The controversy over what divergent thinking tests measure was addressed by conducting a study of the relationship between divergent thinking and vocational interests. Forty-one above-average fifth graders were administered Pattern and Line Meanings a year before they took the American College Testing Program (ACT) Interest Inventory. Divergent…

This paper describes how the learning cycle leads students to become more skilled reasoners. The three phases of the learning cycle are described and examples and goals of each are provided. Information is also offered on the three types of learning cycles: the descriptive; the empirical-inductive; and the hypothetical-deductive. Each is described…

Noting the call for research that links argument theory with negotiation, this paper examines the nature and function of argument negotiation in current organizational bargaining research theories. Five perspectives are extrapolated to define "argument" and demonstrate how different viewpoints can affect understanding of the negotiation…

In order to demonstrate how course content can be adapted so that thinking skills are included in the learning experience, this paper uses a unit of study from theater history as a basis for examining how subject matter can be structured with learning objectives, a study guide, a hypothetical problem situation, instructions, and feedback. The…

This three-part paper describes the development of a software program called "The Growth Curve of Microorganisms" for a tenth-grade biology class. Designed to improve students' cognitive skills, the program enables them to investigate, through computer simulations, the impact upon the growth curve of a population of three variables: temperature,…

This study draws on a conceptualization of the nature of professional knowledge called "Reflection-in-Action" put forth by Donald Schon, and seeks to determine whether it is applicable, and appropriate, to studying the way in which education students make sense of practical teaching experiences offered in methods courses. Schon's ideas are taken…

Impromptu speech is heard only once, at a rate of perception that depends on the speaker's delivery, and is specifically adapted to the listeners. These features trigger cognitive activities that facilitate translation. Impromptu speech is characterized by a constant interconnection between cognitive competence and language competence and between…

Biological Science Grade 7, a one semester course in the Los Angeles Unified School District, provides students with opportunities for a comprehensive study of living organisms using an investigative approach. This course outline is designed to assist teachers in planning and implementing daily and weekly lessons and in meeting course objectives.…

Thinking skills and ethical judgment are needed in all areas of business, and instruction in these areas should be included in business communication courses. Authorities on the teaching of thinking generally agree that instructional objectives should cover creative and critical thinking skills, as well as the dispositions that enhance the use of…

An instructional framework which provides opportunities for students to synthesize knowledge and recognize general approaches to problem representation and solution is advocated and discussed in this paper. The need for a combination of an interdisciplinary approach with the new technologies of the information age is emphasized. Major ideas…

A study explored the effectiveness of an instructional approach designed to help students establish connections between their understanding of the decimal system and the stardard symbols and procedural rules used to solve decimal problems. Ten children each in grades 4 through 6 participated. They were individually interviewed prior to and six…

Various approaches have traditionally been used to evaluate college students' writing performance. The College Outcome Measures Program (COMP), designed to assess and improve college programs, offers new ways to collect writing samples that include responses to reasoning and problem solving tasks. Thus, the effectiveness of written communication…

A study explored whether teaching the comprehension skills of inference, drawing conclusions, sequencing, and cause and effect would increase student achievement in reading and language while at the same time imparting social science content. Subjects, 197 eighth grade students in the experimental group and 192 eighth grade students in the control…

A study examined the impact of instruction on the metacognitive strategies of five fifth-grade students whose vocabulary knowledge test scores were two or more stanines higher than their comprehension test scores. The students were administered "The Informal Reading Inventory" to determine their appropriate functional levels and the…

Using ethnographic methodology, a study investigated the writing processes, in English, of 10 Spanish-speaking bilingual/bicultural graduate students and the possible influence of their linguistic and cultural backgrounds upon these processes. All subjects had been born and initially schooled through the twelfth grade in Latin America, and had…