Constructivist learning theories consider deep understanding of the content to be the result of engagement in relevant learning activities with appropriate scaffolding that provides the learner with timely and substantive feedback. However, any group of students has a variety of levels of knowledge and cognitive development, which makes providing…

The role of assessment in the chemistry classroom is ultimately tied to the nature of the assessments available for use. Because they provide data that can inform decisions about curricular changes, or new pedagogies, the incorporation of new assessment strategies can play an important role in how educational and curriculum reform is carried out.…

Using two experiments, the authors examined the extent to which the scientific thinking circle can be used as heuristics to support scientific thinking in a classroom of children between the ages of 3 and 9 years old. To do this, the authors asked the children to build a bridge, raft, or electrical circuit using the material available to them.…

This study investigated the comprehension and effectiveness of teaching formal, probabilistic decision-making skills to middle school students. Two specific objectives were to determine (1) if middle school students can comprehend a probabilistic decision-making approach, and (2) if exposure to the modeling approaches improves middle school…

The relationship between a student's stated preference for solving a problem and his/her actual problem methodology, concrete or abstract, was studied. Comparisons were made between formal and nonformal students. (MP)

Investigates the possible relationships between the ability of introductory college genetics students to perform Piagetian formal operational tasks and their ability to solve problems requiring genetic analysis. (Author/GA)

Explores the relationship of an individual's reliance or nonreliance upon concrete cues in problem solving and performance on a model-based measure of hierarchical classification. Level of cognitive development, as determined by performance on Piaget-type tasks, generally predicted hierarchical classification ability of junior- and senior-high…

Nine undergraduate science and non-science majors (novices) who had recently completed their first college classroom study of genetics and seven genetics graduate students and biology instructors (experts) were videotaped as they attempted to solve a selected group of seven moderately complex classifical genetics problems and three Piagetian tasks…

This book details the findings from a research team that used cognitive principles and a large range of experiments to devise a variety of instructional designs. Their recommendations are based on 20 years of objective, published research. Although the program focused on technical subjects, the findings can easily be applied to a range of…

Describes the problem-solving behaviors of six novice subjects attempting to solve an electrostatics problem in calculus-based college physics. The level of qualitative thinking exhibited by these novices was determined. Sound procedural knowledge and problem representation were suggested as an integral part of skilled problem solving in physics.…

Two inquiry-based teaching activities that are structured to cause cognitive disequilibrium and enable the student to alleviate the disequilibrium with the resultant equilibration at a higher cognitive level are presented. The first activity uses a Cartesian diver and the second a short film in which students are asked to determine the main idea…

Summarizes 17 recent ERIC documents and journal articles discussing Piagetian perspectives on children's cognitive abilities and development. Includes sources on children's thought, learning, and problem-solving processes; physical and natural causality; correspondence and number conservation; circular reactions; the 5- to 7-year shift; science…

Procedural understanding should be taught to students for an understanding of the 'nature of science'. Considers some of the concepts of evidence that are particularly important to biology, and discusses how and why these ideas could be taught. (Contains 21 references.) (Author/YDS)

Presented are abstracts and abstractors' analyses of four studies dealing with cognitive development, four studies dealing with attitudes, and two studies dealing with problem-solving. The cognitive development studies are: "College Chemistry and Piaget: The Relationship of Aptitude and Achievement Measures" (David Bender and Louis…

The purposes of this study were: (1) to evaluate the effectiveness of audio-tutorial (A-T) instruction and (2) to identify, classify and study differences in problem solving approach using a theoretical framework derived from the ideas of D. P. Ausubel. Seventy of 420 students taking a college introductory non-calculus physics course used A-T…