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This paper describes the design and development of a set of teaching materials for the teaching of a topic on mechanics (as part of the research carried out for the 'Conceptual Change in Science' project). The 'curriculum' comprises a series of interactive computer simulations of force and motion, a number of closely related practical activities and associated written materials. The aim of the materials was to promote change in learners' understandings of physical phenomena, by first making them aware of the limitations of their current conceptions, and then by enabling learners to develop and use a conceptual framework which both fits with their experience and is internally consistent.

This paper outlines the work of the Conceptual Change in Science project, funded a s part of the ESRC InTER programme. The aims of this research project are to clarify and describe the process of change in learners' conceptual understandings of natural phenomena. The domain of reasoning selected for study is that of mechanics. Computer software which may be useful in exploring and developing pupils' reasoning and promoting conceptual change in this domain is being developed and evaluated. The group that is carrying out the research is based at the Universities of Leeds, Glasgow and the Open University.

A set of teaching materials was developed for the teaching of mechanics, as part of the research carried out for the 'Conceptual Change in Science' project. These incorporated a series of interactive computer simulations, associated written materials and a number of practical activities; their aim was to promote change in learners' conceptual understandings of natural physical phenomena. The materials were described in the preceding issue of this journal . This paper presents the results of an empirical evaluation undertaken over a seven-week period with a class of 29 12-to 13-year-olds. The intervention was found to promote conceptual change, in that the children displayed more sophisticated reasoning at immediate and delayed post-tests than their counterparts in comparison classes. Specifically, explanations asserting that motion implies a force in the same direction and those excluding friction as a force opposing motion were significantly less prevalent. An interesting phenomenon was observed in that both prior and goal (Newtonian) conceptions in this domain increased over the experimental period.