A study assessed the cognitive level of academic challenges incorporated into courses offered in the College of Agricultural Sciences at the Pennsylvania State University. Eleven faculty members from nine departments provided copies of all academic challenges used in their courses. They were categorized by type: activities, problem sets, written…

This practicum was designed to incorporate critical thinking skills instruction and practice into a fourth-grade curriculum to increase fourth-grade students' ability to recognize and apply critical thinking strategies to appropriate situations. This program concentrated on the increasing of six critical thinking skills: classification, sequence…

Although mathematics can be described as a formalized language, the signs and symbols of mathematical representation are subject to individual interpretation, which, if inaccurate, can lead to inhibitions about and interferences with the mathematical learning process. The purpose of this study was to explore communication in an intermediate-level…

This paper describes four research examples of the use of prediction analysis in research. The aim of prediction analysis is to compare a rule as specified by a theory with a reference rule. The first example of prediction analysis in this paper concerns a study of 120 first, second, and third graders' performance on length and weight problems.…

There are fundamental differences in the forms of learning addressed by cognitive psychologists and educationalists. The phenomena explained by a psychological theory of learning are the successes of human cognition. The mechanisms posited are designed to account for how learning takes place, where the content of the learning is the physical and…

This compilation of three papers investigates theoretical and practical facets of career development, focusing on cognitive theory and decision-making theory and their roles in the formation of computerized career development systems. In the first paper ("Cognitive-Behavioral Theory and Its Application to Career Development"), Gerald…

Social studies education would benefit greatly if curriculum development was more directly linked to developmental child psychology based on Piagetian models of concrete operations. A science education program based on this model of concrete experiences is cited and positive results for both students and teachers are noted. Two social studies…

The influence of story schema development on children's attention to television and memory of program content was examined in a study that involved two separate testing sessions. The expectation was that maximum effort would be given to program elements most central to comprehension of a television story and that this allocation strategy would be…

Compiled to illustrate that teachers in New York state--in all curricular areas and at all grade levels--are working to improve students' ability to think logically and creatively, this document outlines programs on thinking skills across the curriculum, from kindergarten through grade 12. The document begins with a chart listing program titles,…

Recognizing the need for some form of evaluation of students' ability to understand the organization of ideas in different subject areas, a study was conducted to evaluate 450 paragraphs written by students aged 12 to 17. Students chose one of three groups of four words each to write on. Each group represented a category, the subjects being…

After a pilot study identified possible responses that children and adolescents give when defining concrete and abstract nouns, a study investigated the development of concrete noun (specific objects) and abstract noun (concepts) definitions given by 10, 14, and 18-year-olds, as well as whether abstract and concrete nouns are defined in a parallel…

Presented are abstracts and abstractors' analyses of 10 studies related, in some manner, to learning. These studies focus on: (1) problem-solving processes used by experts and novices as they worked five mechanics problems (J. H. Larkin and F. Reif); (2) formal reasoning patterns of Italian high school students (M. L. Aiello-Nicosia, et al.); (3)…

This report presents the results of a study, based on 500 responses to a survey mailed to a structured sample of school administrators, on the problems and solutions of developing thinking and reasoning skills in the schools. Provided are analyses of the issue, examples of successful practices, and advice from school administrators and…

This paper identifies and analyzes the relationship between experiential science instruction, language arts, and cognitive development to provide information and recommendations concerning the integration of elementary science and language instruction. Annotated citations are provided grouped under the following categories: (1) recent status of…

For early childhood educators a cognitive approach to stress therapy is a valuable supplement to other approaches. Early childhood educators, like others, may develop psychological vulnerabilities that contribute to stress and depression. An exaggerated need for approval or an unhealthy demand for perfectionism may contribute to their experience…