The ability to think analytically is vital in today's world. In an era defined by rapid technological advancements, economic globalization and societal complexities, analytical thinking skills are paramount to career success. Analytical thinking has been conceptualized and defined in a variety of ways, reflecting its multifaceted nature and the…

Math fluency, which refers to the ability to solve single digit arithmetic problems quickly and accurately, is a foundational mathematical skill. Recent research has examined the role of phonological processing, executive control, and number sense in explaining differences in math fluency performance in school-aged children. Identifying the links…

Piaget has hypothesized that concrete and formal operations can be described by specific logical models. The present study focused on assessing various aspects of four concrete operational groupings and two variations of two formal operational characteristics. Six hundred twenty-two 9-14 year old students participating in the Human Sciences…

Highlights dynamic assessment, an approach to assessing cognitive ability in which students are instructed on how to perform on certain tasks and measured on their progress in learning to solve similar problems. It describes how dynamic assessment can be used for identifying disadvantaged students for specialized enrichment programs. (CR)

A historical review of educational literature concerning measurement of cognitive skills is provided, with reference to test construction. Focus is on assessing abilities beyond recall of information. In light of interest in assessing critical thinking in the California Assessment Program, it must be noted that concern with critical thinking is…

Information necessary for informed use by practitioners of higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) tests is presented. Assessment instruments that (1) have as a basic assumption that thinking skills can be taught; (2) provide information that can be useful for instructional planning related to complex thought processes; and (3) have content that is…

In January 1988 the Committee on Pre-College Philosophy of the American Philosophical Association undertook a survey of the state of the art of critical thinking (CT) assessment. Using Delphi research methodology, a panel of 60 scholars and teachers from throughout the United States and Canada, with backgrounds in Philosophy, Psychology,…

Research has revealed distinct differences in the problem-solving approaches of high- and low-aptitude students. As a consequence, content area teachers can focus on thinking skills by having students describe their mental processes and giving them feedback on erroneous or incomplete reasoning. (TE)

This investigation analyzed sex-related and age-related differences on spatial visualization tasks, reasoning tasks, and mathematical problem-solving tasks; and the effects instruction in visual thinking would have on these differences. Students in fifth grade, ninth grade, and in college, were tested before and after twelve weeks of instruction…

Cognitive psychologists and measurement specialists have identified several methods for assessing students' knowledge structures. Applications of the Concept Structure Analysis Technique and MicroCAM (a computer-aided method) are described. Other research into schema knowledge is noted. These assessment procedures provide information about student…

This paper discusses the competency space approach to diagnosing misconceptions, skill, and knowledge acquisition. In some approaches that combine misconceptions, skill, and knowledge acquisition, the latent ability theta is used more or less as an insignificant element, but in the competency space approach, a multidimensional latent space is…

Performance assessment, constructed-response, and authentic assessment are topics of current interest in educational testing and reform. This workbook presents the following articles on educational assessment to highlight work being done in this area: (1) "Aquarium Problem and Teacher Guidelines: New Standards Project" (University of…

In 1985, for the first time, Pennsylvania's student assessment program included measures of a higher order thinking skills goal termed Analytical Thinking. These tests utilize a decision-making model to assess such skills as drawing inferences, identifying appropriate information to gather before making a decision, analogical reasoning,…