This set of papers was originally developed for a conference on Issues and Directions in Mathematics Problem Solving Research held at Indiana University in May 1981. The purpose is to contribute to the clear formulation of the key issues in mathematical problem-solving research by presenting the ideas of actively involved researchers. An…

A pilot study in reasoning readiness was conducted in 1971 by administering tests of linguistic errors to 27 fifthe and sixth-grade students at School 21 in Yonkers, N.Y. It was found that they are able to understand and correct fallacies and linguistic oddities. Journal available from Editor, Dept. of Philosophy, Jersey City State College, 2039…

The author argues that teaching students to program a computer enhances their logical reasoning, problem solving skills, understanding of models, and ability to examine one's work critically. (SD)

Describes how you can lead students to erroneous inferences and conclusions by using demonstrations which point out to students the importance of carefully distinguishing between observations and inferences. (BR)

This research project studied the relationship between teachers' thinking and action, specifically, teachers' implicit theories in the subfield of evaluation. Particular focus was upon the way teachers generate their theories about teaching, the structure and content of such theories, and their influence on decisions and intructional practices.…

This study hypothesized that subjects who display proportional responses on the Pouring Water Task have developed the ability to comprehend logical arguments of the form referred to as "reasoning to a contradiction," while subjects who display additive responses on the same task have not. To test this hypothesis, 100 additive and…

The style of high school debate should emphasize information processing above all other skills. Debate, as an intellectual educational activity with a basis in scholarship, is not an end in itself but a means to the acquisition and refinement of useful skills that deal with reflective thinking and critical decision making, on both personal and…

Debate is structured argumentation consisting of four elements: a resolution or proposition; an affirmative position, speaker, or team supporting the proposition; a negative position, speaker, or team responsible for attacking the proposition; and a judge or group of judges who determines which position has better achieved its purpose. Debate as a…

Reported are three studies investigating the mental abilities of children and adolescents. The first study (by Chamnong Vibulsri) had three purposes: (1) to determine whether and how language affects logical thinking in Thai children; (2) to ascertain whether Piaget's or Bruner's theory would more accurately explain any such relationship; and (3)…

The purposes of this descriptive-predictive study were to investigate the logical and critical thinking abilities of a sample of sixth through twelfth grade students (N=173) and to determine whether logical thinking processes are predictors of critical thinking abilities and academic achievement. The instruments administered in this study were (1)…

As comprehension failure results whenever readers are unable to infer missing causal connections, recent comprehension research has focused both on assessing the inferential complexity of texts and on investigating students' developing ability to infer causal relationships. Studies have demonstrated that texts rely on four types of causal…

Rhetoric handbooks and composition texts continue to teach that the main techniques of effective argumentation are based on logic--the use of evidence, deductive and inductive reasoning, definition of terms, and so on. Yet, as Chaim Perelman and L. Olbrechts-Tyteca argue in their book "The New Rhetoric," the most solid beliefs are those…

Measurements of formal reasoning and principled moral reasoning ability were obtained from a sample of 99 tenth grade students. Specific modes of formal reasoning (proportional reasoning, controlling variables, probabilistic, correlational and combinatorial reasoning) were first examined. Findings support the notion of hierarchical relationships…

An analysis of the problem solving process reveals at least three options: (1) finding the cause, (2) solving the problem, and (3) anticipating potential problems. These methods may be illustrated by examining "Oedipus Tyrannus," a play in which a king attempts to deal with a problem that appears to be beyond his ability to solve, and…

The link between writing and the development of reasoning abilities, and implications for the college curriculum are discussed. The developmental models/theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Perry are described. Perry identifies a level of cognitive development called "dualism," which is a tendency to view the world in absolute,…