STEM education should be grounded in our knowledge of how students think in STEM-focused learning environments. However, little is currently known regarding specific types of thinking in these contexts. We explore the theoretical notion of STEM Ways of Thinking (SWoT) in interdisciplinary learning situations. Our primary focus is not on the…

The development of critical ability, or cognitive criticism, is being studied in a two-year Swedish project described in this progress report. Cognitive criticism is valuable in all occupational fields, but especially futurology and technology assessment. This project proposes to make concrete the aims of critical training, and to identify and…

Semiotics is the science of signs and the structures of signs within which meanings emerge. The process through which these sign structures are built up is called semiosis. Courses commonly taught as foundational to teacher trainers should be imbued with a specific semiotic emphasis. At a general level, teachers may be introduced to the notion of…

A theory of energy forces developed in the USSR seems to substantiate the suggestion that academic learning before a child is maturationally ready will reduce his learning potential. The bioplasmic model explicates physical/mental development, cognition, readiness, and deprivation. The invisible but recordable bioplasmic forces facilitate physical…