This report describes a program for developing and improving critical thinking skills in adolescents in order to prepare them for life-long learning. The targeted population consisted of high school math and social studies students from two middle-class communities located in northern Illinois. The students' lack of critical thinking skills was…

Analogies and examples from student's experiences are frequently cited as important to teaching conceptual material. This study was conducted in order to explore the effectiveness of an analogical teaching technique, which uses a connected sequence of "bridging" analogies, compared with a more standard teaching-by-example technique. The…

Previous research concerning the cognitive abilities of high school students has indicated that a substantial number of students enrolled in secondary science courses do not conceptualize at the formal-operational level. Further, results indicate that achievement levels in chemistry coursework are significantly affected by, not only cognitive…