Publications

The IHPST Group has a number of publications available for purchase. In addition to the bimonthly journal, 'Science & Education' , there are it's 'Special Issues' and other independent books. Details all on this page. You can click on the thumbnails for an enlarged view of the covers. All prices quoted are in US$ and include postage. To order, please use order form

pendulum Special Issue cover

The Pendulum: Scientific, Historical, Philosophical & Educational Perspectives Michael R. Matthews, Colin Gauld & Arthur Stinner (eds.), Springer, Dordrecht, 2005

US$30, Aus$40 (postage included)

INTRODUCTION

MICHAEL R. MATTHEWS, COLIN GAULD & ART STINNER / The Pendulum: Its Place in Science, Culture and Education

SCIENTIFIC PERSPECTIVES

RANDALL D. PETERS / The Pendulum in the 21st Century: Relic or Trendsetter?
RONALD NEWBURGH / The Pendulum: A Paradigm for the Linear Oscillator
KLAUS WELTNER, A. SERGIO ESPERIDIÌO, ROBERTO ANDRADE, PAULO MIRANDA / Introduction to the Treatment of non-linear Effects using a Gravitational Pendulum
CÉSAR MEDINA, SANDRA VELAZCO, JULIA SALINAS / Experimental Control of the Simple Pendulum Model
NORMAN PHILLIPS / What Makes the Foucault Pendulum Move Among the Stars?

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

ZVI BIENER & CHRISTOPER SMEENK / Pendulums, Pedagogy and Matter: Lessons from the Editing of Newton's Principia
COLIN GAULD / The Treatment of the Motion of the Simple Pendulum in Some Early 18th Century Newtonian Textbooks
PETER MACHAMER & BRIAN HEPBURN / Galileo and the Pendulum: Latching on to Time
COLIN GAULD / The Treatment of Cycloidal Pendulum Motion in Newton's Principia
FABIO BEVILACQUA, LIDIA FALOMO, LUCIO FREGONESE, ENRICO GIANNETTO & FRANCO GIUDICE / Interpreting the Pendulum: From Constrained Fall to Potential Energy
PIERRE J. BOULOS / The Path to Universal Gravitation: How Pendulums Help
AMIR D. ACZEL / LŽon Foucault: His Life, Times and Achievements

PHILOSOPHICAL PERSPECTIVES

ROBERT NOLA / Pendula, Models, Constructivism and Reality
DENNIS LOMAS / Degree of Influence on Perception of Belief and Social Setting: Its Relevance to Understanding Pendulum Phenomena
MICHAEL R. MATTHEWS / Idealisation and Galileo's Pendulum Discoveries: Historical, Philosophical and Pedagogical Perspectives
/ Methodology and Politics: A Proposal to Teach the Structuring Ideas of the Philosophy of Science through the Pendulum
AGUSTÍN ADÚRIZ-Bravo / Methodology and Politics: A Proposal to Teach the Structuring Ideas of the Philosophy of Science through the Pendulum
LOUIS B. ROSENBLATT / The Poet and the Pendulum

EDUCATIONAL PERSPECTIVES

TREVOR G. BOND / Piaget and the Pendulum
ROBERT J. WHITAKER / Types of Two-Dimensional Pendulums and Their Uses in Education
MARIANNE BARNES, JAMES GARNER, DAVID REID / The Pendulum as Vehicle for Transitioning from Classical to Quantum Physics: History, Quantum Concepts and Educational Challenges
CATHY MARIOTTI EZRAILSON, G. DONALD ALLEN & CATHLEEN C. LOVING / Analyzing Dynamic Pendulum Motion in an Interactive Online Environment Using Flash
IGAL GALILI & DAVID SELA / Pendulum Activities in the Physics Curriculum: Used and Missed Opportunities
MANABU SUMIDA / The Public Understanding of Pendulum Motion: From 5 to 88 Years Old
PAUL ZACHOS / Pendulum Phenomena and the Assessment of Scientific Inquiry Capabilities
ERIN STAFFORD / What the Pendulum can Tell Educators about Children's Scientific Reasoning
MICHAEL FOWLER / Using Excel to Simulate Pendulum Motion and Maybe Understand Calculus a Little Better
RANDALL D. PETERS / Soup-Can Pendulum
DEMETRIS KOLIOPOULOS AND COSTAS CONSTANTINOU / An Analysis of the Treatment of the Simple Pendulum in Greek and Cypriot Science Curricula
ROBERT N. CARSON / Teaching Cultural History from Primary Events
COLIN GAULD / Pendulums in the Physics Education Literature: A Bibliography

Science Education and Culture ed. by Fabio Bevilacqua, Enrico Giannetto & Michael R. Matthews

US$20

This anthology contains 21 papers authored by prominent historians and philosophers of science, philosophers of education, science educators and science teachers. It is expansive in its subject matter, and detailed in its analysis. book cover The papers are drawn from the joint conference of the International History, Philosophy and Science Teaching Group and the History of Physics Division of the European Physical Society held at Pavia University and Lake Como in September 1999. The conference was part of Pavia University's Volta Bicentennary celebrations.The common thread in all papers is the contribution that the history and philosophy of science makes to theoretical, curricular and pedagogical issues in science education.

This volume could serve as a Handbook for anyone interested in a liberal approach to science education. It analyzes the philosophical assumptions that guide teaching and curricula proposals in a variety of countries and makes practical suggestions for incorporating new materials and new approaches. People who make policy concerning science education ought to read this book. Science teachers and others curious about the nature of science will enjoy reading it. T he initiative to bring historians and philosophers of science and professionals in the field of science education together has now produced a definitive work of mature scholarship.

Noretta Koertge, History & Philosophy of Science, Indiana University

The Pavia/Como conference was dedicated to connecting history of science with science teaching and was the most thought-provoking that I have attended in any field. Scientists, historians, philosophers, and educators learnt from one another. This selection of papers contains a gold mine of ideas not only for teaching physics, chemistry, and biology but also for reflecting on the place of science in society.

Sanjoy Mahajan, Cavendish Laboratory, Cambridge University

Constructivism in Science Education ed. by Michael R. Matthews...

US$25

Constructivism is one of the most influential theories in contemporary education and learning theory. It has had great influence in science education. The papers in this collection represent, arguably, the most sustained examination of the theoretical and philosophical foundations of constructivism yet published.

book cover

Topics covered include: orthodox epistemology and the philosophical traditions of constructivism; the relationship of epistemology to learning theory; the connection between philosophy and pedagogy in constructivist practice; the difference between radical and social constructivism, and an appraisal of their epistemology; the strengths and weaknesses of the Strong Programme in the sociology of science and implications for science education. The book contains an extensive bibliography.

Contributors include philosophers of science, philosophers of education, science educators, and cognitive scientists. The book is noteworthy for bringing this diverse range of disciplines together in the examination of a central educational topic.

Contents

Time for Science Education
How the History and Philosophy of Pendulum Motion can Contribute to Science Literacy (Kluwer/Plenum, New York, 2000) ed. by Michael R. Matthews

US$25

"The book is a source of enormous pleasure and solid instruction. Like a magician, he seamlessly pulls out one surprise after another: book coverHow a pendulum moves leads to how to understand history and philosophy of science, the solution of ancient problems of navigation, how clocks work, what Piaget discovered about children's ideas of time, and on and on. A thoroughly enlightening and civilizing book that educators, students, and lay-readers will treasure equally." - Gerald Holton, Physics Department Harvard University, Massachusetts

Contents

  1. Learning About the Nature of Science
    • The Pendulum In Western Science, Technology And Culture
    • The Pendulum And Science Textbooks
    • Problems With Science Education
    • Scientific Literacy
    • Learning About The Nature Of Science
    • Debate About The Nature Of Science
    • Constructivism And The Nature Of Science
  2. Navigation And The Longitude Problem
    • Eratosthenes And Ancient Navigation
    • Portuguese Navigation And Exploration
    • The Longitude Problem
    • timekeeping As The Solution To The Problem Of Longitude
  3. Ancient And Medieval Timekeeping
    • Sundials
    • Waterclocks
    • Mechanical Clocks
    • Chinese Water Clocks
  4. Galileo And The Pendulum Clock
    • The Medieval Pendulum
    • Galileo's Pulsilogium
    • Galileo And The Longitude Problem
    • Galileo's Proposal For A Pendulum Clock
  5. Galileo's Analysis Of Pendulum Motion
    • Galileo's Investigation Of The Pendulum
    • Problems With Galileo's Pendulum Claims
    • Contemporary Reproductions
  6. Christiaan Huygens And The Pendulum Clock
    • Huygens' Refinement Of Galileo's Pendulum Theory
    • Huygens' Clock
    • Sea-Going Tests For Longitude
    • Huygens' Proposal For A International Standard Of Length
    • Pendulum Motion, Theories Of Gravity And The Earth's Shape
  7. Perfecting Mechanical Timekeeping And The Longitude Problem
    • Robert Hooke
    • John Harrison
    • The Horological Revolution
  8. The Pendulum In Newton's Physics
    • The Horological Background
    • The Metaphysical Background
    • Synthesis Of Celestial And Terrestrial Mechanics
    • The Pendulum And Conservation Laws
  9. Clocks And Culture: The Clock Analogy In Philosophy And Theology
    • The Mechanical World View
    • The Design Argument
    • Metaphor In Science And In Education
  10. Science And Philosophy: Some Lessons From The History Of Pendulum Motion
    • Galileo's Idealisations And The Beginning Of Modern Science
    • Epistemology And The Analysis Of Pendulum Motion
    • Huygens And Falsificationist Methodology Of Science
    • Observation, Theory And Experiment
    • Scientific Laws
    • Data, Phenomena And Theory
    • Reductionist Accounts Of Time
  11. Teaching And Learning About Time And Pendulum Motion: Some Theoretical Considerations
    • Social And Personal Emergence Of The Time Concept
    • What Is A Misconception?
    • Piaget On Children's Understanding Of Time
  12. Teaching And Learning About Time And Pendulum Motion: Some Pedagogical Considerations
    • Themes In Contemporary Science Education Reforms
    • The Pendulum And Simple Harmonic Motion
    • A Historical-Investigative Approach To Teaching Pendulum Motion
    • Cross-Disciplinary Teaching About Time And The Pendulum
    • The Pendulum In The Usa National Science Education Standards
  13. Teacher Education And Culture
    • Teacher Education
    • Culture And Education
    • Conclusion

Journal Special Issues:

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