Notes limitations of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Suggests that should these weaknesses be addressed, teachers of critical thinking would do well to incorporate REBT into their critical thinking courses. Relates that A. Ellis has suggested that the future of REBT is in integrating it into the educational curriculum as a way of…

This study explored the moral reasoning and scientific argumentation of 31 Finnish adolescents gifted in science. In qualitative essays and interviews, the pupils were asked to identify moral dilemmas in science and provide solutions to them. Two illustrative cases of students' argumentation who had either average or high scores on the Defining…

Introduces the analysis of a river as an excellent way to teach geochemical techniques because of the relative ease of sample collection and speed of sample analysis. Focuses on the potential sources of sample contamination during sampling, filtering, and bottle cleaning processes, and reviews methods to reduce and detect contamination. Includes…

Three studies investigated whether and under what conditions the addition of on-screen text would facilitate the learning of a narrated scientific multimedia explanation. The overall pattern of results can be explained by a dual-processing model of working memory, which has implications for the design of multimedia instruction. (Author)

Proposes an interactive model of vocabulary acquisition that accounts for acquisition of knowledge and the mental processes involved in vocabulary acquisition, emphasizing the characterization of mental processes more than any other aspects. The model, which can account for first or second languages, attempts to capture how vocabulary is…

Discusses an alternate path to teaching introductory stoichiometry based on research findings. The recommendation is to use problems that can be solved easily by rapid mental calculation as well as by pure logic. (AIM)

Presents three reading-comprehension strategies for elementary teachers to use during read-alouds. The first involves reading and using critical-thinking skills. The second uses character mapping to make predictions about a story. The third involves story mapping to encourage independent reading. The strategies encourage students to support one…

This article argues that the field of social studies encompasses concepts critical to students' eventual civic participation. It addresses ways to foster higher level thinking, problem solving, and group skills by working with issues of importance to students with learning disabilities and promoting their futures as active citizens. A…

Used a popular children's picture book to explore preschool children's understanding of false beliefs. Found that, irrespective of age, children had a greater probability of demonstrating their understanding of false belief during the narrative task than during a traditional false belief task. (Author/KB)

A good question is one of the most important tools in a staff developer's repertoire. Questions that cause thinking can produce more learning than telling. This paper describes how to develop questioning skills using word banks and scaffolds. It explains why mediative questions are important and which mediative questions are the most valuable. (SM)

Investigated the emergence of class and propositional reasoning skills as a function of the developing ability to coordinate increasingly complex negation and affirmation operations with children from grades 1, 3, 5, and 7. Found that children's reasoning follows a logical development sequence and that different groups of items account for…

Tested whether 2- to 4-year olds could reason with incongruent syllogisms when encouraged to use their imagination. Randomly assigned 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds to one of four conditions (no cue, word cue, fantasy planet, or imagery) and presented syllogistic reasoning problems with incongruent information. Found that in imagination conditions, 2-…

Constructivist theory recognizes the student's value as thinker. Thinking ability hinges on the capacity to ask and consider important questions. Teachers need question-driven problem-solving strategies that are comprehensive, adaptable, discriminating, productive, and transferable. This article explains four types of situations and accompanying…

Advocates teaching critical thinking through showing students the logic of a subject. Uses one example of instruction in history that allows students to think their way through the logic of the subject rather than memorize bits and pieces of someone else's thought (never grasping its logic). (VWC)

Tests the hypothesis that an early adolescent brain growth plateau and spurt exists, and that this plateau and spurt influence students' ability to reason scientifically and to learn theoretical science concepts. Finds that measures of students' (n=210) prefrontal lobe activity correlated highly with scientific reasoning ability, and that these…