This analysis of work interactions emphasizes concepts and principles adults bring to work interactions. It also explores the processes involved in teaching and learning situations, and the questions these processes raise for certain current social accounts of children's cognitive development. (BB)

The reasoning abilities to be expected of the concrete operational and formal operational student, the percentage of secondary science students that are capable of each type of reasoning pattern, and effective strategies to teach science to concrete reasoners are described. Implications for curriculum development are discussed. (KR)

Three activities are presented to assess the level of students' geometric understanding according to van Hiele learning model. The activities--Descriptions, Minimum Properties, and Class Inclusion--are applied to the example of classifying quadrilaterals as squares, rectangles, rhombi, or parallelograms. Implications of this assessment are…

Spanish-speaking preschoolers learning English in a bilingual preschool program were videotaped while working independently on tasks to examine their spontaneous private speech. Results show that the private speech of bilingual preschoolers appears to develop normally. Positive effects of second-language learning in a bilingual program on the…

In the coming century school psychologists must concentrate on proactive strategies for developing a prosocial orientation in children. A "perestroika" (restructuring of priorities) must enable school psychologists to promote an orientation focusing on prosocial behavior and related cognitive and affective aspects. (SLD)

Feminism has helped shape developmental psychology, and feminist scholarship has made its primary contributions to the study of child development in the following major areas: (1) weakening the "male as norm" concept; (2) changing "mother blaming" for children's problems; and (3) theory and research on sex role socialization.…

Presents results of a study focusing on a program of dilemma discussion methods for an experimental group of female prisoners and their guards. Concludes that for both the prisoners and staff test scores reflect an increase in moral judgment and ego development. Urges consideration of prison reform from educational and developmental perspectives.…

Presents a study of metacognitive responses of English school children examining four common metacognitive function measures. Discusses the content of each measure, the search for developmental commonality, and statistical relationships. Concludes that no evidence supported a common metacognitive factor or unified construct, although a common…

In the context of an increasingly interdependent world society, discusses the benefits of early acquisition of a second language for American children. Benefits cited include the ease of learning a second language at an early age, improved abilities in concept formation, greater cognitive flexibility, and appreciation of cultural diversity. Second…

Used Thematic Apperception Test to assess complexity of representations of people, affect-tone of relationship paradigms, capacity for emotional investment in relationships and moral standards, and understanding of social causality. Findings from 71 second graders and fifth graders (Study 1) and from 49 ninth graders and twelfth graders (Study 2)…

This article examines the relationship between cognitive, instructional and social psychology. It is proposed that all human activity is instructive with self-instructive activity opening the person to the instructive activity of others. The psychologist's job is seen as finding out what can be taught and to whom. (DB)

Discussed are the philosophy and procedures behind the introduction of algebra to students in grade 7 in Australia. Included are the importance of concrete experiences, language development, and the consequences involved in this procedure. (CW)

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)

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three instructional methods and conceptual systems orientation on achievement in a freshman general chemistry laboratory course. Traditional approach, learning cycle, and computer simulations are discussed. (KR)

The five chapters and epilogue of this special issue present theoretical and empirical contributions on the relevance of attachment theory to cognitive development and education. A literature review is followed by explorations of attachment theory and emotions, cognitive development, literacy, and the communication effectiveness of the mother.…