The construction and validation of a learning hierarchy designed to assist instruction in the skills of science hypothesis formation and testing are described. Results of the validation using prospective elementary teachers are described, and the revised hierarchy is presented. Revalidation results for a different group of teacher trainees are…

Presents the opinion that the learning environment of recitation classes can be vastly improved if instructors pay attention to some basic learning principles. Summarizes these learning principles and presents a specific example of their application. (GS)

Grade nine students (n=116) were assigned to five different algebra word problem test versions: textbook, student, pictorial, textbook plus pictorial, and student plus pictorial versions. Analysis by IQ levels yielded results different from those obtained in previous studies. (JP)

The author argues that the input-output model of learning is inadequate for those who believe education is to produce persons who can solve problems in a particular area. He suggests that the act of learning be examined rather than the products of an educational experience. Piaget's mental-structures model of learning is then discussed along with…

A formal theory of human understanding was developed and embodied in a computer program, UNDERSTAND, which simulates the understanding processes. Due to the number of alternative processing choices, some assumptions were made which are analyzed based on their validity. (Author/DEP)

This study is one of several conducted by the authors in their investigation of the use of "higher order rules" in the solution of problems. The focus of the current experiment was determination of the compatibility of identified rules with the knowledge of average teenagers, and of the extent to which instruction in higher order rules…

In the pair of experiments reported here the authors investigated the relationship between meaningfulness of problem statements and subjects' use of these statements in problem-solving tasks. Subjects (96 university students) were required to memorize meaningful formulae such as "volume = area x height" or corresponding symbolic formulae such as…

Questions Piagetian theory that dismisses the idea of accelerating cognitive development through classroom activities. (CP)

Research was viewed as needed to establish a classification scheme for the major areas of difficulties individual students have in solving word problems. The results suggest that inability to read problems is a major obstacle for sixth graders, and mastery of components of problem solving ensures process mastery. (MP)

A review of research and theory on cognitive processes and their relationship to instructional technique since the early 1970s looks at the contributions of schema theory and artificial intelligence and their instructional implications, including cognitive load theory, worked examples for learning problem solving, and physical vs. mental…

The purpose of the study was to see if systematic instruction in terms of a multi-experience approach improved verbal problem solving ability, to determine what differences resulted when concrete experiences were not used, and to ascertain the effects of delayed recall on the two different methods. A sample of 15 groups of six fourth-grade…

Briefly reviews Piagetian theory of cognitive development and discusses how this theory supports such instructional strategies as individualized activities, inquiry learning, and problem solving. (MLH)

The series "Soviet Studies in the Psychology of Learning and Teaching Mathematics" is a collection of translations from the Soviet literature of the past twenty-five years on research in the psychology of mathematical instruction. Also included are works on methods of teaching mathematics directly influenced by this research. The aim of…