Part of a series, the purpose of this low-readability/high interest book is to provide instruction and practice in using higher order thinking to develop students' reading comprehension skills. The reading skills addressed in the book are based on state reading standards and assessment tests for grades seven and eight. The goal of this series of…

We report the findings of an empirical analysis of the performance of a group of middle and high school students before and after an after-school algebra enrichment program using the SimCalc software incorporating classroom networks. The results highlight statistically significant gains in their learning and briefly outline contributing factors of…

We examine aspects of flexible mathematical thinking in middle school students and its contribution to the growth of their mathematical understanding. We inductively analyzed data collected from video-episodes of an interactive, problem-solving based after-school mathematics class. Flexibility is essential in such classrooms since students must…

Howard Gardner's "Theory of Multiple Intelligences" suggests that everyone is capable of at least seven "ways" of knowing. According to this theory, human beings know the world and solve problems through: (1) language; (2) logical-mathematical analysis; (3) visual-spatial representations; (4) musical thinking; (5) the use of…

Talents Unlimited (TU) is a program that enhances students' creative and critical thinking skills within the framework of the regular classroom curriculum. Based on Calvin Taylor's theory of multiple talents and intellectual abilities, this program develops improved thinking in specific talent processes, including Productive Thinking,…

This paper presents findings from a study that investigated students' understanding of quantum phenomena and focused on how students incorporate the ideas of quantum physics into their overall cognitive framework. The heuristic metaphor of the map is used to construct graphic representations of students' understanding of quantum physics. The…

The Enriching a Child's Literacy Environment (ECLE) program was designed to establish a model for teaching parents, teachers, and other care providers how to develop the oral language, thinking abilities and motor skills of young children (ages six months to three years). ECLE trainers instruct the parents or other care providers by first modeling…

This paper first reviews the development of gifted education in Taiwan over the last two decades and discusses the problems facing gifted education, including conservative definition-identification, the negative impact of entrance examinations, and curricula that are not challenging. The development of a pilot program for highly capable primary…

A study was conducted to determine whether chess instruction would change the measure of a student's field-dependence or field-independence as determined by the Group Embedded Figures Test (GEFT) in the direction of stronger field independence. Field dependence/independence is a psychological construct referring to a global versus an analytical…

This 42-month project at the University of Denver (Colorado) developed materials and faculty development activities concerning application of Kitchener and King's reflective judgment theory. Testing and implementation were at the University of Denver and Bowling Green State University (Ohio) and the University of Missouri (Columbia). The model…

Clarkson University's Space Grant Program provides an opportunity for students to consider engineering as a career option and aims to increase science literacy, promote critical thinking skills, and positive science attitudes. These goals are met through an adopt-a-school project which is described in detail to provide a model program for science…

This final report describes accomplishments of Project Discovery, a 3-year project in Kentucky to assist teachers in creating an innovative learning environment for gifted and talented primary-aged children. Major goals focused on and achieved by the project included: (1) increasing the percentage of disadvantaged students identified as gifted in…

In order to foster the kind of learning environment that promotes decision-making and thinking skills, educators need to take a values approach to teaching. There are three main approaches to values teaching: (1) the product approach, which concentrates on outcomes as "fixed" values, "core" values, or "moral basics";…

This dissertation reviews procrastination, and academic procrastination in particular, focusing on research which analyzes methods that both college students and professors can employ to effectively combat academic procrastination. The first section of the paper examines various forms and sources of procrastination, childhood conditions…

This study tested a causal model of the development of spatial visualization based on a synthesis of past and present research. During the summer and fall of 1999, 117 third- and fourth-year undergraduates majoring in architecture, mathematics, mathematics education, and mechanical engineering completed a spatial visualization test and a…