Outlines Piaget's late ideas on categories and morphisms and the impact of these ideas on the comprehension of the inclusion relationship and the solution of arithmetic problems. Reports a study in which fourth through sixth graders were given arithmetic problems involving two known quantities associated with changes rather than states. Identified…

Two marble-and-ramp experiments investigated whether a simple-to-embedded-rules account can explain changes in children's causal reasoning. Results indicated that the same difference between three- and four-year olds in the prediction experiment appeared in the action experiment, suggesting that the same rules may underlie causal action as well as…

Argues that high school physics should be grounded in motivating contextual activities and connected to a philosophically and historically valid theoretical structure. Explains the large context problem approach and its effect on generating questions and problems. (DDR)

Two experiments yield data suggesting that the structure of children's concept of artifact function changes profoundly between age 5 and 7, with striking effects on problem-solving performance. This effect is not caused by differences in children's knowledge about the typical use of particular tools, but rather, is mediated by the structure of the…

This microgenetic experimental study examined children's spontaneous application of analogical problem solving from story problems to physical tasks. Results indicated that 4-year-olds did, with varying success, spontaneously apply analogical solutions to physical problems across sessions. A few children even gave an analogical strategy-related…

Constructivist theory argues that students construct knowledge for themselves and that each knows the world in a different way. The problem for education is how students can construct an "objectified" knowledge. Outlines an integrative framework for the description of information and problem-solving procedures and a problem-solving…

Discusses anchored instruction, a teaching technique using videodisc-based problem-solving environments, and describes two research projects involving anchored instruction. Argues that anchored instruction provides a way to recreate and improve upon some of the advantages of situated cognition. (FMW)

Investigated was the level of cognitive development of Afro-American students enrolled in general chemistry courses to determine the strategies used by both successful and unsuccessful problem solvers in solving stoichiometry problems. Results indicated that a higher level of cognitive development may be crucial in solving more sophisticated…

Ten language impaired and 10 language normal children, aged 3-5), were asked to solve verbal and nonverbal problems requiring color and size judgments. There were no group differences on the verbal tasks, but the language impaired children performed less well on the nonverbal tasks especially on problems dealing with size. (Author/DB)

Discusses the role of instructional design in the development of learning theory. Topics discussed include the acquisition of knowledge and skills; models of teaching; the teaching and acquisition of concepts; influences on retention; and the integration of procedures, principles, and concepts for solving problems. (20 references) (LRW)

Used a microgenetic method to examine knowledge acquisition as a process by coordinating existing theories with new evidence. Subjects were 17 community college students (ages 22-47) and 15 fourth graders. Assessed knowledge acquisition in problem solving in both physical and social domains. Found multiple strategies for, and varying levels of,…

Examined the nature of sociocognitive growth in 66 kindergarten and first-grade children by having pairs of children work together to solve spatial perspective-taking problems. Found that the entering performance composition of the dyads did not affect cognitive growth, whereas the construction of shared cognitive experiences in which children…

This study compared the regulation of cognitive activity in 30 children (ages 15 to 95 months) with autism or mental retardation matched for global, verbal, and nonverbal developmental ages. Testing on tasks of object permanence indicated that the autistic children had a pervasive difficulty in maintenance set, made more perseverative errors, and…

Presents a checklist of core behaviors for use in assessing students' strengths, weaknesses, and changes in thinking skills. Lists persistence, decreased impulsivity, flexibility, metacognition, checking for accuracy, problem posing, drawing on past knowledge and experience, transfer of skills to new situations, precision of language, and…

This study compares scores on the Alternate Uses Test of 19 Australian children (ages 4 to 12) with severe visual impairments, and 19 controls. Comparison of mean scores revealed no significant differences between groups, however, the range of scores reflected in the standard deviations were higher for those with visual impairments. (CR)