Four experiments examined very young infants' expectations about containment events. Found that 2- to 3.5-month-olds recognized that objects could be lowered inside a container with an open but not a closed top. Three-and-a-half-month-olds realized that objects could not pass through the container's back wall and should have moved with it to a new…

Investigated whether situated instruction would produce more usable, transferable knowledge than instruction abstracted from the context of its use. Seventh graders were instructed on causality under one of the two conditions. Teaching for transfer was also investigated. Situated learning increased immediate learning effects, but there were no…

Asserting that economists must work intentionally to put critical thinking skills into their courses, presents an approach that involves team teaching a course combining economics and another discipline with contrasting assumptions and values. Describes the issues addressed in courses combining economics and English literature and economics and…

The predictive validity of original thinking, as measured by two subtests of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children, to the performance of real-world creative activities (in such domains as art, drama, sport, music, and dance) was examined in 60 second-graders. Original thinking was significantly related to creative performance but not to…

Examined effects of motivation and intellectual ability on adolescent reasoning. Fifty adolescents were presented "scientific" evidence relevant to their religious affiliations. A manipulation designed to motivate adolescents toward greater accuracy improved overall performance. Crystallized intellectual ability was linked to absolute level of…

Describes a way to help high school and college students improve their critical thinking skills. States that the assignment begins by reading a collection of essays, viewing of videos and slides, and then reacting and assessing materials covered in class. (PA)

This article describes use of the George Berkeley's philosophical writings to examine the question of whether a tree falling in the forest, with no one around, makes a sound. Examples from his readings are used to stimulate discussion of gifted students about questions of epistemology and metaphysics. Suggestions for curricular integration of this…

Tests the hypothesis that maturing prefrontal lobes play a role in the development of proportional reasoning skill because the prefrontal lobes are involved in the inhibition of task-irrelevant information and the representation of task-irrelevant information. Assigns students randomly to manipulative or verbal tutoring groups and tests both…

Outlines detrimental effects of word processing in the composition classroom on planning, reading, organizing, revising, error detection, and spelling and vocabulary skill development. Discusses strategies instructors can use to teach students to use the computer at each stage of the writing process in ways that encourage and develop the…

Discussion of critical thinking focuses on conditions for effective collaborative learning and the potential for the Web to support critical thinking in knowledge-based communities. Highlights include collaborative learning; collaborative teams; thinking skills development; instructional strategies; and collaborative learning models that include…

Describes an approach to spelling--word class--that combines a self-selected approach to spelling instruction and thinking skills. Suggests that this approach helps students become more sensitive to letter patterns and word parts, adds depth and dimension to their vocabulary, teaches thinking skills, creates more authentic thinking and writing…

Discusses "separate knowing" (critical thinking) and "connected knowing" (empathic, appreciative thinking). Finds gender differences for the two; one style is independent of the other, and thus the two can coexist; and that they reflect not learning capacities or intellectual power but rather learning attitudes or styles.…

Considers five ways to overcome barriers teachers face when they attempt to create thinking classrooms: (1) acquisition of conscious commitment; (2) legitimization of students' experiences; (3) integration of visualizing into the curriculum; (4) use of reflective analysis; and (5) diversification of perspectives. (SR)

Follows an earlier study of school students' abilities to draw inferences when comparing two data sets presented in graphical form. Results for individual student development add to the credibility of the cross-age observations as well as support the hierarchical framework suggested by the original study. Documents changes in levels of performance…

Presents a study into science practical work conducted in Namibian classrooms. Lesson plans, task sheets, student work, lesson transcripts, and observation notes were used to identify intended learning outcomes. Explored aspects of task design and the context of practical tasks. Findings show an emphasis on conceptual as opposed to procedural…