A review of recent curricular research presents studies in the areas of: (1) psychological and epistemological foundations; (2) new developments (content of instruction, cognitive processing, and methodological re-direction); and (3) exemplary research programs on teacher behavior, pupils' prior conceptions in learning, and probelm solving. (CJ)

Discusses nontext knowledge necessary for reading comprehension. Examines the composition of children's real world knowledge for ordinary situations. (FL)

Presents the second part of a cognitive model of family conflict. Proposes that high efficacy enhances persistence in family problem solving while low efficacy inhibits such efforts, and that chronic low efficacy may lead to learned helplessness responses in family members. (Author)

An approach to teaching geometry is promoted that allows students to decide for themselves what they could prove from given information. Such an approach allows pupil involvement in the personal process of discovering mathematical ideas and formulating problems. It is noted these methods will not work for all. (MP)

Reviews empirical and theoretical writings showing how visual arts affect: growth of perception and awareness through use of the senses; clarification of styles of thought and their effect on personal expression; inventiveness and general problem-solving ability; feelings of confidence and self-worth; and general learning motivation and success.…

This study investigated whether there was a difference in achievement by first graders between their ability to solve open sentences presented in vertical form and in horizontal form. It was recommended that the horizontal form be avoided in grades one and two. (MP)

Illustrates how children constantly solve communication puzzles in the course of language acquisition and offers suggestions for teachers and parents to assist children in their understanding of language. (HTH)

Presents evidence that the psychological principles that govern the perception of decision problems and evaluation of probabilities and outcomes produce predictable shifts of preference when the same problem is framed in different ways. (Author/SK)

Describes a study investigating the combined effect of certain variables on student achievement in classical mechanics. The purpose was to (1) describe preinstructional knowledge and skills; (2) correlate these variables with the student's success in learning classical mechanics; and (3) develop hypothesis about relationships between these…

A theory is proposed of the processes which enable a subject to learn while solving a problem. One subject's protocol--including 224 steps and taking 90 minutes--is described. Adequacy of the mechanisms is guaranteed by a computer simulation of the processes in an adaptive production system. (Author/GDC)

Two experiments demonstrated that third and sixth graders consistently selected certain strategies for solving old and new, empirical and value, contradictory information. Subjects were 320 children. (MP)

Presents an overview of the four component parts of the activity of problem solving. These are the types of problems to be solved, the necessary prerequisites, the strategies, and the elements used in applying the strategies. (HM)

Investigated the hypothesis that impulsive children differ from reflective children in their preferred strategy of information processing, based on extent of stimulus analysis. The experiments employed third, fourth and sixth graders and a variety of tasks including matching, grouping, recall, and concept attainment. (MS)

To broaden and develop reasoning powers in students the teacher should encourage observation, critical questioning of hypotheses, evaluation of conclusions and how they are reached, and propose new avenues of approach to problems. (JD)

Forty New Zealand children (ages 3-4) were given false-belief and creativity tasks to investigate whether those with a Theory of Mind outlook are better at searching their own minds for creative answers. The numbers of appropriate and original responses in the creativity test correlated positively with performance on false-belief tasks. (Author/CR)