A study was designed to test the hypothesis that a descriptive-type learning cycle was insufficient to stimulate students to reason at a reflective level or to develop an understanding of, and facility with, the processes of scientific investigation. In order to test the hypothesis, four classes of ninth-grade physical science students (n=100)…

This report summarizes a project in which a number of new approaches were taken to improve learning in undergraduate basic music instruction for music majors. The basic viewpoint proposed was that music activities can be seen as skilled problem solving in the areas of aural analysis, visual analysis, and understanding of compositional processes.…

This paper discusses a radically different set of assumptions to improve educational outcomes for disadvantaged students. It is argued that disadvantaged children, when exposed to carefully organized thinking-oriented instruction, can acquire the traditional basic skills in the process of reasoning and solving problems. The paper is presented in…

This book is a collection of essays forming a mosaic of theory, research, and practice directed at the task of spreading mathematical knowledge based on the learning theory of constructivism. The authors collectively address questions raised by the observation that current practice frequently generate in the student an aversion to mathematics.…

This paper considers how the algebra curriculum in secondary mathematics might be reformulated by rethinking both the content of algebra and the approaches to teaching and learning algebraic concepts. It considers how the concept of function can be made a central theme of the algebra curriculum and further suggests that computer software, when…

This handbook is intended to provide mathematics curriculum leaders and supervisors with discussion and related activities central to a presentation of algebra for teachers of students with a history of lower academic achievement and who are part of our underserved populations. The handbook: (1) deals with general algebra activities; (2) focuses…

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the problems created by prejudiced attitudes, racist beliefs, and acts of discrimination from the casual racial or ethnic joke to the unrestrained violence of a lynch mob. It addresses such topics as the nature of ethnicity, stereotyping, aggression, and hate groups and individuals who promote ethnic…

Cognitive science research offers hope for the development of innovative science teaching strategies that facilitate the development of optimally interconnected procedural and declarative knowledge networks. Improving students' neural networks should improve their abilities to think critically, reason logically, learn more efficiently, and solve…

Originally developed for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on developing thinking skills through literature is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an overview on the topic; the…

The existence, before any formal physics instruction, of schemata which lead to an idiosyncratic interpretation of real world events, which physicists see as exemplifying principles of physics, is now well established. Because these interpretations are often at variance with physicists' interpretations, they have been labeled, among others,…

The social science curriculum must be supported by four pillars, the first of which represents value awareness. Social science programs must deal with values in order to help students set goals for themselves as individuals and as members of society. Students should be taught the importance of the values of this democratic society. The second…

In an attempt to combat the problem of poor writing and problem-solving skills among technical program graduates, Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology in Ontario, Canada began implementing changes in its Computer Studies curriculum. The first change was a greater focus on improving students' writing skills. Writing assignments were…

Communication apprehension (CA) affects from 15% to 20% of the college population, indicating inherent problems of negative cognitive appraisal, conditioned anxiety, or skills deficits. Use of an individualized approach to the alleviation of CA has been shown to increase students' class interaction and to improve their verbal skills. During an…

Practical ways in which writing was used in a college level introductory social psychology course are described. Rather than being used almost exclusively as a tool for evaluation, the process of writing was also used as a tool for problem solving and for producing creative and analytical thinking. Writing was integrated into the course in three…

This handbook is intended to assist vocational teachers who are mainstreaming handicapped students into their vocational education programs. The first section describes the features of six common types of disabilities. The concept of providing a continuum of services and individualized education plans are discussed next. Various aspects of…