Twenty-one impulsive fifth and sixth graders with low academic achievement were assigned to (1) self-instruction (SI) training; (2) problem solving (PS) training; or (3) a control condition. SI and PS training produced improvement in impulsivity and achievement, but only the impulsivity decrease was maintained at six months. (SLD)

How people evaluate primary and secondary sources when considering historical questions was studied by asking eight historians and eight high school seniors to think aloud while reviewing written and pictorial documents about the Battle of Lexington. Differences between the groups are discussed concerning cognitive processes and beliefs about…

Discusses the potential that school mathematics has for being a source of exploration and discovery for students and teachers. Provides a process-oriented definition of understanding mathematics. Presents activities in which students construct computer and actual models of polyhedra and make conjectures regarding a medical research application of…

Introduces the constructivist theory of mathematical learning, and illustrates its application in a curriculum focusing on fundamental concepts. How knowledge is constructed, how concepts mature, and what it means to learn and to know mathematics are presented. Pedagogical implications of adopting a constructivist perspective on knowledge and…

A study undertaken in Ireland investigated the effectiveness of a second language teaching strategy that focused on grammatical problem-solving. In this approach, the problems are located within the target language system, and the problem-solving involves induction of grammatical rules and use of those rules. Learners are confronted with instances…

The Threshold Project focuses on the language and learning difficulties that children in Southern African schools experience when they change from their mother tongue to English as a medium of instruction in their fifth year of schooling. This report discusses Threshold Project research relating to the nature of pupils' cognitive capacities and…

Major revision in the U.S. mathematics curriculum since the 1960s have led to significant differences between the mathematics curriculum of the United States and those of many other countries. This study explored how eight Chinese immigrant students, with different cultural backgrounds, mathematics knowledge, and learning styles, learned in an…

This study planned further research aimed at understanding how the current version of the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) analytical measure reflects cognitive skills that are important to success in graduate education. Several activities were completed, including selective literature reviews of: (1) cognitive and psychometric research on…

This issue of the journal contains abstracts and critiques of 11 research reports. Three of the reports concern problem solving; the remainder pertain to the following topics: the impact of secondary schooling and secondary mathematics on student mathematical behavior; figural matrices; computer-video instruction in mathematics; equivalent…

A self-report scale was constructed and validated that measures individual differences in objectivism--the tendency to base one's judgments and beliefs upon empirical information and rational considerations. Validity data showed that, compared to people who score low on the Objectivism Scale, highly objective individuals enjoy thinking more, rely…

Designed to supplement already existing life skills instructional materials, this manual consists of 30 lessons to help students develop general, transferrrable skills in four areas--attending behaviors, cognition, self-management, and critical thinking. The following topics are among those covered in the lessons: eye contact, body posture,…

Underlying mental processes are common to all people in spite of individual differences in capability, intelligence, attitude, and motivation. When these processes are combined to form a single, observable entity, they can be interpreted as a universal action pattern of the mind. Educators, psychotherapists, and other individuals interested in…

Four evaluation methods for determining educational policy are objectivism; subjectivism; emotive-imperative; and instrumentalism. For the objectivist, the rationale for undertaking an evaluation is based on empirical verification or non-verification of claims of existing policies or activities. Secondly, the objectivist is interested in…

In order to determine the differential ability of mildly retarded school children to profit from coaching on non-verbal, non-academic reasoning problems and to study their problem solving and conceptual behavior, the Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices Test was given to 72 educable students (IQ 55 to 80) in socioeconomically homogeneous suburban…

One of a series of reports on the findings of studies of child health and welfare services and of matters relevant to providing such services is presented. The primary purpose of the series is to promote the utilization of research findings by those who make policy and those who administer programs in the fields of child health and welfare. In the…