The information processing of teaching was investigated in a case study, comparing the behavior and cognition of ten elementary school teachers. Data indicated that the amount of discrepancy between teaching plan and classroom reality was a critical variable in the information processing of teachers. (JKS)

The effect of the sensory discriminability of targets from nontargets on depth of nontarget processing was examined. Depth of nontarget processing was measured by semantic overlap between targets and nontargets, reaction time, and nontarget recall. Depth of processing decreased as sensory discriminability increased, supporting multiple-loci…

Investigated was the hypothesis that high arousal increases processing of physical characteristics and reduces processing of semantic characteristics. While introverts and extroverts had equivalent scanning rates for physical features, introverts were significantly slower in searching for semantic features of category membership, indicating…

The relative importance of different cognitive subprocesses in Bender performance was studied with Black middle-class first graders. Results suggest that the Bender owes much of its clinical validity to loadings across all stages of human information processing. Kagan's hypothesis on conceptual tempo in Bender performance is also analyzed. (SJL)

This review of the concept learning literature indicates that the greater effectiveness of field-independent learners is related to memory efficiency and the ability to conduct combinatorial analysis. Short-term memory and free recall studies suggest factors contributing to the less efficient memory of field-dependent learners. (Editor/SJL)

Suggests that teachers must integrate the instruction of language and content if they wish to develop fully their students' cognitive abilities. (MKM)

Surface structure morphology in child second language acquisition is investigated with emphasis on mastery of correct forms and consequent implications for teachers and researchers. Communication strategies used by the second language learner are discussed. (RM)

Much of the debate surrounding strategies of what is now regarded as "compensatory" language education is focused on whether is advisable, or possible, to attempt to alter the student's idiolect--the language he brings to school. Examines the effect of policies designed to superimpose the patterns of the standard dialect on non-standard speaking…

Variations in sorts of rural Mexican-Spanish "have" verbs were analyzed using two approaches: one which measures subject differences from a standard categorization, and another which directly compares pairs of individual subject's sorts. "The second approach revealed a consistent structure for a subset of the subjects not revealed…

Compared Introductory Physical Science (IPS) and Modified approaches to teaching physics concepts. Found that students' preinstruction ideas of matter and density were organized in commonsense theories that constrained understanding of density. Both curricula promoted quantitative understanding of mass, volume, and density, but the Modified…

Discusses the conflicting roles of practitioners and academics in the improvement of teaching practice, focusing on the need for closer relations between teachers and teacher educators and the effectiveness of action research in bridging the gap. Also discusses the role of the practitioner and ordinary knowledge in the improvement of teaching…

Describes the Cognitive Learning from Automated Instruction (CLAI) model. Discusses cognitive learning, learning from instruction, and automatic instruction; reviews instructional theories relating cognitive processes and instruction; and describes the CLAI model for developing intelligent tutoring systems (ITS). Illustrates a practical approach…

A study compared moral reasoning patterns of 17 violent children (ages 10-13) with emotional and behavioral disorders and their aggressive parents to matched controls. When presented with family and peer violence scenarios, the violent children and parents referred more to rules prohibiting provocation rather than to rules prohibiting physical…

Sixteen nonretarded young adults with fetal alcohol syndrome were divided into two groups, one with average to above average IQ and one with borderline to low average IQ. Subjects in both groups manifested clear deficits on neuropsychological measures sensitive to complex attention, verbal learning, and executive function at a frequency and…

The study of relationships between action control, motivation control, perceptions of course directions, and students' goals for 92 Australian undergraduates revealed different patterns for direction and effort and changing patterns from task on-set to off-set. Overall higher levels of effort and performance appear to require positive appraisals…