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Usage of a revised nine-item Nuclear Attitude Instrument in assessing the perceptions of 172 grade nine and ten students proved useful in revealing direct correlations between students' attitudes on nuclear energy and their space exploration concepts, and inverse correlations between the former and students' views on energy and environmental issues. This reveals the need for innovation in science education to help students to better relate environmental and energy concepts with nuclear energy, thereby enhancing their scientific literacy.

Forty-two randomly selected students in grades three through ten from two school districts in western New York State were randomly assigned to view a selected videotaped television weather segment to determine if a developmental model for weather information processing could be established. Three ordinal stages of weather information processing in this model were established to be compatible with each of the Piagetian stages of development. Content understanding and causal reasoning in each stage were specified. In the preoperational stage, understanding was associated with weather phenomena and mental reasoning was associated with pseudonatural causal agents. In the concrete operational stage, understanding was associated with valid, natural atmospheric processes, while reasoning focused on logical event sequences. Formal operational stage content was associated with the understanding of valid atmospheric mechanisms and reasoning that was associated with propositional thought. The results of this study suggest that weather information processing (content understanding and causal reasoning) is significantly related (p < 0.01) to age and developmental stage. These findings support a multivariate developmental model for the communication of weather concepts and have implications for operational forecasters, broadcast meteorologists, science teachers, and all who have the job of presenting weather information to the public.

Discusses a study which compared differences in ratio construction made by high school freshman and junior students. Reports that more freshmen than juniors selected solutions involving one variable, whereas juniors chose solutions that coordinated two variables in a mathematical or verbal rule. Reviews implications in problem solving and concept formation tasks. (ML)

The article describes a training program for cooperating teachers which provides specific supervision skills. It also explores the program's effects on a student teacher's practicum experience. A modeling approach to behavior modification formed the theoretical basis for the training program. The program provides the following elements: 1.) A single complex supervisory skill is presented, imitated, and critiqued. 2.) The cooperating teacher knows the model of behavior expected of him. 3.) The performance of the cooperating teacher is compared to the model presented.

The article discusses a study aimed at determining the effects of an exploratory teaching program on the development of attitudes toward teaching and related educational concepts. Eleven concepts were chosen to be tested including individualized learning, being a science teacher, teaching secondary students, interaction with individual students, content-oriented approach to teaching science, classroom management and record keeping, science teaching materials, teaching elementary student, process-oriented approach to teaching science, importance of discipline and exploratory teaching. Ten pairs of polar adjectives determined the evaluative concepts. It is evident that the exploratory teaching program had a positive effect on the prospective teachers.

The article discusses the improvement in the common system used for the training of science teachers in Sierra Leone. The system is commonly employed for the primary and secondary levels and there is some reference to the training for the tertiary level. In line with the improvement made in the system, there are significant components in the system which have been given much attention. The said components include the entrance requirements and curriculum in the primary level and secondary level. A suitable program for the professional training of teachers is divided into four parts: a study of the subject matter to be taught and an appropriate methodology, a study of children, a study of schools, and the purpose of education.

The article discusses the development of the concept of momentum in kindergarten and grades 1-3 at the Whittier Elementary School in Berkeley, California. This study determines the sequence of acquisition of concepts that were asked for an understanding of momentum. This sequence is arranged as follows: conservation of matter, speed, the proportional use of mass and speed, and momentum. The analysis shows that the components of this sequence must be achieved before the subject attains the concept of momentum. Results suggest that there was a decreasing degree of difficulty on the tasks from kindergarten through the third grade.

The article discusses the development of classification abilities in culturally disadvantaged children. Three groups from middle class and three groups from lower class backgrounds participated in this study. The middle class were enrolled in a public elementary school, while the lower class groups were enrolled in an improvised area. These students undergone six random classification tests to control the effect of learning. Results show that there is a difference between age groups and between classes. Moreover, culturally deprived children have a reduced analytical power to analyze categorical relationships.

The article presents response to the study on the teaching of the concept of acceleration in elementary school students. The author pointed out that many of the great experiments in science have been questionable such that its often rebellious approaches have caused interesting questions to be asked which in turn led to some of the more outstanding discoveries and theories. The author discusses the approach in teaching the concept of acceleration. Piaget's studies of the development of motion and acceleration that children have more difficulty changing speeds than they do have comprehending uniform speeds.