Models and modeling are frequently used as instructional tools in science education to convey important information concerning both the explanatory and structural features of topic areas in science. The efficacy of models as such rests almost entirely upon students' ability to conceptualize them as abstracted "representations" of…

Knowing how people learn and why they learn in a specific manner unlocks the mysteries of good teaching. Many learning style differences are related to Piagetian stages of cognitive development. Students' stages of cognitive development may not correspond to their ages and achievements. Piaget also found that many individuals are at different…

This document is intended as a resource and guide to help teachers integrate a problem-centered approach into their curricula. It outlines the typical components of problem-centered mathematics and science activities, and offers practical suggestions, examples, and resources to assist this endeavor. The first section of this document, "What is…

This study assessed the bipolarity of cognitive style for 970 clients of the Johnson O'Connor Research Foundation, a vocational guidance service. The 462 male and 508 female examinees were aged 14 to 65 years, with a median age of 24 years. Three cognitive style tests were investigated: (1) the Kagan Matching Familiar Figures Test (KMFFT); (2) the…

This study was designed to investigate the effects of the presence or absence of metacognitive skill tools available in hyperspace environments on field independent and field dependent learners. Learners were engaged in problem solving in an information-rich hyperspace based on a lesson on the attack on Pearl Harbor. Forty undergraduates were…

Six strategies for using reflective narratives to promote the professional development of school leaders are briefly described in this paper, which is designed to accompany "School Leadership: Reflections on Practice by California's Instructional Leaders." Narratives are characterized by subjective perceptions that are shaped by personal…

Comparisons of expert and novice problem solving in physics have helped characterize some of the key features of expert behavior. There is considerable debate, however, as to whether these characteristics are specific to the field of expertise (physics) or exportable to other fields. While the question seems difficult to answer in general, at…

The relationship between teacher empowerment and the knowledge bases in teacher education is discussed. Assuming that students are not standardized and teaching is not routine, teachers must be capable of making judgments using learning theory and pedagogy, child development and cognition, curriculum and assessment. Teachers must know their…

Written for curriculum developers and vocational education instructors, this publication provides an understanding of cognitive concepts and methods using an information processing paradigm and shows how to apply this knowledge in development of curriculum and instructional plans. Chapter 1 reviews needs and characteristics of vocational education…

A study was conducted to examine computer programming as a problem solving activity. Thirteen fifth grade children were selected by their teacher from an above average class to use Apple IIe microcomputers. The investigator conducted sessions of 40-50 minutes with the children in groups of two or three. Four problems, incorporating the programming…

The unified theory described in this paper characterizes human reasoning as an information processing system with a hierarchical sequence of components and subtheories that account for performance on successively narrower tasks. Both deductive and inductive theories are subsumed in the unified componential theory, including transitive chain theory…

The importance of learning styles to student retention and career decision guidance is considered. Learning style is the way people process information and solve problems. Research on right and left brain processing, which indicates that the left hemisphere controls thoughts that are predominately rational and the right hemisphere controls…

A major component of the creative problem solving process is divergent production, or the generation of alternative solutions to an open ended problem. Such solutions may be expressed in different forms or creative response styles: the verbal mode of expression involves stating solutions; the kinetic mode involves demonstrating solutions; and the…

The development of a theory of algebraic problem solving is discussed. The domain of the investigation is restricted to single sentence word problems. There were three experiments, the first involving 42 college students from the University of California, Santa Barbara. These subjects were divided into two groups, half in an equation group and…

Recently, investigators in behavior and community disciplines have advocated the adoption of positive prevention approaches for life transition problem-solving. Techniques in physiological, cognitive, and behavioral modalities were incorporated into a broad-based intervention program focusing on the acquisition of coping responses to handle life…