Examines the meaning of subject specificity, a crucial aspect of teaching and assessing critical thinking. Discusses a number of distinctions, including a distinction among domain, epistemological, and conceptual subject specificity. Outlines future research needs. (FMW)

A structured system of visual features is seen to parallel the propositional hierarchy of operations usually associated with the parsing of algebraic expressions. Women more than men were found to depend on these visual cues. Possible causes and consequences are discussed. Subjects were secondary and college students. (Author/DC)

Secondary geometry students were tested for van Hiele level of thinking, geometry knowledge and achievement, and proof-writing achievement. Proof-writing achievement correlated significantly with van Hiele level entering geometry knowledge and geometry achievement. The predictive validity of the van Hiele model was supported. (Author/DC)

This article presents an approach to teaching "motion and inertia." The teaching strategy consists of four phases: (1) orientation; (2) eliciting children's ideas; (3) restructuring of ideas; and (4) improving and applying. Samples of students' ideas on the concept of mechanics are provided. Lists 11 references. (YP)

The question is raised: What comes first: rules of calculation or the meaning of concepts? The pressures on the teacher to teach and simplify knowledge to algorithms are discussed. The relation between conceptual and procedural knowledge in school mathematics and consequences for the teacher's professional knowledge are considered. (DC)

Discriminant analyses of 439 subjects who were asked to write an account of an achievement of failure, and to describe it in terms of locus of standards, conceptual focus, and initial expectations for success, indicated that cognitions were more readily patterned in terms of achievement domain than sex. (Author/BJV)

Eight behavior disordered students (ages 7-11) in a self-contained class were given two units of instruction in science concepts in a crossover design, with each student receiving both mnemonic and traditional instruction. Student learning was significantly improved under mnemonic instruction, and high levels of concept retention were…

Described are activities using jar lids for sorting, classifying, and graphing; ordering; and measuring circumference and diameter. (MNS)

The study of affect comprehension in 15 children with pervasive developmental disorders (ages 7-10) and normal children matched for mental age found that the disabled children were impaired on affect matching compared to the controls and were impaired on face and affect matching relative to their own performance on object matching. (Author/DB)

Discusses the need and the advantages of using conceptual change strategy in science classrooms. Describes three steps of the strategy: diagnosis; challenging conceptions; and applying the new concepts. Lists seven references. (YP)

Comparison of results obtained for 62 normally developing preschool children on the Bracken Basic Concept Scale, the Preschool Language Scale, and the Slosson Intelligence Test revealed low to moderate correlations between the three tests. Results suggest the tests do not measure the same abilities and thus cannot be used interchangeably. (DB)

Chaos theory has recently become a central area of scientific interest in psychology. This article explores the psychological meaning and deeper philosophical issues and cultural roots surrounding various views of chaos and provides a multicultural perspective of origins and development of the idea of chaos and its relationship to chaos theory.…

Identifies a set of objects that is genuinely indigenous to management information systems and constructs a simple model based on them. The model's four basic entities, which define the scope of information theory, are data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. (Contains 46 references.) (KRN)

Four third-grade and three fourth-grade students received individualized instruction on addition and subtraction of fractions for three weeks. Students overgeneralized the meanings of symbolic representations for whole numbers to fractions and vice versa. (MKR)

Analyzes instructional actions designed to help a student understand distance, time, and speed. Focuses on the mathematical knowledge that guided instructional decisions and actions and discusses implications for content preparation of teachers. Contains 48 references. (Author/MKR)