Findings of the California Learning Assessment System 1993 Opportunity-To-Learn study support the conclusion that curriculum and instruction that require higher-level skills benefit students' achievements. Data used are the best available measures of California students' learning of higher-level skills. (SLD)

Presents results of a qualitative study of problem solving in the domain of instructional design. Novice and expert instructional designers worked on a "think aloud" design task, and their instruction protocols were analyzed for problem-solving processes. Analysis revealed that experts and novices used divergent design models and…

Uses a phenomenological stance to investigate current conceptions of intelligence in an academic setting. Discusses "intelligence" as a uniquely Western concept. Presents a critical literature review on models of human thought and intelligence measurement. Summarizes interviews with three University of Hawaii at Manoa professors regarding their…

Discussion of how to teach thinking and problem-solving skills focuses on a study of seventh graders that attempted to convey expertlike behavior using LEGOLogo to explain how a washing machine operates. Topics addressed include concept representation and mental models; cognitive apprenticeship; and LEGOTClogo as a learning environment. (Contains…

Discusses four general principles that help explain young children's preoperational thinking. Children tend to focus on one thing at a time; what they can see or experience; their own connections or explanations; and their own interpretations and representations. Suggests that teachers need to be good listeners and watch for clues to children's…

After noting the characteristics of good thinking, uses case studies to explain the development of thinking from infants to adults. Outlines strategies that do and do not work in developing children's cognitive abilities. Recommends several children's books that foster the development of thinking skills. (BC)

Presents teaching strategies that foster mathematical communication in young children, which validate their thinking, engage them in review of their thinking, and challenge them to extend their thinking. (MKR)

Investigated relations among moral reasoning, classroom behavior, and sociometric status. Among boys, hedonistic moral reasoning was associated with lack of social competencies, acting-out behavior, and low social preference. Moral reasoning influenced sociometric status indirectly through social behavior, and explained variance in sociometric…

Presents ongoing research for constructing formal models of learning in rich problem-solving domains. The underlying framework for the research is aimed at integrating models of active, goal-oriented learning processes with theories of problem-solving and cognitive skill development. Indicates that the particular self-explanation and…

Noise in the form of random errors arising from choices is a common problem. Examined three different approaches for coping with noise. Found that reciprocity works, provided it is accompanied by generosity or contrition. Changing one's choice after a poor outcome was not seen as helpful. Other points are discussed. (RJM)

Progress of 26 female students aged 10 to 13 participating in 4 database-oriented activities--library research, database construction, information retrieval, and writing--was monitored through student worksheets, researcher and student logs, audio/videotapes, questionnaires, and tests. Improvement of cognitive and metacognitive skills including…

This book excerpt presents several learning activity ideas related to negotiating. Students review principles of negotiation, write about their experiences negotiating, learn about body language, find historical examples of good negotiators, practice mathematics skills in negotiating spending money for a trip, and examine the impact of humanity's…

Investigates the mathematical behavior of 30 college students in a problem situation that requires them to find the inverse of a given compound element in an environment of LOGO turtle graphics. Results from interviews indicate that, in searching for the inverse, students tend to invert the elements but not the order. (MDH)

Describes a study to determine middle school children's representational strategies to form part-whole or part-part relationships for relational numbers such as proportions, ratios, or fractions. Quantitative and qualitative analysis revealed that children prefer a part-part representation to solve relational quantity problems. (15 references)…

Provides new evidence for mathematical problem-solving abilities of preschool children. These problem-solving behaviors occurred in a study of sharing of discrete items by dealing, in which we examined the abilities of three categories of counters to solve a discrete redistribution problem. Identifies problem-solving strategies used in the context…