Presents a study of the acquisition and development of information coordination ability. Examines students' composition of texts comparing two cultural groups after reading either one text describing both or a separate text on each. Concludes that older students used more complex information integration levels, whereas all subjects performed…

Presents a study in which children considered alternative continuations of a text through a computer program. Reports that subjects were to monitor text production and correct coherence problems. Discusses reason levels: (1) implicit, local reasoning; (2) attention to global text characteristics; and (3) considerations on the function of…

Special programs for learning-disabled students have limited effectiveness because learning outcome is not determined by remedial education setting. Effective programs must consider cognitive ability, strategic repertoire, previously acquired skills and concepts, and awareness of the goal each task must achieve. Psychological assessment provides…

Illustrates and discusses one class of strategies to solve word problems referred to as "number-consideration strategies." Contrasts actions and goals of students who focus mainly on number considerations with those of students who focus mainly on problem understanding. (MDH)

Analysis of a large corpus (80 pairs of speakers) of 7-12 year olds suggests that 2 principles underlie the development of dialogue coordination skills. The seven to eight year olds establish a limited common dialogue lexicon, whereas older speakers show evidence of deep coordination processes aimed at establishing mutual intelligibility of a…

A study determined the abilities of students to interpret and represent graphs by asking 15-year-old female students (n=10) to write stories to accompany any 3 of 12 graphs presented. Results indicated that the students were not able to accurately relate real life situations to graphical forms. (MDH)

Describes "talk-through" model of peer teaching in which student pairs are asked to verbalize their thinking processes as they work through a mathematical problem. Lists five benefits of using this method. (MDH)

This study investigated the relationship between factors believed to contribute to the formation of environmental attitudes by college nonscience majors (n=136) attending an environmental studies course. Factors investigated included environmental attitudes, decision defensibility, and the linkage of affective and cognitive domains. Reports that…

Concrete experience should be a first step in the development of new abstract concepts and their symbolization. Presents concrete activities based on Hyde and Nelson's work with egg cartons and Steiner's work with money to develop students' understanding of partitive division when using fractions. (MDH)

Presents a series of activities developed from the "Arithmetic Teacher's" regular feature entitled "Problem Solving: Tips for Teachers" to help students develop skills in each of the four steps of Polya's problem-solving process: (1) Understanding the Problem; (2) Making a Plan; (3) Carrying Out the Plan; and (4) Reflecting…

Presents results of intensive clinical interviews with 11 high school chemistry students representing a broad range of achievement levels as selected from 180 students who completed a written test upon completion of an instructional unit on chemical change. Results indicate that students commonly experience difficulties in chemical knowledge,…

Maintains that communicative competence is the primary way of teaching about and learning to live in a multicultural society. Asserts that multiculturalism confronts errors of educational theory and illustrates how life's struggle is always a struggle for freedom and to assume responsibility. (CFR)

Asserts that the development of abstract knowledge and critical thinking skills has been extolled as a primary goal of education. Reviews research in problem solving and other educational endeavors. Maintains that learning abstract solution principles is enhanced when instruction is accompanied by examples illustrating those principles. (ACM)

Contends that, although early precursors to reading and the first phases of reading acquisition have been extensively studied, the acquisition of different components of the reading process have not been considered. Reviews research from the past 15 years to examine the relationship between decoding and comprehension skills. (CFR)

Describes the author's first meeting with curriculum specialist Hilda Taba and his subsequent work on the Taba Curriculum Project. Discusses the project's objectives, major features, and the instructional strategies necessary for implementation. Concludes by discussing Taba's impact on curriculum design and development. (CFR)