Discusses how a single problem can be utilized to discuss mathematical skills and concepts at several different levels. Presents a problem involving fractions examined at the following four levels according to the abilities of the students: (1) finding solutions; (2) identifying methods for finding solutions; (3) exploring similar examples; and…

Describes activities that use the geometric construction capabilities of the Geometer's Sketchpad computer software to explore triangles. Topics investigated include angle measurement, the sum of the measures of the angles of a triangle and a five-pointed star, triangle classification, and area and perimeter of a triangle. (MDH)

We have investigated the conceptual understandings of seventy-eight 16-year-old Australian high school students' and their knowledge about several issues related to nuclear energy. As a result of their study of the physics topic Nuclear Technology, the students learned more about applications of nuclear technology, had better though still…

The gap between researchers and teachers has minimized the impact that research should have on school development. Using teachers as researchers is one way of empowering them to adopt the perspective of the researcher. Research-oriented activity is then seen as one promising means of improving the teachers' pedagogical expertise. It is assumed…

Over the past 10 years, numerous empirical investigations of learning in physics have been carried out at the Institute of Physics Education (IPE) at the University of Bremen in Germany. The objectives of these investigations were: (1) to describe in detail individual learning processes; (2) to construct theoretical principles of individual…

This study was designed to determine students' abilities and difficulties in articulating the relationship between function and derivative. High-school students were presented 15 problems during two 75-minute interviews in which they were asked to construct functions experimentally in three different contexts: motion, fluids, and number-change. In…

The purpose of this study was to determine whether an instructional unit on inventing affected the inventive abilities of fifth and sixth graders and investigate the possible effects of the unit on students' creativity scores and attitudes towards science. Concomitantly, this study attempted to determine whether relationships existed between…

Evaluations of the relationship of curriculum programs to Jean Piaget's developmental psychology theory are reviewed. These programs include Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS), Man: A Course of Study (MACOS), Family of Man (FOM), and Social Encounter and Research Curriculum for Humanization (SEARCH). Piagetian based research results are…

The second volume of the report by the Children's Museum of Boston on the development of MATCH Boxes (Materials and Activities for Teachers and Children) contains materials related to the evaluation of these multi-media kits. The MATCH Boxes, designed for use by a teacher with 30 children for two to three weeks, covered 16 different topics, the…

This booklet contains 43 "workjobs," (experiences in manipulating common objects) adapted from classroom activities, that are appropriate and easy for parents to make and use with children in the home. These manipulative activities are designed to help children develop language and number skills and hand-eye coordination, and give children…

This study investigates the cognitive nature of teacher-pupil questions in "process oriented" and "content oriented" secondary social studies programs. Subjects were five classes selected from a program viewed by both teachers and pupils as process-oriented; five from a program viewed by both teachers and pupils as content…

The second volume of the report by the Children's Museum of Boston on the development of MATCH Boxes (Materials and Activities for Teachers and Children) contains materials related to the evaluation of these multi-media kits. The MATCH Boxes, designed for use by a teacher with 30 children for two to three weeks, covered 16 different topics, the…

Describes the founding and role of the nonprofit organization Udbhas, which promotes literacy among children in the slums of Calcutta while providing a level of food, clothing, and social and educational experiences generally absent from their homes. Discusses the children's background and identifies problems in bringing learning to these…

Offers advice to parents and teachers on addressing children's natural curiosities about their own bodies and those of others. Recommends using anatomically correct terms and dolls, and children's anatomy books; advises what to do when children engage in sex play, self-exploration, and masturbation, or use toilet language. (DLH)

Introduction: Reports findings from research in progress investigating judgment and decision making during information seeking in the workplace, in particular, the assessment of enough information. Characteristics of this judgment and the role of context in shaping it are framed against theories of human judgment and decision making. Method:…