An international consensus seems to have developed in educational research--and among educational planners and policymakers--during the last 10-15 years proclaiming that learning is, and must be, a visible phenomenon. This paper questions this predominant view and serves an assemblage of points offering educational scientists at least four…

Decades of research and practice in social and emotional development have left us with a body of knowledge that tells us that (1) social, emotional, and cognitive development are intertwined in the brain and in behavior and influence school and life outcomes; (2) social, emotional, and cognitive skills and competencies grow in supportive…

Investigates Michael Polanyi's theory of emergence of the framework for tacit (personal) knowing, its function in the reasoning process, and the significant role art can play in the development of personal knowledge. States that intensive study of works of art will enable students to make discriminating choices that ultimately evolve into personal…

The application of Piagetian theory to educational practices encounters a series of major difficulties. The main focus of this paper is on the notion of general stages, which has been under attack in numerous studies. Organized in four parts, the paper: (1) discusses the problem of the existence of general stages and of a developmental…

The language-based education of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries has proved more productive than the earlier apprentice learning since it offers cognitive development. The first priority of a modern curriculum should be such cognitive development, and language remains the most suitable tool for this purpose. Politically, the full enjoyment…

Three articles compare the development and achievement of Russian elementary students in an experimental program with those in a conventional program. Results show an intensive inner motivation toward cognitive activity on the part of pupils in the experimental classes that was lacking in pupils in the conventional classes. (Author/RM)

Adults sometimes fail to appreciate the depth of understanding shown in children's art. Examination of drawings in the Prospect Archive (North Bennington, Vermont), a collection of 200,000 pieces of children's art, suggests that houses have great meaning for children and that much can be learned about children from their drawings. (IS)

Examines the transition from concrete to formal thought in Piagetian theory. The questions investigated relate to the abruptness of the transition period, the simultaneity of changes across schemes, and the influence of one scheme of development on another. (SA)

This paper outlines an evaluation system for elementary education based on cognitive and social development research. Piaget has defined certain core mental structures that develop in all humans in the same order. Both Piaget and Kohlberg have done work on the process of developmental change and the conditions necessary for optimal growth of the…

Instead of expending enormous energy investigating limits that may be biologically (or evolutionarily) determined, it may make more sense to expend resources on developing additional, mostly undeveloped capacities that will enable ordinary people to perform at levels far beyond what they achieve through our present educational programs. (Author/EB)

Discussed are the influences of a student's gender, grade level, country of origin, and urban/rural environment in performance of proportional and combinatorial Piagetian tasks. (Author/SA)

Because self-directed learning behaviors are inherently interwoven within a foundation of lifespan cognitive and contextual characteristics, researchers must examine the theory and application of self-directed learning not just as an externally-defined or self-perceived process but also as an internal process of continual development grounded in a…

This paper summarizes an examination and critique of literature related to the application of developmental theories to teacher education. Analysis of selected readings revealed a weak bond between the theoretical framework of developmentalists and concrete practices. It was concluded that, though much may be gained from a developmental theory of…

There is a great need for theoretical frameworks to generate research that could help to guide the development of teacher education programs. Studies of successful adult functioning in complex careers support the construct validity of developmental stage as predictor. (JN)

A report is given of an international colloquy which offered the opportunity for representatives of 11 European countries to exchange views and experiences on further education and self-education of teachers. Discussions centered around five areas: (1) the science of education as a means of raising the effectiveness of the educational process and…