Investigates some conceptual difficulties which college students have with regard to simple direct current circuits. The clinical interview technique was used with 57 students in a freshman level engineering course. (HM)

Suggests, based on observations of children in a nursery school drawing activity, that what children understand about drawing is intimately tied to what they know of drawing activities undertaken in a particular social context. (FL)

A neuropsychological assessment stressing lateralized perceptual-motor and cogntive abilities was administered in two groups of hospitalized psychiatric patients (8 to 17 years old), 25 schizophrenics, and 25 nonpsychotics. The results supported the hypothesis that there may be left hemisphere dysfunction in schizophrenia; however, no single…

Two experiments, involving 90 first-grade children, were conducted to test a retrieval-inefficiency explanation for the failure of visual imagery to facilitate young children's prose recall. (Author/MP)

Reports on the findings of a comparative study of mental abilities of Mexican and American children. Discusses age, sex, social class, and urban-rural differences, as well as cultural differences. (SS)

Discusses research attempting to identify difficulties experienced by undergraduate chemistry students in performing specific logical operations at the formal level as described or implied by Inhelder and Piaget. (BT)

Reports the results of a longitudinal study investigating environmental cognitive sets (ways of thinking or perceiving about one's surroundings). The cognitive sets were designed to promote awareness of environmental problems and possibilities and to induce aesthetic experience, environmental understanding, and a playful and creative orientation…

The cloze procedure, a technique developed for use with textual material and employed in the testing of readability and comprehension, may be useful in the investigation of cognitive mapping skills. The technical problems associated with the design of cloze tests are examined and the results of some empirical tests are reported. (BT)

Describes the written Piagetian Task Instrument (PTI), a diagnostic instrument developed for detecting the student's ability to perform the elements of Piagetian formal thought. The use of the PTI by 86 students enrolled in introductory college genetics at Ball State University of Indiana was investigated. (HM)

This research investigated the influence of a teacher education program on students' affective personality growth. Both affective and cognitive measures proved to be significant predictors of probable success in teaching home economics. (Editor/TA)

Report of a study, using 7 13 year-old boys and girls, which sought to determine if the growth of underlying spatial abilities are enhanced more if technical drawing activities requiring multiview spatial ability are presented before surface development activities, or vice versa. Includes implications for teaching technical drawing. (TA)

Because gifted children are different in level of emotional development, interactions with peers, and learning characteristics, they require special support. Drawing on experience with enrichment programs for young gifted children, this article explores ways of establishing nurturing learning environments that develop self-esteem, engage long-term…

Recommends a constructivist approach to physics laboratory activities to make laboratories a place for personal maturation and cognitive growth. Describes class design in which ideas and techniques are exchanged which allow students the opportunity to initiate investigations based on early conceptual assumptions, and extend the investigation…

Examines science education in the United Kingdom for young children with special needs in science, and the theoretical underpinnings to children's early scientific experiences. Discusses methods of identifying young children with scientific aptitude. Examines use of children's early descriptions and explanations as emergent theorizing and use of…