By varying task conditions and constraints on subjects, this study attempted to extend and refine a developmental theory of partitioning as a foundational process undergirding children's construction of a rational number. Subjects were 31 preponderantly higher-grade pupils enrolled at an elementary school in Nova Scotia, Canada. Two tasks were…

Comparison of differences between the top 5% of ninth- (n=1942) and twelfth-grade (n=2277) students in science achievement and remaining students found that far more high achievers were male, typically came from small families, and had parents with more formal education (often in the sciences). High achievers typically preferred questioning over…

Critically analyzes recent research studies that examine background variables, cognitive style, and psychological type as influences on performance in college-level computer science courses. Implications for matching curriculum and instructional strategies with student characteristics are presented, recommendations for further research are made,…

This paper gives a method to determine a person's hypothetical conceptualization of an object -- its breakdown into subassemblies, subsubassemblies, and so on -- from the person's sequence of requests for pieces used in constructing it. A technique is given to determine whether, given a group of conceptualizations, there is a typical one. The…

This study was conducted to determine how the pattern of learning on an abstract concept, plate tectonics, differed between groups of different cognitive levels, sex, and intelligence quotient (IQ). The intensive time-series design was used to examine the achievement of eighth grade and ninth grade earth science students. The unique characteristic…

Science now offers new conceptions of the learning process and the development of competent performance. This book presents a contemporary account of principles of learning, and calls into question concepts and practices commonly used in schools. Topics explored include how learning actually changes the physical structure of the brain, the effect…

Fifty-four high aptitude undergraduates and 46 moderate-to-low aptitude undergraduates were divided into four treatment groups and were given a pretest during which they learned and recalled a map of a small town in five successive trials. Two weeks later, each group was given a different treatment with a varying degree of explicitness of…

A study of exceptional secondary school biology teachers was conducted to determine what factors might be important in encouraging young women to remain on the "science track" during high school. Each teacher had a record of encouraging his/her female students to enroll in further science and mathematics courses. Three questions were…