A theoretical model depicting the mental process of inquiry is presented and discussed. It is mainly composed of givens, operations, transitional outcomes and terminal outcomes. The different mental paths followed as well as the various alternative outcomes are also discussed and a number of implications deduced. (Author)

Reviews the literature concerning problem solving in science education. Authors contend that the adoption of a forward-looking viewpoint of science has increased the attention given to the topics of discovery and problem-solving behavior. Authors conclude that research by philosophers of science on models and problem solving include insights to…

Describes QMaPS (Qualitative Matching and Prediction system for Simulations), a qualitative reasoning system designed to function as a module in exploratory simulation learning environments. Highlights include a hierarchical organization of variables; multilevel relation typology; modeling of physical and conceptual domain structures; an…

Compares the decisions facing teachers in current reform proposals to decisions made by teachers participating in the Madison Project in the 1960s. Discusses teaching methods utilized, lesson planning, and teacher/student interactions. Reports Madison Project teacher's responses to interview transcripts of the tutoring project at Berkeley,…

Reviews the literature in the area of cognitive psychology that is relevant to training for transfer of skills. The roles of models, schema, and principles in transfer are discussed, the way in which examples facilitate schema acquisition is summarized, and the relation of schema to procedural and discovery learning is outlined. (43 references)…

Discusses "connectionism," an alternative learning model wherein meaning resides in the function of the whole state of a network, rather than being localizable in certain symbols or areas. Topics discussed include integration with other learning models; the culture of the mathematics classroom; and characteristics of alternative…

Through a review of the literature, looks at instructional and curricular issues related to the student-as-scientist model and the critical nature of the teacher's role in expanding school science activities to include this model. (SM)

History and the social sciences can be defined as recorded narratives or stories about the past or present that describe change and continuity over time and seek to explain this change and continuity through a series of cause and effect propositions based on evidence and shaped by the scholar's social frame of reference. In social studies there…

This paper focuses on the applications which best suit the microcomputer in an educational setting with emphasis on adapting effective pedagogical practice to the computer's programability and delivery capabilities. Discovery learning and "being told" are identified as two types of computer assisted instruction (CAI) and sample uses of…