Presents the basics of intellectual development that are needed to comprehend college students' ethical development. Discusses character development, tolerance for diversity, and intellectual development. Profiles a model of morality. Explores interpretative systems for determining the moral ideal, and provides case studies that illustrate the…

Evaluation of Israeli students, 392 in grades 7-9 and 381 in grades 10-12, in the domain of literature supported the construct validity of the 4 X 4 Structure of Giftedness Model, in which giftedness is conceptualized in 4 categories of general and specific intellectual ability and original thinking and 4 ordered ability levels embedded in a…

Reports the results of a non-randomized study of 45 history Ph.D. students in England and discusses the results in terms of the theory of knowledge structure and the modification of knowledge structure due to information. Topics include information as process; a model of stages of the information process; and grounded theory. (Author/LRW)

This longitudinal study investigated the relation between mothers' descriptions of mental states portrayed in pictures and 2- to 4-year-old children's theory of mind. Mothers described pictures to children at 3 different times during the year. Findings indicated that mothers' use of mental state utterances at early time points correlated with…

Two experiments investigated kindergarten through fourth-graders' and adults' ability to evaluate the certainty of deductive inferences, inductive inferences, and guesses, and explain the origins of inferential knowledge. Findings indicated that children rated their own deductions as more certain than guesses, but when judging another person's…

Tested path models of academic interest and performance that were derived from social-cognitive theory. Results supported a model in which ability helps determine self-efficacy. Findings suggest that social-cognitive theory helps explain the academic behavior of high school students that can be key to their later career options. (RJM)

The second of two linked articles develops two more mapping typologies: first, an approach to the what, why, and how of leaders, leading, and leadership; and second, the presentation of possible positions that knowledge workers can take when they use and produce knowledge about leadership practice. (Contains 10 notes and 73 references.) (MLF)

Informs teachers about using concept maps as a learning tool and alternative assessment tools in education. Presents research results of how students might use concept maps to communicate their cognitive structure. (Author/KHR)

This study examined the classroom knowledge of experienced teachers and ways in which this knowledge was articulated to preservice teachers. Results indicate that differences in knowledge structures and reflective capabilities of cooperating teachers have potentially powerful consequences for the quality of student teachers' experiences. (SM)

Described is the relative complexity of commonly used diagrams in science instruction. Student interpretations of diagrams, implications for science instruction and the prevention of science misconceptions is discussed. (CW)

Presents a descriptive study of the influence of the learner's cultural schemata on instruction. Finds that students interpret new information in the light of cultural knowledge already possessed. Implications are that instructional designs that ignore the influence of background knowledge take a naive approach to the development of a…

Investigated are the alternative conceptions of the concept "animal" held by African youngsters. Three forms of thinking among the pupils are identified. An attempt is made to explain the possible origin of anthropocentric thinking among pupils. Urban and rural groups are compared. (CW)

Investigates whether distinctions in cognitive structures between formal and concrete operational students effect their ability to produce an accurate cognitive structure, retain geometric content, and retain cognitive structures. Concludes that clear structures can be derived for the students. (Author/YP)

Findings are related from a study designed to compare the semantic ordered trees of 14 experienced and novice teachers enrolled in the same curriculum course and describe how these teachers reflected upon their trees before and after the course. An appendix gives directions for creating semantic ordered trees. (IAH)

Investigates the effect of parental separation on the divergent thinking abilities and creativity potential of 116 single- and two-parent family children in grades three through five. Findings indicate a comparable level of divergent thinking between both groups; single-parent children scored significantly higher on creativity potential.…