Having a well-founded insight into the characteristics of teachers inquiry-based attitude (IA) supports operationalising IA as a learning goal in teacher education (TE). The aim of this study is to refine the notion of IA from an ill-defined global concept into something with reliable and valid characteristics. To do so, data were gathered on…

Radical constructivists advocate discovery-based pedagogical regimes that enable students to incrementally and continuously adapt their cognitive structures to the instrumented cultural environment. Some sociocultural theorists, however, maintain that learning implies discontinuity in conceptual development, because novices must appropriate expert…

Gestalt psychologists proposed two distinct learning mechanisms. Associative learning occurs gradually through the repeated co-occurrence of external stimuli or memories. Insight learning occurs suddenly when people discover new relationships within their prior knowledge as a result of reasoning or problem solving processes that re-organize or…

In order to fully appreciate the nature of children's learning difficulties, it is necessary to analyze the qualitative differences in their intellectual functioning, i.e., their modes and styles of sensing, responding, organizing, and interpreting. (EH)

Reviews the basic precepts of the learning theories of Piaget and Ausubel. Although Piaget is credited for his contributions to educational psychology, the author supports Ausubel's theory of meaningful learning as more significant for future contributions in science and mathematics education. (CP)

A leisurely approach to problem solving was taken since it was considered important to understand the problem of studying mistakes before educators discuss and use solutions to problems. Concrete suggestions on how to incorporate the study of mistakes into an educational program were provided. (Author/RK)

Discusses a way to teach coherent thought in subjects like history. (Author)

Through the years, many researchers have advanced theories of problem solving. Probably the best definition of problem solving to apply to adult learning programs is Wallas' (1926) four-stage theory. The stages are (1) a preparation, (2) an incubation period, (3) a moment of illumination, and (4) final application or verification of the solution.…

Presents guidelines for social studies teachers and a sample writing assignment to encourage student's developmental writing. Suggests that students emphasize the significance of the writer's ideas and information rather than the information itself. Establishes the relationship between thinking processes and writing and the need to break these…

Some major learning theory principles are reviewed and suggestions are made for integrating them into the process of education at the college or graduate school level. The theories deal with reinforcement, behavior modification, reactive inhibition, cognitive maps, incidental learning, retroactive inhibition, proactive inhibition, and spontaneous…

The authors describe an experimental curriculum they developed, whose central core is the child's recognition of his uniqueness, identity, and legitimacy as a real person. The curriculum is based on the belief that the basis of a child's learning is himself and his need to get information about his world. (JB)

Critically examines the "English ethnographic tradition's" view that classroom instruction transmits propositional knowledge. Uses observed classroom discourse to argue that instruction in fact produces knowledge, both propositional and "how-to". (MCG)

This paper discusses the benefits of teaching literature through levels of understanding so that teachers can more quickly and efficiently determine the operational levels of individual students. The seven levels of understanding and some of the generic questions by which they can be determined are: (1) perceptual level: "What happened, when,…

This paper discusses a pilot program for a writing course taught by four teachers at Drexel University. One of the primary assumptions was that a course in writing was also one in language. The object of the course was to ask the students to become conscious of themselves as learners and writers and to attempt to discover the function of language…