Measures how much voters learned about the issue positions of the 1988 presidential candidates and the images formed from campaign coverage and other information. Finds the debates influential on knowledge; higher levels of education and campaign interest related to more issue knowledge; and image knowledge predicted by party loyalty. Concludes…

Applies Gresham's Law ("bad money drives out good") to educators' overreliance on technology. Introducing more advanced "learning" technology without a concomitant emphasis on knowledge acquisition allows some students to operate at increasingly lower thought levels. Higher order thought processes will be displaced (and…

Survey investigated female college students' knowledge about toxic shock syndrome (TSS), noting relationships between knowledge, self-perceived risk of developing TSS, and menstrual product use. Data analysis indicated knowledge about TSS was inadequate, particularly among young females. Neither risk perception nor product use were mediated by…

Sexual behavior, knowledge of sexually transmitted disease and condoms, and condom use was studied among 116 African American and white incarcerated adolescents in Seattle (Washington). Results indicate that these adolescents are at high risk and suggest that programs designed solely to increase knowledge are unlikely to effect behavior change.…

Arguing that cognitive development involves both conceptual and semiotic achievements, the authors emphasize the distinctness of semiotic issues and develop a differentiated appreciation of semiotic aspects of cognition, particularly in elementary mathematics cognition. Semiotic analyses are provided of differences between counting, adding, and…

A metrics and mapping framework is proposed to account for how heuristics, domain-specific reasoning, and intuitive statistical induction processes are integrated to generate estimates. Results of 4 experiments involving 188 undergraduates illustrate framework usefulness and suggest when people use heuristics and when they emphasize…

Describes two aspects of metacognition, knowledge of cognition and regulation of cognition, and how they relate to domain-specific knowledge and cognitive abilities. It is argued that metacognitive knowledge is multidimensional, domain-general in nature, and teachable. Four instructional strategies are described for promoting the construction and…

Explores understanding of chance measurement and how this develops over time through the analysis of response data collected in 1993, 1995, and 1997. Analyzes this data to document changes in levels of observed student outcomes using the Structure of the Observed Learning Outcome (SOLO) developmental model. Results indicate no improvements in…

Examines the range of knowledge about retirement-related issues that exists among various employee groups within a particular organization. Finds that education was a strong predictor in determining employees' knowledge. Discusses implications for future research regarding the development of materials designed to educate employees about…

Explores the utility of mental models as learning outcomes in using complex and situated learning environments. Describes two studies: one aimed at eliciting mental models in the heads of novice refrigeration technicians, and the other an ethnographic study eliciting knowledge and models within the community of experienced refrigeration…

Surveyed school nurses to determine their attitudes, knowledge, and beliefs about asthma. Results indicated they had appropriate knowledge levels regarding asthma. Most asthma myths had been replaced with knowledge. Nurses had varied responsibilities that affected their ability to provide health education and support to students with asthma.…

Using an excerpt from one of Plato's early dialogs, this article examines the distinction between knowledge and opinion. It urges teachers to invite gifted students to reflect on this distinction to make the students more receptive to all levels and types of experiences and to maximize their knowledge in as many subjects as possible. (CR)

Researched PhD graduates who completed doctoral study during a period of change in the United Kingdom and confusion around the role and purpose of the doctorate. Based on qualitative interviews, the paper raises issues about the value and outcomes of doctoral study, student self-perception, and the capacity of the modern doctorate to yield both…

Discusses key issues of late modern society that help make a case for critical awareness of discourse: the relationship between discourse, knowledge, and social change in the information or knowledge-based society; the "textually-mediated" nature of contemporary social life; the relationship between discourse and social difference; the…

Investigated the nature and origins of early ideas about the environment held by children. Found that data explain aspects of the knowledge children have about various environments before they enter school, the development of this knowledge from ages 4 to 6, and young children's developing understanding of the impacts of environmental changes.…