Early childhood neglect can limit a child's normal cognitive development and result in behavior problems in the classroom. When normal attachment is disrupted, learning difficulties can result in problems with time awareness. It has also been shown that an awareness of time is a key concept for the formation of organizational and math skills. This…

Recent surveys have shown that pupils find the topics of esterification and condensation difficult. Reasons for the difficulty are not clear. Described is research designed to determine where the difficulties were visual or conceptual in origin. (RH)

Describes four learning characteristics that make learning and doing mathematics difficult for students with special needs. Discusses instructional strategies that make learning and doing mathematics attainable for these students in the context of a vignette based on real-life experiences. (YDS)

This paper summarizes what the author considers to be the best advice available at this time for applying Piaget's theory in the chemistry classroom to understand the difficulties that some students have. The identification of students who are operating at the concrete operational or formal operational level is discussed along with the actual…

The ability to express one's mathematical thoughts in writing and computational proficiency can be viewed as reflecting different aspects of an individual's understanding of mathematics. Computational proficiency is the primary means used by educators to assess students' understanding of mathematics and thus in the mathematics classroom, cognitive…

Asserts that metacognition is one of the most important developments in the contemporary study of learning. Proposes a theoretical analysis of a number of interrelated issues with regard to their importance for metacognition. Focuses on strategy selection in light of the impasse-based theories of problem solving. (CFR)

Although many articles in the education literature recommend how to teach statistics more effectively, there is little published research on how students actually learn statistics concepts. The literature reviewed in this paper indicates a need for collaborative, cross-disciplinary research on how students come to think correctly about probability…

Based on suggestions of participants at the second annual Instructional Methods Forum held in June 1989, the monograph considers cognitive-based approaches to teaching mathematics to students with learning problems and the implications for the design of media and materials. It discusses characteristics of successful cognitive approaches and the…

Begins with the assumption that by practicing something one often learns something else. A discussion is presented on the historical and social development of knowledge, the cognitive development of students, the role of teachers, and the meaning of learning situations. (PK)

The first volume of the 29th annual conference of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education contains plenary lecture and research forum papers as listed below. Short oral communications papers, poster presentations, brief summaries of discussion groups, and working sessions are also included in the volume. The plenary…