The article grapples with the question of how much curriculum change is appropriate in a given context and in a given time frame. How can a balance be struck between stagnation, on the one hand, and the promotion of unrealistic innovation on the other? In answer to this dilemma, the concept of a zone of feasible innovation (ZFI) is proposed and…

An evaluation of Peter Bryant's criticisms of Piaget shows that Piaget's work is still a suitable psychological resource for educational thinking. Piaget's constructivist theory has undergone recent revision and is, therefore, of interest to those with psychological or educational commitments to constructivism. (Author/RM)

Discusses the findings of educational research dealing with the developmental stages of children and the teaching of geography, student achievement in geography, and techniques and procedures that can be applied to the traditional geography curriculum. (RM)

Attempts to enrich civic learning should consider recent psychological studies. Changes must begin with teacher education and should be focused on: (1) changing classroom climate, where teachers' attitudes toward use of democratic or authoritarian processes can exert great influences; and (2) understanding students and teachers as developing…

The Plowden Report drew heavily on Piaget's theories of cognitive development, especially his concepts of activity and discovery learning and readiness. But Piaget's theory is not a pedagogical one and it has little to say about teaching content and methods. Recently, criticism of his theory has grown. (Author/SJL)

The apparently limited classroom application of theories of learning has led to an emphasis on detailed observational studies of teachers in action. This emphasis has produced data concerning management and teaching techniques that is of obvious use to practicing teachers. (CB)

Presents recent research in developmental psychology that supports conclusion that understanding of dynamics of self-development within social context of group is necessary to curriculum development in ethics education. Suggests that group work is central to successful implementation of any ethics education program and that group discussion of…

An interview on peace education with Petra Hesse, of the Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age (Cambridge, Massachusetts), is presented. The Center for Psychological Studies in the Nuclear Age was founded out of a concern about children's fears of the future and the risks of nuclear war. Petra Hesse coordinates a research project on…

The relationship between children's language and their knowledge of the various features of their language and their reading is examined from the perspective of several prominent theories about the link between thought and language. The first chapter contrasts features of five significant contemporary theories of language and thought--the Russian,…

This research review adopts a developmental perspective to the problem of gifted underachievement. It covers affective development characteristics, focusing on self-concept, locus of control, and personality and temperament; environmental influences such as family and school; and strategies for holistic development through a combination of direct…

In this paper, the following key questions will be examined. What is distinctive about cooperative learning, which makes it different from just groupwork? What has research found about the effectiveness of cooperative learning in promoting thinking? What conditions in cooperative learning help promote thinking? What theoretical perspectives…

Contends that, in many ways, college teaching has remained largely unchanged since the days of the medieval university. Discusses the role of cooperative learning in higher education and maintains that the technique can enhance critical thinking skills. (CFR)

Reviews theoretical frameworks and psychological processes underlying the perception and cognition of musical understanding. Suggests unifying ideas and processes based on a developmental learning framework applied to teaching methods and curriculum. Supplies six guidelines for music education practitioners who are sequencing learning activities…

The Threshold Project focuses on the language and learning difficulties that children in Southern African schools experience when they change from their mother tongue to English as a medium of instruction in their fifth year of schooling. This report discusses Threshold Project research relating to the nature of pupils' cognitive capacities and…

Although educational psychologists are concerned with the acquisition of knowledge, particularly in the classroom, language acquisition and knowledge of language are areas slighted in their textbooks. Integration of developmental psycholinguistics into educational psychology courses should employ the recently emerging rationalist view rather than…