Traditional Science Teaching Research Articles

Scientific problem solving by expert systems

AbstractHuman expert problem solving in science is defined and used to account for scientific discovery. These ideas, attributed largely to Herbert Simon, are used in a description of BACON.5, a machine expert problem solver that discovers scientific laws using data‐driven heuristics and “expectations” such as symmetry. Trial‐and‐error search of data‐driven scientific discovery is drastically reduced when the BACON.5 system is altered to include expectations, such as symmetry, which have been influential in “real” (i.e., human) discoveries of scientific laws. A discussion of the implications of BACON.5‐type research for traditional science education research recognizes the importance of a qualitative understanding of the relationships among “pieces” of a physical or biological system.

A meta-analysis of instructional systems applied in science teaching

This article is a report of a meta-analysis on the question: “What are the effects of different instructional systems used in science teaching?” The studies utilized in this meta-analysis were identified by a process that included a systematic screening of all dissertations completed in the field of science education since 1950, an ERIC search of the literature, a systematic screening of selected research journals, and the standard procedure of identifying potentially relevant studies through examination of the bibliographies of the studies reviewed. In all, the 130 studies coded gave rise to 341 effect sizes. The mean effect size produced over all systems was 0.10 with a standard deviation of 0.41, indicating that, on the average, an innovative teaching system in this sample produced one-tenth of a standard deviation better performance than traditional science teaching. Particular kinds of teaching systems, however, produced results that varied from this overall result. Mean effect sizes were also computed by year of publication, form of publication, grade level, and subject matter.

Comparison of student outcomes for science‐a process approach and traditional science teaching for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes: A product evaluation

Comparison of student outcomes for science‐a process approach and traditional science teaching for third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classes: A product evaluation