contains wordings of conceptions and patterns under training standards, as well as appropriate models/examples created by students and teachers, which interprets mentioned conceptions and patterns by use of…

Reports on students' attitudes toward reading science during an experimental study that investigated ways to increase comprehension of technical material. Describes the procedure, results, conclusions, applications, and implication. (RT)

Describes the construction of a chemistry laboratory. Also discusses the place of science in school technology teaching, a study of students' understanding of simple quantitative relationships in chemistry, and the objectives of school physics. (JN)

The naive conceptions that children develop tacitly or explicitly, outside the classroom, contribute to their interpretation of the teacher's words, paragraphs in a book, or the results of an experiment. These conceptions (or "alternative frameworks") may persist even in the face of systematic teaching of competing scientific concepts…

Examines several areas to be considered in developing physics syllabi. They include (1) the objectives of physics teaching and learning; (2) physics as an experience, based on realistic expectations of what 14- to 16-year-olds are capable of; and (3) the kinds of experiences in which students can succeed (including computer experiences). (JN)

Reports on a study that examined and compared the cognitive effectiveness of a traditional hands-on laboratory exercise with a computer-simulated program on the same topic. Sought to determine if coupling these formats would provide optimum student comprehension. Suggests hands-on exercises be followed by computer simulations as postlaboratory…

Suggests that exposure to science should not be confused with understanding science or with scientific literacy. Indicates that in spite of taking science classes, few students come through this experience with more than a fleeting glimpse of science, and fewer still retain any lasting impression of the scientific world. (JN)

Investigated common belief patterns secondary school students (N=84) have about inheritance, noting the most prevalent misconceptions about genetics which occur at different age levels. Implications based on findings and suggestions for teaching lower secondary courses are included. (ML)

This book is intended to give teachers and student teachers a better understanding of the thinking of adolescent students in science lessons and to indicate the difficulties such students have in understanding the more abstract or formal ideas with which they are presented. It is practical in its orientation as the issues discussed are illustrated…

Discusses difficulties physics students face in understanding physics formulas and equations as a result of placing too much emphasis on the mathematical formulation. Examples are cited to show that use of equations in physics should not be looked upon as primarily a mathematical exercise. (HM)

Presents comments from the editorial board of Physics Education to the Royal Society's ad-hoc group on science and the public. Areas examined include whether schools provide students with a useful understanding of science and technology (ST), if the public has sufficient understanding of ST to make balanced judgements, and others. (JN)

This paper describes a model for the adolescent's understanding of the motion of objects, and the application of this model to the design of beginning physics instruction in mechanics. Students' difficulties in learning classical Newtonian mechanics are described and integrated into current cognitive science research. Research findings on physics…

Discusses: (1) how mole concept is defined/used in textbooks; (2) development and administration of a multiple-choice test to secondary school pupils (N=783) in Bologna and the surrounding district; and (3) results of the diagnostic examination, focusing on student mistakes and misconceptions. (Author/JN)

Two studies on students' conceptions/notions about the energy concept are presented. The first (study A) dealt with learning the energy concept during a grades 7/8 instructional unit ("energy, work, force, and power"). The second (study B), using students in West Germany, Switzerland, and the Philippines as subjects, examined outcomes of…