This brief biographical sketch of Maria Montessori focuses on her philosophy of learning and her methods of teaching. Her holistic approach to education is discussed in the light of its impact on educational theories and practices in the early 1900s. Included in this discussion is a description of her theories, such as the developmental stages of…

The primary purpose of this study was to learn how socialization into the teaching profession is affected by the non-academic experiences of teachers. A secondary objective was to provide insight into the research on teaching that has demonstrated that teachers pass through stages of career development. Participants were two groups of teacher…

Students' decisions are influenced by the moral climate of their school. Changing social, economical, and traditional family structures have contributed to an upheaval of moral foundations. As a result, schools are becoming a critical arena for students to develop into morally responsible adults. Consequently, the moral growth of teachers is an…

A study examined how specific developmental levels of cognitive ability affect the relationship between beliefs and performance; how cognitive development levels affect reading and writing performance; and how developmental level affects the interactions between the reading and writing domains. Subjects, 150 undergraduates between the ages of 18…

The use of William Perry's (1970) model of cognitive development during the college years to restructure an abnormal psychology course is described. The model provides a framework for students and teachers to understand the confusion and frustration they sometimes experience. Perry proposed that students enter college with tacit epistemological…

In one of his latest works, Piaget (1980) describes the course of development as alternating between periods of relative equilibrium, in which thinking is deductive and discursive, and periods of equilibration, in which thinking is dialectical and constructive. Progressive change depends on these dialectical periods, during which the construction…

This training module on parent readiness levels is based on the premise that parents pass through stages of development in accepting and working with their child's handicap. The module is designed to be used in inservice training on parent involvement and to aid staff in identifying levels of parent readiness for involvement and in recognizing…

Briefly, in an informal and hand-printed format, the developmental stages of children's graphic representations, plus a few, selected art activities and appropriate art materials for young children are discussed in this illustrated guidebook for parents. Examples of children's drawings at the controlled and named scribbling stages, and at the…

Using four case studies, the paper explores whether the philosophical reflections on the meaning of life by older adults constitute a developmental stage as defined by Piaget. Prefacing his analysis with discussions of the Erikson model of ego stages and the Fowler "Faith Interview" methods, Kohlberg hypothesizes hierarchical levels that…

The Career Development Inventory--Adult Form was used to measure career development, and three instruments were used to measure the life cycle or personal phasic development in order to seek a relationship between the adult life cycle and the professional career development cycle for women and men. Population for the study was a random sample of…

Although some research has been conducted in the past, few studies have investigated children's conceptions of life, death and dying. To study children's ideas about death, 112 children, age 4-18, were asked to draw what they thought of when they heard the word "death" and also to make verbal comments about their drawings. Three…

Major life developmental tasks are identified, along with the learning outcomes necessary to fulfill those tasks for adults from age 17 to retirement. Attention is directed to the important connection between life cycle change and adult learning as well as seven assumptions underlying life cycle theory. Developmental tasks and learning needs are…

This annotated bibliography attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What is criticial thinking? (2) Can it be taught and to whom? (3) Which methods are most practical for teaching critical thinking to secondary students? and (4) Can its acquisition be tested? The first question researches the literature for a definition of the term. The…

Many studies have hypothesized a developmental relationship between children's chronological and mental ages and their intrapersonal perceptions of internal and external control. To investigate longitudinal changes in children's locus of control, 97 elementary school children, between the ages of 8 and 13, were administered the Children's…

This paper reviews recent theoretical developments and empirical findings in the area of the development of word knowledge in children. Advances in both linguistic and cognitive theory are described and synthesized, and children's word knowledge at various stages of development is outlined. The point is made that asking meaningful questions about…