Research in human computer interaction and instructional design can provide insights into effective methods for training microcomputer users. Suggestions include utilizing error recognition and recovery, development of mental models, simplification of documentation, and using cognitive approaches that allow transfer of knowledge to new situations.…

Reports on a study of cultural images of people in 5 nations by 24 10- to 13-year-old children of low socioeconomic backgrounds. Finds that 10-year olds focused on the thoughts and feelings of people whereas the 13-year olds included more knowledge abstracted to the country level. (CFR)

Contends that the conflict between the traditional, textbook-dominated establishment and the supporters of the whole-language movement is nothing less than a revolution. Describes tenets of the whole-language approach as they apply to the overarching goals of the social studies curriculum. (CFR)

Describes a program in second-grade Dutch mathematics classes that emphasizes mental addition and subtraction of two-digit numbers up to 100. Deals with a strategy of counting by 10s from any number. (Contains 56 references.) (RLB)

Asserts that teacher knowledge has become the focus of educational reform. Reviews research and professional literature on teacher knowledge. Concludes that the knowledge base of outstanding teachers is derived from divergent and complex sources and is buttressed by informed criticism on the part of the teachers. (CFR)

Through interviews and questionnaires explores five mature students' approaches to learning statistics from the theoretical perspective of activity theory. Analyses socio-historical factors relating to students' self-regulation of their cognitive activities and interpretation of the contexts affecting their approaches. Appendices include…

Focuses on the conceptual change processes of 17 fourth-grade students as they grapple with the abstract concept of human rights. Discusses limitations and successes in students' learning within the framework of conceptual change and motivation research. (CFR)

Examined Australian year-10 students (n=110) for the effects of an instructional sequence in physics on their subsequent physics achievement and their perceived value of instruction aimed at conceptual change in year 11. An appendix outlines the year-10 instruction. (Contains 24 references.) (MDH)

Reports on a study of 77 journal articles to determine whether common characteristics of effective elementary social studies instruction could be discerned. Concludes that many of these instructional methods are not supported by research on effective instruction. (CFR)

System-initiated adaptive advice and learner-requested nonadaptive background information were investigated in computer simulation game experiments with 64 seventh graders, 38 college students, and 80 seventh and eighth graders in Germany. Results are discussed in terms of theories of problem solving, intelligence, memory, and information…

Research and development activities of the last decade in the areas of assessment and effective instructional programs in mathematics for students with disabilities are reviewed. Encouraged by federal funding, a pervasive theme has been the use of an information processing framework. Automaticity, conceptual development, and cognitive modeling…

Presents a concise introduction and overview of "constructivism." Constructivists assert that knowledge is constructed by individuals; constructivists advocate classroom procedures that encourage students to identify the subjectivity and biases of existing interpretations and to arrive at their own conclusions. Examines four hypothetical teacher…

Links between content knowledge in the mathematics domain and pedagogical reasoning were compared for three university mathematics professors, three mathematics-methods professors, three high school teachers, three middle school teachers, and three elementary school teachers. In general, teachers with the most training and experience produced…

Investigates the effect of oral and electronic media on interaction patterns by learners of Japanese as a second language. The framework for the analysis of learner is speech act theory, which provides a richly developed set of descriptive categories by which to examine interactional processes. (Author/JL)

Describes a cognitive intervention that offered novice student teachers access to the thinking underlying an expert teacher's practice, examining the implementation and impact of the cognitive intervention, which involved two 2-hour workshops held between participants' first and second practicum experiences. Workshop transcripts indicated that…