This fourth yearbook on research on mathematics teaching in Finland contains five articles, four in English and the fifth in German. "Mathematics as a Cognitive Science" (C. Letteri) examines cognitive aspects related to teaching and learning mathematics, with the focus on the different levels of comprehension and an analysis of basic…

It is often both possible and valuable for a teacher to be a researcher in his or her own classroom. This paper describes the nature of cognitive research and focuses on two areas of research that may be of special interest to classroom physics teachers. The first area refers to misconceptions that students bring with them to their physics…

Language learning is complex and mysterious--because of the many diverse factors that affect its development and because of the many unanswered questions about its nature. Even so, the efforts of countless researchers have provided sufficient knowledge to prompt some recommendations about how adults may nurture the language and literacy…

A writing across the curriculum program offers an organized and systematic approach to involving all departments in the development of student literacy. Among preliminary steps in implementing these programs are (1) a review of the literature on student literacy, (2) a local assessment of college students' literacy needs, (3) a local assessment of…

An examination of the effectiveness of English-Ukrainian partial immersion programs in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba looks at research already done in five areas: student achievement in English language skills, Ukrainian language skills, academic subjects other than English or Ukrainian, students' cognitive development, and students' social…

Part of a series designed to help commuity groups engage in discussion on the possibility of individual and community transformation, this discussion paper explores how education (both in schools and in community development programs) can help promote the wholeness of human beings. The need for the content and process of the curriculum to speak to…

This document contains plans for 31 lessons intended to develop thinking skills using library media center materials primarily in the areas of language arts and social studies. Designed for various grade levels in the K-12 range, each of the lessons contains the following components: (1) behavioral and thinking skills objectives; (2) desired…

The inability of the schools to meet the educational needs of economically disadvantaged minority children has prompted efforts to identify alternatives to the traditional school curriculum. One such alternative emphasizes the use of the arts in developing basic academic skills. Research indicates that the arts can be used to develop perceptual…

Since May 1980, participants in the Early Adolescent Project at Brooklyn College of the City University of New York have studied the early adolescent as a learner in a series of colloquia, discussions, and observations. The purpose of the study has been to develop recommendations for schooling of the early adolescent and for continuing and…

For the individual, gender difference falls along the feminine-masculine continuum with strong neurodevelopmental influences at various points throughout the lifespan. Neurodevelopmental influences are conceptualized in a vector model of sex difference. Vector attributes, direction and magnitude, are influenced initially by differences in levels…

Action research conducted by teams of university professors and middle school teachers investigated the relationship between teachers' developmental stages, collaborative research, and individual teacher change. Section 1 describes the study's purposes and objectives and the methods used in analyzing teachers' stages of development. An overview of…

This study examined the effectiveness of a training program designed to help disadvantaged teenage mothers promote their infants' early cognitive development. Subjects were 127 mothers whose babies were less than 6 months old at the start of the program; most were white women near the poverty level, and many were unmarried. The control group…

This paper discusses the results of a study comparing the language of preschool children from low-income homes to that of their parents as affected by the adult participation in training sessions planned to encourage language development. The study was conducted in three preschools in the Detroit metropolitan area. A total of 96 children from ages…

This paper is concerned with the role of speech in the development of control of cognitive processes, with particular attention paid to the nature of bilingualism. It is stated that exposure to a second language provides a way of overcoming the encapsulation of the mind that develops when an individual is exposed to only one language. In order to…

A new teacher observation scale is described and teacher ratings are related to measures of self concept and attitude toward school. Different results are obtained when analysis employs change measures of these variables in comparison with status measures. The teaching dimensions of "cognitive demand" and "warmth" seem to be important variables…