This study was designed as the first in a series of inquiries to investigate the use of multidimensional scaling techniques for observing and measuring underlying dimensions commonly perceived by viewers. Following a preliminary study to select photographs, 15 university students aged 19 to 45 were presented with stimuli consisting of 34 colored…

This paper looks at the issue of mathematics learning from a developmental perspective. It begins by focusing on the importance for teachers of understanding how mathematical thinking develops. The New Zealand Number Framework is used as an example of a developmental progression that is of particular relevance to the teaching of mathematics. The…

The aim of this study was to identify deficiencies in students' knowledge and understanding of basic algebraic concepts and operations. Since analysis of errors is an effective way of tracing misconceptions in mathematics, a diagnostic test was compiled for this purpose. A total of 162 items was included in the test which was administered to 4,635…

This study explored the usefulness of an approach to science instruction which specifically considered children's spontaneous conceptions about natural phenomena. The aim of the instruction was the development of conceptual understanding. The instructional approach involved diagnosing children's spontaneous conceptions, making them aware of their…

Much of the focus in science education has been on the theoretical constructs and practical implications of conceptual change. History of science, cognitive theory, and alternative conceptions have been used as backdrops for the study of the child's conceptual movement away from naive beliefs about scientific phenomena. In this study, conceptual…

The project's purpose was to revise the introductory biology material in a freshman course for biology majors so that it is based on Piagetian learning theory and incorporates the three phases of the learning cycle teaching strategy: (1) exploration; (2) concept formation; and (3) concept application. The approach presented concepts structured so…

This study describes the relationship of two cognitive variables, logical thinking and disembedding ability, to learners' abilities to make conceptual shifts from less acceptable to more acceptable conceptual understandings of a physical phenomenon. The difference in the logical thinking and disembedding ability of students who exhibited different…

Although much has been written about the potential applications for computers in the classroom, instructional computing has not so far affected classrooms and teaching practice in the manner or to the degree in which it was foretold. An analysis of the discourse surrounding educational computing reveals conceptions of teaching and prescriptions…

From the 1950s through the 1970s, children's play with blocks was seen as facilitating many developmental and educational outcomes, including art and creativity. In the 1980s there is less interest in the use of blocks to help children acquire art concepts and sensitivities as the pressure for back to the basics increases. This paper aims to…

The decision making processes of children in a probabilistic environment were studied within the context of the theory of signal detection (TSD). The relationship between the age of the child and his ability to revise decision criteria was examined, as well as the appropriateness of TSD measures and methodology with children. It was hypothesized…

This paper offers examples of how the preschool child's and teacher's perceptions of activities differ and indicates consequences for children when such differences are not considered. Additionally, findings of related research are reported. It is pointed out that such examples could have implications for the content of the preschool and primary…

In order to study why students have difficulty learning from science textbooks, this study investigated how middle school students use textbooks and how their thinking about one science concept (photosyntheis) was influenced by the reading of three different science texts. One of the texts used was an experimental one written to challenge and…

This paper analyzes the hardware and software features that would be desirable in a computer-based semantic network system for representing biology knowledge. It then describes in detail a prototype network of molecular biology knowledge that has been developed using Filevision software and a Macintosh computer. The prototype contains about 100…

This paper explores a wide range of issues associated with research on mental models. Based on a functional perspective, mental models are defined as the mechanisms whereby humans generate descriptions of system purpose and form, explanations of system functioning and observed system states, and predictions of future system states. Specifically,…

The impact on learning performance of a notetaking strategy called the Directed Overt Activity Strategy (DOA) was evaluated on three types of instructional tasks: spatial learning, simple concept learning, and complex concept learning. One hundred volunteer freshman psychology students from Ohio State University used either the DOA or their own…