Starting from the observation that small children can count more objects than numbers--a phenomenon that I am calling the "lifeworld dependency of cognition"--and an analysis of finger calculation, the paper shows how learning can be explained as the development of cognitive systems. Parts of those systems are not only an individual's different…

Intellectual (cognitive) development, the emergence of increasingly sophisticated forms or levels of understanding, reasoning, and rationality is an ongoing process of reflection, coordination, and social interaction that begins in early childhood and continues, at least in some cases, long into adulthood (Moshman, 2003). In this process, language…

Relational thinking plays a central role in human cognition. However, it is not known how children and adults acquire relational concepts and come to represent them in a form that is useful for the purposes of relational thinking (i.e., as structures that can be dynamically bound to arguments). The authors present a theory of how a psychologically…

Background: Service-learning as pedagogy and a curricular consideration has been introduced to tertiary education of the Asia-Pacific Region. Theoretical framework and research in this area is still in its infancy. However, much can be learned from related theories and concepts, on which service-learning research can be conducted. Aims: This paper…

The double-deficit hypothesis (DDH) of developmental dyslexia was investigated in seven to twelve year old Spanish children. It was observed that the double deficit (DD) group had the greatest difficulty with reading.

Many recent articles, research papers, and conference presentations about Lev Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) emphasize the "extended" version of the ZPD that reflects human emotions and desires. In this essay, Michael G. Levykh expands on the extant literature on the ZPD through developing several new ideas. First, he maintains that…

S. Ghetti (2008) and M. L. Howe (2008) presented probative ideas for future research that will deepen scientific understanding of developmental reversals on false memory and establish boundary conditions for these counterintuitive patterns. Ghetti extended the purview of current theoretical principles by formulating hypotheses about how…

In this article, we frame "productive learning" in a sociocultural perspective to show how it ties into a cluster of concepts on activity and transformation and illuminates the relation between learning processes and learning products. Based on two case studies, we argue that understanding learning as action entails developing the students'…

Replies to "Structures, Doctrines, and Polemical Ghosts," by Carl Bereiter. Holds that Bereiter's proposal, which claims that Piagetian stages are a prerequisite to more specific cognitive processes, violates a basic assumption of stage-developmental views. (Author/GC)

Instructors of elementary science methods classes have long lamented the significant difficulties their students exhibit when trying to understand the many complexities of teaching science. As noted by some researchers and practicing teachers, preservice teachers often fail to developmentally function at desired levels with respect to…

The developmental psychology of mathematical thinking and the clinical interview method can make major contributions to education by transforming the process of formative assessment--the attempt to use information concerning student performance, knowledge, learning potential, and motivation to inform instruction. The clinical interview is a…

This study investigated the role of self-directed learning (SDL) in problem-based learning (PBL) and examined how SDL relates to self-regulated learning (SRL). First, it is explained how SDL is implemented in PBL environments. Similarities between SDL and SRL are highlighted. However, both concepts differ on important aspects. SDL includes an…

Classes of undergraduate Hispanic students assigned to two professors were identified to determine the level of cooperative learning being implemented and to allow the professors to reflect on their experiences over a full semester. Pre-semester and post-semester surveys were completed by each of the undergraduate students. This study is based…

This study replicated a study by Mehler and Bever (1967) which had reported conservation observed in very young children between 2 years 4 months and 2 years 7 months old. Both Piaget (1968) and Bielen (1968) criticized the Mehler-Bever finding, claiming that true conservation had not been demonstrated. The investigator in the present study sought…

A review of Studies in Cognitive Development: Essays in Honor of Jean Piaget (Oxford Univ. Press, 1969) by David Elkind and John H. Flarell (Eds). (DS)