In the context of the sociocultural approach, the authors studied the problem of the development of the students' conceptual mental structures in the process of geometry teaching. An educational activity for the development of a generalized ability to solve geometry construction problems in electronic educational environment served as a…

Introductory students regularly endorse "naïve skepticism" -- unsupported or uncritical doubt about the existence and universality of truth -- for a variety of reasons. Though some of the reasons for students' skepticism can be traced back to the student -- for example, a desire to avoid engaging with controversial material or a desire…

The relevance of the researched problem is determined by transformation of the human capital into the key economic resource of development of the postindustrial society. The purpose of the article is to disclose the content of evolution of the human capital as a scientific concept and phenomenon of the economic life. The leading approach to the…

Learning is a continuous process, and through the process of learning, people acquire or construct new knowledge; this knowledge is evaluated implicitly or explicitly (Hofer, 2000). Research on beliefs about knowledge has become an important field of inquiry in educational research (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997). This field of research has emerged…

In this article, we present initial findings of an exploratory-pilot research study that focuses on "service learning" as a framework to examine "real learning" and identity changes of university students participating in a community based educational activity known as "La Clase Mágica." Student's reports and…

This article is concerned with "commonsense science knowledge", the informally gained knowledge of the natural world that students possess prior to formal instruction in a scientific discipline. Although commonsense science has been the focus of substantial study for more than two decades, there are still profound disagreements about its nature…

Policy documents in science education suggest that even at the earliest years of formal schooling, students are capable of constructing scientific explanations about focal content. Nonetheless, few research studies provide insights into how to effectively provide scaffolds appropriate for late elementary-age students' fruitful creation of…

This article addresses the challenges that Garnett suggests face higher education through the lens of Bourdieu. In taking up the challenge set by Garnett for higher education in the knowledge economy and responding to its powerful and primary artefact--intellectual capital--the article reviews and uses the analytical tool of Bourdieu's practice in…

The results of studies regarding intelligence in infancy are reviewed, and are compatible with Sternberg's findings on intelligence in adulthood. It is suggested that a major aspect of intelligence--attitude toward and performance with novel kinds of concepts--is continuous in nature throughout the life span, but requires different measurement…

Examines the research literature on conceptual change, analyzes the different uses of the term, and discusses six other issues that have emerged from this literature. Outlines a multidimensional framework for considering conceptual change events in the classroom and attempts to synthesize various perspectives of contemporary conceptual change…

Reasoning skills of nonmajor nutrition students were assessed on the basis of their performance on tests derived from the work of Piaget. There was no difference between those who used formal reasoning and those who did not in terms of their ability to comprehend and apply elementary nutrition information. (Author/CT)

The purpose of this article is to construct Piaget's contributions to education, focusing on cognitive aspects. Explored are the goals of education: independent inquiry and acquisition of a body of information, passivity in traditional education, and the psychogenetic view of knowledge formation. (SK)

Mental test data cited by H. T. Epstein as supporting his theory that new concepts should be taught during periodic spurts in childhood intellectual development (at 3-10 months; and 2-4, 6-8, 10-12 or 13, and 14-16 or 17 years) are reanalyzed. It is found that the data do not substantiate Epstein's conclusions. (TJH)

Extends prior theory and research by postulating the existence of an intermediate class of concepts called 'hypothetical'. Investigates the hypothesis that three kinds of scientific concepts exist by constructing and administering a test on concepts introduced in a college biology course. Supports the hypothesis that intellectual development…

Summarizes recent research which attempted to discover what children of different ages know about the appearance-reality distinction and related phenomena. Findings show that what helps children grasp the distinction is an increased cognizance of the fact that people are sentient subjects who have mental representations of objects and events. (PS)