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Vass, E.; Schiller, D.; Nappi, A. J. – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2000
Investigates the effect of instruction to improve the reasoning skills of undergraduates majoring in education. Results indicate the lack of proficiency in formal reasoning by undergraduate education majors in the areas of proportional, probabilistic, and correlational reasoning. Also indicates that deficiencies in reasoning ability in these areas…
Descriptors: Academic Achievement, Cognitive Development, Higher Education, Thinking Skills
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Dodick, Jeff; Orion, Nir – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2003
Presents a model that describes how students reconstruct geological transformations over time. Defines the critical factors influencing reconstructive thinking: (1) the transformation scheme, which influences the other diachronic schemes; (2) knowledge of geological processes; and (3) extracognitive factors. (Author/KHR)
Descriptors: Cognitive Development, Concept Formation, Geology, Learning Processes
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Lehrer, Richard; Schauble, Leona – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1998
Elementary school children were interviewed about how gears move on a gearboard and how they work in commonplace machines. Children's reasoning became more general, formal, and mathematical as problem complexity increased, suggesting that mathematical forms of reason may develop when they provide a clear advantage over simple causal…
Descriptors: Cognitive Development, Cognitive Processes, Elementary Education, Mathematics Education
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McMillan, Claude, III; Swadener, Marc – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1991
Describes the problem-solving behaviors of six novice subjects attempting to solve an electrostatics problem in calculus-based college physics. The level of qualitative thinking exhibited by these novices was determined. Sound procedural knowledge and problem representation were suggested as an integral part of skilled problem solving in physics.…
Descriptors: Calculus, Cognitive Development, Concept Formation, Higher Education
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Atwater, Mary M.; Alick, Bonita – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1990
Investigated was the level of cognitive development of Afro-American students enrolled in general chemistry courses to determine the strategies used by both successful and unsuccessful problem solvers in solving stoichiometry problems. Results indicated that a higher level of cognitive development may be crucial in solving more sophisticated…
Descriptors: Blacks, Chemistry, Cognitive Development, College Science
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Schauble, Leona; And Others – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1991
Changes in children's understanding of experimentation are examined. Sixteen fifth and sixth graders worked on two experimentation problems consistent with an engineering and science model, respectively. The science model was associated with broader exploration, more selectiveness about evidence interpreted, and greater attention to establishing…
Descriptors: Beliefs, Causal Models, Cognitive Development, Inferences
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Lawson, Anton E.; And Others – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1991
The constructivist hypothesis that the acquisition of domain-specific conceptual knowledge (declarative) requires the use of general procedural knowledge was tested. Students (n=314) were classified as reflective, transitional, or intuitive thinkers and presented with four concept-acquisition tasks. Skill in hypothetico-deductive reasoning…
Descriptors: Biology, Chemistry, Cognitive Development, Concept Formation
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Richmond, Gail; Striley, Joanne – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1996
Analyzes group discourse (n=24) during laboratory investigations in order to understand how students solve scientific problems and the ways social roles shape the development and articulation of arguments. Results indicate that knowledge building depends on students learning to use tools of the scientific community and the social context in which…
Descriptors: Cognitive Development, Discourse Analysis, Group Dynamics, Problem Solving
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Kwon, Yong-Ju; Lawson, Anton E. – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2000
Tests the hypothesis that an early adolescent brain growth plateau and spurt exists, and that this plateau and spurt influence students' ability to reason scientifically and to learn theoretical science concepts. Finds that measures of students' (n=210) prefrontal lobe activity correlated highly with scientific reasoning ability, and that these…
Descriptors: Cognitive Development, Concept Formation, Foreign Countries, Learning Plateaus
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Gipson, Michael H.; And Others – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1989
Presented is a study in which students' intellectual reasoning development was evaluated following instruction that emphasized formal operations in a traditional lecture format. Results indicated that formal-operational students had significantly more success in the three reasoning areas than transitional students and transitional students had…
Descriptors: Biological Sciences, Cognitive Development, College Science, Formal Operations
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Niaz, Mansoor; Robinson, William R. – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1992
Investigates the effect that manipulation of the extent of formal reasoning required for solving chemistry problems has upon student performance, and presents a cognitive model for the qualitative analysis of that effect. Concludes that the developmental level of students is the most important predictor of problem-solving success given significant…
Descriptors: Chemistry, Cognitive Ability, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Measurement
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Lawson, Anton E.; Clark, Brian; Cramer-Meldrum, Erin; Falconer, Kathleen A.; Sequist, Jeffrey M.; Kwon, Yong-Ju – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 2000
Tests the hypothesis that two general developmentally-based levels of hypothesis-testing skills exist. Finds a positive relationship between level of hypothesis-testing skill and performance on a transfer problem involving the test of a hypothesis based on unobservable entities. Also finds a positive relationship between level of…
Descriptors: Causal Models, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Processes, Higher Education
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Lawson, Anton E.; Weser, John – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1990
Investigated is the extent to which students' nonscientific beliefs change by comparing before and after instruction as a function of students' reasoning skill. Nonscientific beliefs discussed include special creation, orthogenesis, the soul, nonreductionism, vitalism, teleology, and nonemergentism. (KR)
Descriptors: Abstract Reasoning, Beliefs, Biology, Cognitive Development
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Bunce, Diane M.; And Others – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1991
Focuses on the enhancement of chemistry students' skill in problem solving utilizing problem categorization techniques. Indicates that explicit training in categorization skills can lead to higher achievement in complex problem-solving situations but that such achievement may be limited by the lack of linkages between students' conceptual…
Descriptors: Chemistry, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Style, Concept Formation
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Guzzetti, Barbara J.; Williams, Wayne O.; Skeels, Stephanie A.; Wu, Shwu Ming – Journal of Research in Science Teaching, 1997
Explores the influences of text structure on students' conceptual change. Case studies were conducted and results showed that individuals used refutational text to change their alternative conceptions and acquire new concepts. Findings indicate that refutational text does cause cognitive conflict. While refutational text is effective for groups,…
Descriptors: Abstract Reasoning, Cognitive Development, Cognitive Processes, Cognitive Structures
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