This study investigated the cognitive and social processes through which high school students acquire the differential concepts through communication in a dynamic geometry environment through some cases. Additionally, we observed how a dynamic geometry environment affects these processes. To achieve this objective, eight students were recruited by…

Teacher knowledge of students' mathematical thinking has been a growing research area in mathematics education. Although researchers have made substantial progress in understanding students' mathematical thinking and created research programs and curricula tailored to the research findings, teacher education programs have, by and large, not been…

Part 1 in this four-part series of articles discussed Piaget's theories of learning and development (Crossland, 2016). Part 2 explores how post-Piagetian researchers have addressed criticisms of Piaget's theories by linking recent evidence including that from neuroscience. The outcomes show that good teachers make a difference by implementing…

Parts 1 and 2 in this four-part series of articles (Crossland, 2016, 2017a) discussed the recent research from neuroscience linked to concepts from cognitive development that brought Piaget's theories into the 21st century and showed the most effective provision towards more optimal learning strategies. Part 2 reviewed Demetriou's latest thinking…

Parts 1 and 2 in this four-part series of articles (Crossland, 2016, 2017) discussed the recent research from neuroscience linked to concepts from cognitive development that brought Piaget's theories into the 21st century and showed the most effective provision towards more optimal learning strategies. Then the discussion moved onto Demetriou's…

The research questions a teacher would ask of neuroscience require answers researched within a typical classroom context. Unfortunately this research has rarely been available. The Education Endowment Foundation recently set up six projects applying evidence from neuroscience and educational studies to the classroom context. Most of the evaluation…

Piaget's theories of the structure of knowledge, constructivist learning, and stages of development in thinking have been a cornerstone of cognitive psychology and teacher education for half a century (Piaget, 1983). More recently, his ideas about stages of cognitive development have received criticism from many quarters (Weiten, 1992), including…

Traditionally, children in low socioeconomic status (SES) inner-city areas in the United States lack experiences that prepare them for academic success, especially in math and science. The purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which a constructivist curriculum emphasizing logical thinking produces higher level thinking in low-SES…

Issues emerging from instructional innovation are inevitable, yet basing any curriculum shift on a theoretical framework is paramount. This paper grounds the case-based pedagogy in three learning theories: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. The three theories are described and situated in relation to the case study method. An…

An effective classroom, where teachers and students are communicating optimally, is dependent on using constructivist strategies, tools and practices. There are two major types of constructivism in the classroom: (1) Cognitive or individual constructivism depending on Piaget's theory, and (2) Social constructivism depending on Vygotsky's theory.…

Describes writing assignments that help students make the transition from concrete to formal operations. The assignments confront the writers with an idea or piece of experience, ask them to respond to it and how they arrived at this response, and what other responses could be made by them or by someone else. (HTH)

This paper represents one portion of an ongoing effort to elaborate on pedagogical principles based on structural-developmental (largely Piagetian) theory and research. Here, a concept of "problem structure" is developed as a means for identifying physical factors that contribute to children's ability to apply experimental reasoning.…

Finds the Piagetian ideal notion of the self-sufficiency of scientific discourse an inappropriate model for understanding the concrete, localized, temporal, contingent and occasioned nature of practical self-understanding and reflection as found in the practice of teaching. (DMM)

Analyzes a teaching episode to determine how a conflict is perceived and overcome by students as a result of verbal interaction between the teacher and the students. Discusses the particulate nature of matter with students aged 15-16 after observing a glass of water containing a rock and an ice cube. (Contains 25 references.) (Author/YDS)

A review of studies on chaos theory suggests that some elements of the theory (systems, fractals, initial effects, and bifurcations) may be applied to classroom learning. Chaos theory considers learning holistic, constructive, and dynamic. Some researchers suggest that applying chaos theory to the classroom enhances learning by reinforcing…