Derives a theoretical statement about children's understanding of the mind from Wittgenstein's private-language argument that understanding the mind involves acquiring rules governing the use of linguistic expressions about the mind. Presents developmental evidence illustrating Wittgenstein's argument and its differences from the simulation and…

Investigated whether learning the distinction between substance names and object names is conceptually or linguistically driven, by repeating Soja et al.'s study with English- and Japanese-speaking children. (Japanese does not make the count-mass grammatical distinction proposed to contribute to learning the distinction.) Found evidence for…

Describes the case of a woman who experienced disparity in mathematics classrooms between learning (which for her was necessarily relational) and its validation by a system that did not ratify meaningful learning but instead rewarded the behavioral products of rote or instrumental learning. (MKR)

Begins with a description of the research paradigm and the theoretical perspective. The following two sections are a consideration of some points from the literature and a description of the evolution of a genetic decomposition of the limit concept. Concludes with some suggestions for instruction that relate to how the limit concept can be…

Three experiments investigated 14-month olds' capacity for superordinate-level inductions, using animal and vehicle domains. Found that infants did generalize properties in these domains, and that their inductions were more influenced by conceptual category than by perceptual similarity. (HTH)

Argues that causal understanding is a developmental primitive: children develop core concepts of causality at a very early age, causality plays a necessary role in subsequent development across many domains, and basic causal processes can be activated automatically or implicitly. (HTH)

Describes aspects of learning the language of mathematics including vocabulary and grammar, the origins of the vocabulary, the pronunciation problem, and translation of English phrases and sentences into mathematical language accompanied by conceptual understanding of the process being described. Gives suggestions for teachers in class and…

Formulates rules for adapting the appropriate amount of instruction to learning needs in computerized adaptive instructional systems. The framework is derived from Bayesian decision theory and the procedures are demonstrated for the problem of determining the optimal number of interrogatory examples for concept learning in the Minnesota Adaptive…

Considers two notable recent philosophical theories of concepts in relation to some challenges set by Wittgenstein in his notorious private language argument. The challenge is formulated in terms of constraints on the explanation of the relation between thought and language. Shows how these theories of concepts relate to constraints that arise…

Examines the process of student conceptual change regarding thermal expansion using the Dual Situated Learning Model (DSLM) as an instructional approach. Indicates that DSLM promotes conceptual change and holds great potential to facilitate the process through classroom instruction at all levels. (Contains 38 references.) (Author/NB)

Poses a probability problem with counterintuitive results which ultimately leads to a lesson in how mathematicians work and think. (KHR)

Describes how elementary linear algebra can be taught successfully while introducing students to the concept and practice of mathematical proof. Suggests exploring the concept of solvability of linear systems first via the row echelon form (REF). (Author/KHR)

Examines the intersection of students' understanding and acceptance of evolution and their epistemological beliefs and cognitive dispositions. Hypothesizes that there would be a relationship between understanding and acceptance. Involves (n=93) undergraduate, non-major biology students in the study. Reports no relationship between students,…

A treatment group of 20 aviation students used training manuals that presented functional flow diagrams before schematic diagrams. Comparison of data from 10 controls on a card-sort task showed that functional flow diagrams enhanced understanding of technical systems. (SK)

Studied how nonnatural entities are represented by examining concepts of God of 145 college students in three experiments. In story processing tasks, students often used an anthropomorphic God concept that was inconsistent with their stated theological beliefs. The tendency to anthropomorphize may be generalizable to other agents. (SLD)