The purpose of this paper is to open lines of thinking about discovery learning not tried before. This effort is a strident attempt to establish new insights and outlooks that will improve the language, theory, and practices connected with this teaching method. (Author/MK)

Describes three major difficulties plaguing most discovery-learning teaching systems and presents a theoretical operational approach for offsetting these difficulties. (SL)

Advance organizers may fail to promote learning even though they are approximately related to the main learning experience and internally meaningful and logical. If they are to optimize the likelihood that new materials will be readily and properly subsumed, they must also be constructed to conform to the cognitive preparedness and scholastic…

A presentation of learning experiences involving materials is recommended which reflects the sequence of the developmental stages. This sequence is concrete, concrete-abstract, pictorial-abstract, and abstract. Instructional examples at each level are presented. (JP)

Preservice teachers administered Piagetian tasks to elementary students. On the whole data collected compared favorably with the findings of Renner (EJ 044 727) in showing that students achieved conservation of substance (liquids and solids), length, area, and weight at later ages than stated by Piaget. No significant sex differences were found.…

This discussion is primarily designed to increase teachers' awareness of Piaget's theory of cognitive development and implications for mathematics in the middle school. It is hoped such awareness will compel instructors to adopt strategies that help pupils gain more from mathematical experiences, by providing impetus for innovation and…

The mathematics laboratory is described as being not just the use of concrete teaching aids but involving a new philosophy of how children learn and the teacher's role in the facilitation of learning. (CP)

It is noted that defining subtraction independently of addition through use of physical objects can help one to illustrate the non-commutativity of this operation. Lack of awareness of the importance of the order of the digits may be a primary cause of errors in compound subtraction. (MP)

A look at science education in the next 25 years. Some of the factors and variables that may affect science programs are: a rapidly changing society, technological advances, the nature of the science teaching population, enrollment patterns in the student population, and new advances in the application of learning theory and teaching techniques.…

Investigates if instruction in spatial visualization has different delayed effects on boys and girls, and whether girls and boys comparably retain spatial skills over time developed through instruction. Results indicate instruction for both sexes can improve spatial visualization abilities, with no sex differences found in learning or retention.…

A 32-week program to improve earth science in-service preparation was instituted at Purdue University during 1978-1979. Results indicate that positive attitudes toward science and instruction were achieved. It is felt that programs can be successful in fostering positive attitudes and creativity only if they are 16 to 32 weeks long. (MP)

Discusses Piaget's ideas and their influence on science class practices. Three elementary science programs are presented as teaching models based on Piaget's theory. New issues for teachers created as a result of the application of Piagetian ideas are discussed also. (HM)