The contrast between the teaching of reading and mathematics is drawn. A new set of learning conditions for mathematics is presented based on a model of reading instruction. Immersion, demonstration, engagement, expectations, responsibility, use approximation, response, refinement, and outcomes are discussed. (CW)

In the literature, learners' cognitive development is mainly discussed with respect to changes in learners' content-dependent knowledge (conceptual change or growth). Additional dimensions of time and complexity may also be taken into account to describe cognitive processes in at least three dimensions. We discuss these three dimensions of…

This book articulates and defends the "theory theory" of cognitive and semantic development: the idea that very young children just beginning to talk are engaged in profound restructurings of several domains of their knowledge. These restructurings are analogous to theory changes. The children's early semantic development is closely tied…

This monograph represents 5 years of collaborative discussions among individuals interested in improving the teaching and learning of mathematics beginning in 1985 with the planning of a conference and culminating in the production of this collection of 13 papers to be presented at the conference. Chapters include: (1) an introduction…

Perspectives on a psychological approach to learning are offered in this paper. Specific emphasis is directed to the assumption that children possess "minitheories." Minitheories are defined as attempts to make sense of particular kinds of experiences and are explained and delimited by the domain of experience to which they currently apply. This…

Summarizes current developments in alternative frameworks research in science education. Covers concept maps, learning as conceptual change, classroom strategies, problem solving in physics and where research should be going. (CW)

Discussed are some situations students face that result in cognitive conflict, possible sources of these conflicts, and strategies which students use to resolve, remove, or circumvent them. A global account for observed systematic errors is offered based on a general problem-solving rule called the "Matching Rule." (KR)

Presented is an analysis of published research on students' conceptual development in the life sciences with the intent of providing information on the trends and content of those studies. A list of 128 references is appended. (CW)

Discusses the advantages of using discrepant events in elementary school science classrooms in terms of motivation and problem solving skills. Describes the materials, procedures, and reasons behind five discrepant activities. (YP)

Examined are some of the distinctive features of the biological sciences. Discussed are the use of models with case studies, universal principles, and alternative frameworks. (CW)

Examines whether participation in physical experiments together with social interaction with adults and school-mates favor the development of causal knowledge and the understanding of a complex physical subject. Concludes that the treatments can lead students to give up pre-causal explanations and to resort to physical ones. (Author/YP)

Five- to six-year-old children estimated the size of Euclidian objects using an addition rule of Height plus Width, rather than a multiplying rule. Within the framework of information integration theory, tested whether intensive handling of objects would facilitate shift from addition rule to multiplication rule. Found that following handling,…

Interviews with 72 mixed ability students, aged 7 to 12, about arithmetic problem-solving strategies, indicated that the preference between procedural and deductive strategies becomes a divergent reality across ability levels. Among the conclusions is that more able children tend to be doing a qualitatively different sort of mathematics than their…

Fifty-three elementary school children were tested on Incidental Science Knowledge, i.e., knowledge acquired by chance outside school, and the results obtained were correlated with intellectual development and cognitive style as measured by interviews and group testing, respectively. Indicates that cognitive style and misconception play a…

Investigated the upper limits of (n=22) seventh-grade students' informal processes in solving first degree equations in one unknown prior to instruction. Results indicated the existence of a cognitive gap between arithmetic and algebra characterized as the students' inability to operate spontaneously with or on the unknown. (37 references)…