Theorists and researchers have been discussing the relationship between social class background and differences observed in cognitive ability test points of children from lower social class families and their middle or upper SES peers. It has been discussed that for a "more detailed understanding" of these cognitive inequalities, it…

This paper examines inequalities in attainment in vocabulary and mathematics at age 16 for a nationally representative cohort of people born in Britain in 1970 (the 1970 British Cohort Study). Our analytical sample is n = 3,583 cohort members who completed vocabulary and mathematics tests at age 16. We explore whether inequalities as a result of…

This article, using the National Child Development Study, estimates the causal relationship between parents' schooling and children's cognitive and non-cognitive development using the 1947 compulsory schooling legislation in Great Britain. The least squares estimates suggest strong correlations between parental education and these developmental…

This paper examines the impact of in utero exposure to the Asian influenza pandemic of 1957 upon childhood development. Outcome data are provided by the National Child Development Study (NCDS), a panel study where all members were potentially exposed in the womb. Epidemic effects are identified using geographic variation in a surrogate measure of…

Economists are only beginning to understand the relationship between personality traits and economic outcomes. This paper examines the influence of childhood social maladjustment on cognitive development, labor market earnings and career progression using longitudinal data drawn from the National Child Development Study. Net of differences in…

Reviews theory and research regarding the type and amount of learning young children gain from educational television in preschool settings. Reports the results of a study of 47 six and seven-year-old children's level of understanding of a television program and equivalent story. Includes a taxonomy useful for examining children's level of…

Extends earlier work with American children to explore British children's application of teleological explanation to artifacts, biological properties, and properties of nonliving natural phenomena, based on the view that because of lower religiosity in Britain, these children might be less inclined than American children to endorse purpose-based…

Investigated effectiveness of teaching one element of a science syllabus using drama in place of conventional practical work. No statistically significant differences were detected in factual recall, but significantly more "meaningful" learning appeared to have taken place when drama was used. Psychological and educational implications…

The written compositions of 11-year-olds in Great Britain's National Child Development Study were analyzed using the T-unit length as a measure of syntactic maturity and composition length as a measure of productivity. Results are discussed in relation to cognitive and linguistic development. (Author/RM)

Compares the suitability of two kinds of history curricula for the varying levels of cognitive development of 9- to 11-year-olds. Fifteen British students studied the Victorian Era using transcripts of original documents, while 15 classmates used standard textbooks. The documents seemed to give students greater awareness of the evidence sources.…

Argues that high school physics should be grounded in motivating contextual activities and connected to a philosophically and historically valid theoretical structure. Explains the large context problem approach and its effect on generating questions and problems. (DDR)

This article describes an experimental course in advanced thinking developed for a group of exceptionally able British lower sixth formers. The course stresses: (1) practice in efficient deductive reasoning; (2) elucidation and consideration of major thought processes and concepts; and (3) exploration of various aspects of the evolution of…

The research described here shows how the behavior of working-class children in the reception class can be influenced by their preschool experiences. The findings show the greater gains made by the nursery children in several important areas and have implications for the future development of preschool provision. (CT)

This survey of 11-, 12-, and 15-year-old English schoolchildren suggests that (1) at each level of family environment, increases in affective characteristics are associated with increments in cognitive scores, and (2) at each level of attitudes toward school and locus of control, increases in family environment scores are related to increments in…