Young children have been taught simple sequences of alternating shapes and colors, referred to as "patterning", for the past half century in the hope that their understanding of pre-algebra and their mathematics achievement would be improved. The evidence that such patterning instruction actually improves children's academic achievement…

Psychological science has much to contribute to enhancing teaching and learning in the classroom. Teaching and learning, in turn, are intricately linked to social and behavioral factors of human development, including cognition, motivation, social interaction, and communication. Psychological science also contributes to effective instruction;…

Cites ways by which increased technology and advanced industrialization have led to decreased mental demands on most people. Views the teaching of science as an area in which appeasements must not be made. (CP)

Paper presents a two-fold operational partition of the structures involved in characterizing instructional knowledge. (Author)

Investigation of the learning process has led to many theories and some systematic knowledge. The question of how to design instruction to promote effective learning and the subsidiary question of the behavioral controls involved are examined in the light of known facts about the major categories of learned capabilities. (Author/TS)

The optimal way of imparting abilities to reason and to make decisions under uncertainty in undergraduate medical education is discussed in view of existing cognitive development theories of adults. Implications of these theories and published observations on the ways of thinking of undergraduate medical students are considered. Presented are…

Describes the intellectual development stages ascribed to children by Jean Piaget. Characteristics and examples are given for sensori-motor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational thinking periods. Implications are given for elementary school science education, including (1) formal instruction does not accelerate acquisition…

Piaget's theory of developmental stages was implemented in an elementary school curriculum. Some successful learning experiences are described. (CP)

One girl's achievements in pattern-making are related with the intent of examining the way children think and the character and quality of the intellectual growth. (MP)

Determined was the effect of advanced organizers, as defined by Ausubel (1963), on the acquisition and retention of meaningful verbal material by elementary education majors at Purdue University. Two approaches were utilized. In one, the experimental group was exposed to an 800-word organizer on two occasions prior to the study of the learning…

The purpose of this project was to develop new information and analyses that would contribute to development of a systematic understanding of cognitive structure, including its acquisition and utilization during problem solving. Experimental and theoretical work was done on three specific problems. (1) Studies of individual differences and effects…

The author advocates the incorporation of a science program designed to recognize cultural differences and to develop process skills in children in developing countries. (CP)

Details meta-analysis of 58 intervention studies related to higher-order processing (i.e., problem solving) for adolescents with learning disabilities. Discusses factors that increased effect sizes: (1) measures of metacognition and text understanding; (2) instruction including advanced organizers, new skills, and extended practice; and (3)…

Data were collected on tactics used when making a sequence of set comparisons in terms of more or equal number. (MP)

Reports the results of a study that indicate that junior and senior high school science students are penalized (by receiving lower grades) for not being able to think at the formal operational level. Outlines some methods that may be used to facilitate growth in cognitive development of students. (JR)