When students use concept maps to construct and represent their understandings, these concept maps can be analyzed for representation of understanding from both quantitative and qualitative perspectives. In this study, a qualitative approach was utilized to extend the interpretations from the quantitative analysis of students' conceptual…

This use of the term "student's misconceptions" reflects a knowledge transmission view of teaching rather than a constructivist view. Among science educators there has been an undue emphasis on changing student views into views accepted by the scientific community. This overemphasis mirrors the preoccupation with transmitting the "right answer"…

This paper examines a model of individual ways of learning and its implications for mathematics teaching. Topics discussed include: alternative ways that students use to represent mathematical ideas, management or control mechanisms, related models of learning preferences, ways in which students relate and manipulate ideas, and implications of…

In an effort to investigate the effects of a teaching strategy that helps students to identify concept conflicts through experimentation and guided investigation on students' conceptual changes and learning outcomes, 596 students (393 junior high school, 170 senior high school, and 33 college students) were administered two solution tests…

To determine whether scientific diagrams are helpful to students, researchers involved students in a mind probing investigation. Specifically, researchers wanted to know what goes on (and does not go on) in the minds of students when they encounter diagrams during science instruction. Based upon the results of these studies, suggestions are made…

The Concept Attainment Model is a teaching strategy based on analysis of the nature of concepts and how they are acquired. Using this theory, three strategies for second language instruction have been developed: the reception, selection, and unorganized materials strategies. In the reception strategy, the most structured, students must be guided…

Two kinds of perspectives governing the provision and preservation of knowledge, a universal and an ecological perspective, are discussed in this paper. In the first case, scientific observations are represented through a semantic interpretation of facts. This is illustrated with a series of experiments on semantic feature perception in the recall…

Counting books offer children the time and the tools to develop the understanding needed to solve problems. Stimulated by these books, children may use mathematic language and talk about mathematics as they get involved with materials to move and manipulate, as they use supportive aids found in illustrations, and as they interact with materials to…

Six scientific essayists were interviewed to gain some understanding of their writing processes. The writers were Roger Sawin, who writes for "Horticulture"; Harold Morowitz who writes for "Hospital Practices,""Science 82" and "Science 83"; Stephen Jay Gould who writes for "Natural History"; Jeremy…

The effectiveness of instant video replay in improving young children's understanding of the physical laws of balancing blocks on a fulcrum was investigated. A total of 128 children from 4 to 8 years of age were randomly assigned to one of four treatment conditions. In the "Predict Block" condition, children viewed a video replay that…

The present investigation was addressed to the hypothesis that cultural differences in home background are an important influence in the development of children's understanding of the purpose of writing and their concepts of the language units employed in the written code. (Editor)

Investigates the differential effect of an advanced organizer on the meaningful learning and retention of information presented to the learner in a sequential, structured program of individualized instruction. (Author/GS)

Explores parallel developments in labeling theory and in the value conflict approach to social problems. Similarities in their critiques of functionalism and etiological theory as well as their emphasis on the definitional process are noted. (Author)

The more general purpose of the research discussed here which focused on exploring the genesis of a concept of a number of three to five year old children, was to show how the understanding of the influences of testing and observation conditions upon child behavior makes it possible to describe and interpret the behavior of all children.…