Presents a discussion on the significance of questioning techniques in the development of critical thinking skills. Stresses that teachers can increase a student's mental engagement by using appropriate wait time, increasing nonevaluative responses, avoiding rephrasing a question, and avoiding questions requiring a yes or no response. (RT)

The reasoning abilities to be expected of the concrete operational and formal operational student, the percentage of secondary science students that are capable of each type of reasoning pattern, and effective strategies to teach science to concrete reasoners are described. Implications for curriculum development are discussed. (KR)

Effective teaching strategies must be developed to help students bridge the gap between concrete operational thinking and full formal thinking in the content areas. Reading for meaning requires readers to categorize subjects, recognize relationships, develop and maintain a sequence of thought, recognize and understand inferences, and draw…

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…

This paper is a summary of much of the available research on college science laboratory instruction of the past decade with a focus on the effects of specific laboratory teaching strategies upon student learning outcomes. Some tentative interpretations from a review of the literature found are: (1) inquiry or investigative approaches in college…