The relationship between mental models used in problem solving and strategies children use when problem solving with manipulative materials are discussed. Teaching strategies for bridging the gap between the two are suggested. (CW)

Compared is an inquiry-oriented Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) style laboratory approach with a more directive traditional approach on student outcomes in the cognitive and affective domains of learning. Differences in science achievement, reasoning ability, attitude, and stages of development are discussed. (KR)

Contends that posters can be a powerful teaching tool in history courses. Discusses the definition, history, and development of posters. Provides approaches to using posters in the classroom, criteria for assessing effective and ineffective posters, and reprints of five exemplar posters. (CFR)

Reviews the history, characteristics, and impact of the New Social Studies movement in the United States during the 1960s and 1970s. Describes the educational goals, teaching methods, and instructional materials commonly used in the New Zealand social studies curriculum. (CFR)

Asserts that not using a cross-cultural approach to American Studies is paradoxical, since comparative analysis is the principal sociological method of discovery and proof. Describes an American Studies course in which the core is comparative analyses of work and education in other countries. (CFR)

Asserts that an increasingly interdependent Europe will require a high degree of literacy and lifelong learning. Maintains that excessive television viewing hinders the development of literacy skills. Recommends more research about literacy issues. (CFR)

Discusses the use of Aristolean logic in developing practical reasoning and arguments. Asserts that practical arguments are used to explain why an individual took action based on practical reasoning. Contends that this approach should be used by teachers in applying research findings to instruction and in encouraging students to support their…

A sample of 14 college and 8 high school biology textbooks were evaluated to determine whether they provided accurate and adequate descriptions and examples of scientific thinking. The authors contrast their views of the nature of scientific thinking with those of the textbook authors on the concepts of hypothesis, theory, law, and principle. (MDH)

Effects of task demands, age, and skill level on memory and metamemory performance were examined for 62 average and 66 low-achieving learning-disabled children. Memory improved with age and skill level, and strategic metamemory revealed age and skill-level differences, but taxonomic metamemory revealed age differences in the average group only.…

Describes a Differentiated Education Program (DEP) for gifted children in inclusive settings in New Zealand, identifies two differentiated curriculum models, and provides implementation strategies and evaluation pointers. The need for a DEP to provide opportunities to develop thinking skills, creativity, and emotional and social skills are…

A study at one institution found significant correlations between students' scores on the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners test and academic achievement data. Results indicate that it is not always course subject matter that influences the relationship between course grade and board scores, but may instead be the ability to assimilate…

Argues for liberating factors in education (student-centered practice, open-ended discussion, and art as a subject). Describes the "Visual Thinking Strategies" teaching method, which focuses on structured but open, group discussions about diverse art objects in order to help viewers develop a rapport with art, increase aesthetic…

Identifies the types of reasoning involved in middle grade mathematics with regard to multiplicative structures and the difficulties students have with the concepts, why these difficulties might occur, and the interconnections within this content area. Offers four recommendations for the preparation and professional development of teachers.…

Ten children, 5- to 9-years old, taught magic tricks to absent and present peers through tape-recorded and face-to-face instructions. Children's informative, descriptive, and persuasive speech was compared for absent and present peers, and effects of age, practice, and trick length were assessed. Results revealed skills for informative and…

Enrollments at evangelical and other Christian colleges have surged in the last decade, outpacing that of secular institutions. The students, many from home schooling or church-operated schools, want to avoid lifestyles found at many secular colleges and universities. Some critics, however, fear lack of diversity in both enrollments and opinions…