Japanese and Thai kindergarten children were shown the same visual displays of moving objects and asked to compare the speed of those moving objects. The results significantly indicated that Thai children's concept of speed is further advanced than that of Japanese children. (MLH)

Discusses Novak's views that Ausubel's meaningful learning can become an alternative to Piagetian psychology and argues that Ausubel does not provide a theory that can be an alternative to Piaget's developmental psychology. (HM)

Examines which conservation type (identity or equivalence), if any, is attained at an earlier age. Findings support Piaget's position that identity and equivalence are concomitant developments. (CP)

The development of the concept of matter was explored in children aged 3-13. Eighty four children were asked to classify four sets of objects and matter and to explain their classifications during interviews. Younger children tended to classify using a mixture of extensive properties (properties of objects) and intensive properties (properties of…

Questions Piagetian theory that dismisses the idea of accelerating cognitive development through classroom activities. (CP)

This study examines the effectiveness exercises based on the cognitive conflict, existing within the child, between two representational systems related to temperature: the qualitative-verbal one and the quantitative-numerical one as these relate to the advancement of children's understanding of the concept of temperature. (Author/DS)

Uses Laudan's model of scientific change to obtain corresponding features on conceptual change in science learning. Discusses some practical consequences for science education. (MDH)

Shows a cultural influence on children's conceptions of time and motion. Data support the contention that cognitive structure differentiation is primarily a function of experimental rather than innate or invariant factors. (Author/GS)

Presents a rationale for providing preschool children with experiences related to classification, seriation, and pattern recognition because they are means by which a child can organize the world around him. These are considered to be the early steps in the long developmental sequence leading to logical thinking and reflective observation. (GS)

Examines the relationships between mental maturity and achievement in three types of science concepts-classificational, correlational, and theoretical. (AL)

Discusses the use of the clinical interview in assessing cognitive structure and in investigating conceptual change. They caution much more work is needed to increase the applicability and validity of the clinical interview method and point out that there is a lack of systematization in the analysis of interview transcripts. (Author/PB)

Analyzes the meaning of Piaget's concept of abstraction and provides discussion of some of its shortcomings. (HM)

Reported is a study to verify the pattern of bias associated with the Model Identification Test and to determine its source. This instrument is a limited verbal science test designed to determine the knowledge possessed by elementary school children of selected concepts related to "the particle nature of matter." (PEB)

Advocates the educational theories of David Ausubel as a basis on which to build science and mathematics curricula and instructional procedures. Offers interpretations of Piaget's conservation tasks in Ausubelian theory. (CP)

Sixty-one Japanese kindergarten children were pretested on their concept of speed; approximately half of the children (experimental group) were then given a demonstration of visual speed, and the entire group was posttested. Concludes that the experimental group could acquire the concept of speed significantly better than the control group. (MLH)