The ideas presented in this lecture are based on the observation of processes of construction and consolidation of knowledge by individual students learning in groups within classrooms along a sequence of activities. Whereas the uniformity of the basic elements used to describe the knowledge construction processes may be seen as inclusive, there…

In the attempt to account for striking differences between learning activities of immigrant mathematics students from the former Soviet Union and of their native Israeli classmates, the authors introduce the notions of "actual" and "designated identities." These identities are subsequently presented as important factors that…

This exploratory study had two goals: (1) to identify signs of abstraction and consolidation of abstractions of functional concepts in students in a situation-based curriculum; and (2) to use theoretical arguments as well as experimental evidence in order to shape notions of abstraction and consolidation of abstractions. The methodology was…

The purpose of this study was to determine the nature of teachers' implicit in-action mental models about children's minds and learning, as inferred through the ways they teach. The work was based on the theoretical works of D. Schon, L. Shulman, and P. N. Johnson-Laird. Study participants included 24 student, novice, and experienced teachers. All…

The use and analysis of student generated propositions linking two scientific concepts (photosynthesis and respiration) were examined before and after the study of photosynthesis. A proposition-generating task (PGT) was used as a diagnostic tool to indicate student misconceptions and partial understandings. Focus was on determining: how the nature…