Sixty-one Japanese kindergarten children were pretested on their concept of speed; approximately half of the children (experimental group) were then given a demonstration of visual speed, and the entire group was posttested. Concludes that the experimental group could acquire the concept of speed significantly better than the control group. (MLH)

Discussion about (1) introducing young children to global concepts, (2) carefully choosing instructional materials to further global concepts, and (3) how a child's viewpoint can affect his perception of global concepts. (ND)

Considers the effects of simulation games on student motivation, concept development, attitudes, values, social skills, and classroom conditions and organization. The conclusion is that simulation is a useful technique which can contribute to the achievement of some of the objectives of geographical education. For journal availability, see SO 505…

Recent attempts to classify the meanings of two-word utterances expressed by young children have assumed that children always intend one of the meanings adults might express. This paper challenges that assumption and suggests an alternative approach to determining the meaning of these utterances. (Author/RM)

This paper addresses the developments of a class of fifth-grade children as they worked modeling problems during the first year of a 3-year longitudinal study. In contrast to usual classroom problems where students find a brief answer to a particular question, modeling activities involve students in authentic case studies that require them to…

In this paper we deal with the problem of the genetic relationship between the sensual and the conceptual in knowledge formation. Transcript and videotape analyses of two small groups of a regular Grade 11 mathematics class shed some light on the dialectics between semiotic activity and artefact-mediated kinesthetic actions. The analyses point to…

"Writing the Community: Concepts and Models for Service-Learning in Composition" (1997, Adler-Kassner, et. al.) begins with calling the inclusion of service-learning curricula into college-level composition a "microrevolution" rather than a trend. However, a review of the service-learning composition literature illustrates that…

This paper discusses an approach to the study of algorithms which values students' construction of nonstandard algorithms but also emphasizes the essential roles of the teacher and instructional activities in supporting the development of students' numerical reasoning. Episodes are presented from a 3rd grade classroom in which a 9-week teaching…

This paper discusses the use of graphic representations to develop a learner's conceptual framework. The benefits of the graphic representation of information throughout the learning experience are summarized. Examples are then presented from the instructional technology specialization area of the University of Houston-Clear Lake (Texas) School of…

SCALE-UP is an extension of the highly successful IMPEC (Integrated Math, Physics, Engineering, and Chemistry) project, one of North Carolina State's curricular reform efforts undertaken as part of the SUCCEED coalition. The authors utilize the interactive, collaboratively based instruction that worked well in smaller class settings and find ways…

This paper describes how one group of students came to reason about data while developing statistical understandings related to exploratory data analysis. Episodes taken from a 7th grade classroom in which a 12-week teaching experiment was conducted are presented. One of the goals of the teaching experiment was to investigate ways to support…

Based on a survey of 3067 Finnish 5th and 7th graders and a task-based interview of 20 7th graders we examine student's understanding of fraction. Two tasks frame a specific fraction (3/4) in different contexts: as part of an eight-piece bar (area context) and as a location on a number line. The results suggest that students' understanding of…

This study investigated the relationship in conceptual change scores between members of dyads paired for a photosynthesis simulation exercise. The relationship between an individual's epistemological sophistication and understanding of photosynthesis was also examined. The sample consisted of 255 biological sciences majors enrolled in a biology…

The present work has the purpose of showing the evolution of topics or mathematical concepts that are both relevant and with marked grades of abstraction. In this report is specifically described the utilization of metacognitive tools. These include concept maps, the Gowin heuristic vee, and the clinical interview. They are efficient in showing…