Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

Mathematical discussions in which students compare alternative solutions to a problem can be powerful modes for students to engage and refine their misconceptions into conceptual understanding, as well as to develop understanding of the mathematics underlying common algorithms. At the same time, these discussions are challenging to lead…

Young children have been taught simple sequences of alternating shapes and colors, referred to as "patterning", for the past half century in the hope that their understanding of pre-algebra and their mathematics achievement would be improved. The evidence that such patterning instruction actually improves children's academic achievement…

This literature review explores visualisation within the context of learning in design, engineering and technology education. The investigation first defines visualisation, providing examples of activities that utilise visualisation skills within an applied field. Then exploration of the mental mechanisms of visualisation used to engage with those…

A substantial amount of research has been conducted in an effort to understand the impact of short-term (less than 48 hr) total sleep deprivation (SD) on outcomes in various cognitive domains. Despite this wealth of information, there has been disagreement on how these data should be interpreted, arising in part because the relative magnitude of…

The ability to use analogical reasoning traditionally has been considered a higher-level ability characteristic of thinking of older children and adults. Such reasoning has not been thought to be accessible to younger children. However, recently, it has been suggested that younger children's ability to understand and solve analogical problems…

Researchers have examined inductive reasoning to identify different cognitive processes when participants deal with inductive problems. This article presents a prescriptive theory of inductive reasoning that identifies cognitive processing using a procedural strategy for making comparisons. It is hypothesized that training in the use of the…

The ANDS (A Natural Deduction System) model, described in this article, is a psychological theory of propositional reasoning that makes explicit assumptions about memory and control in deduction. A computer simulation of the ANDS model yields proofs similar to those of untrained subjects. (Author/BW)

The process of induction is formulated as a problem in detecting nonrandomness, or pattern, against a background of randomness, or noise. Experimental and philosophical approaches to human conceptions of randomness are contrasted. The relation between induction and the experience of randomness is discussed in terms of signal-detection theory.…

Three theories of deafness and cognition are summarized, and the problem of deaf children's lagging cognitive development in concrete nonverbal logical problems is considered. It is suggested that this delay may be caused by the difficulty hearing people have communicating to the deaf, and educational implications of this speculation are noted.…

This paper reviews the main research in the area of human reasoning and rational thinking to determine if man is either an "innately inefficient thinking machine" or if man's irrationality is "rooted in basic human nature," as Ellis (1976) suggests. The paper focuses on the work of two English theorists, Wason and…

Recent studies of deductive reasoning are reviewed with respect to three questions: Do people reason logically? Is reasoning introspectible? Is reasoning sequential? It is argued that the evidence of reasoning experiments suggests a negative answer to all three questions, indicating that these experiments don't study "reasoning" in its everyday…

Discusses creativity, play, and nonconformity in children, including the illusion of thought disorder or abnormality, and aspects of everyday creativity, health, and survival. Describes creative divergence, chaotic amplification, the evolution of information, and primitive cognitive processes. Concludes with a discussion of cognitive styles,…

Presents a brief overview of research and developments in the study of formal operations thought since 1972 along with some speculations concerning future research directions. (Author/MP)

This annotated bibliography attempts to answer the following questions: (1) What is criticial thinking? (2) Can it be taught and to whom? (3) Which methods are most practical for teaching critical thinking to secondary students? and (4) Can its acquisition be tested? The first question researches the literature for a definition of the term. The…