This article considers the problem of power and sample size calculations for normal outcomes within the framework of multivariate linear models. The emphasis is placed on the practical situation that not only the values of response variables for each subject are just available after the observations are made, but also the levels of explanatory…

A critical step toward becoming a fluent reader is learning to recognize, name and distinguish the letters of the alphabet. This difficult task is often a point of failure. The task, however, can be made easier and less prone to failure. This article, based on research by cognitive scientists, provides guides for how to design a font that will…

Background: Dweck has emphasized the role of pupils' implicit theories about intellectual ability in explaining variations in their engagement, persistence and achievement. She has also highlighted the role of confidence in one's intelligence as a factor influencing educational attainment. Aim: The aim of this paper is to develop a model of…

This study tracked the influence of explicit reflective instructional methods on cultural values, ethical and intellectual development, and the relationship of these with preservice teachers' views of nature of science (NOS). The researchers used the Views of Nature of Science Form B (VNOS B) to describe NOS views, the Learning Context…

This paper explores the interaction between religious faith and academic study. It presents findings from a small-scale qualitative study of how first year theology undergraduates at Oxford experienced the relationship between academic study and their faith stance. The findings suggest varied developments in the extent to which students adapted to…

Contemporary education theory (and official South African policy) underwrites learner-centredness. I analyse learner-centredness as a possible piece of the puzzle about why it is proving so difficult to improve academic achievement. Learner-centred ideas are grounded in the belief that cognitive abilities develop spontaneously in accordance with a…

This paper explores the intimate connection between creative and critical thinking, by arguing that both are inseparable in everyday reasoning. The details of the relationship between creative and critical thinking are worked out in relation to the processes of: (1) thinking through the logic of things; (2) taking command of reasoning and logic;…

A discussion of tentative generalizations that developers of instructional materials can use on aptitude-treatment interaction. The author combines what research findings seem to indicate along with theories about how individuals learn and process information. (Author/HB)

Suggests that students who reason with only concrete thinking patterns may become formal thinkers through the use of the following instructional pattern: (1) the introduction of an undifferentiated whole, (2) differentiation of the whole through concrete experiences, (3) invention of symbolic notation, (4) application of concepts which lead to…

Article describes an approach which employs a structuring of the user's conceptual reference spaces into sets of "action primitives", peculiar to the type of computer-aided task involved. (Author)

The degree to which human intelligence can be improved by psychological and educational means will depend largely upon the level of analysis accepted as representing intelligence. Training and structured learning can enhance achievement in the form of knowledge and skills. Traditional Intelligence Tests (IQ) are fairly broad samples of…

The influence of perceptual factors and language comprehension on quantity judgments (number conservation) was assessed in children, aged 2-5. (ST)

The author argues that no "hard" data exists on genetically based differences in intelligence among human groups. IQ measures the heritability of IQ, and statistical inaccuracies in reported studies are discussed and questioned. The current interest in biological determinism of intelligence is trivial; individuals can not be judged by group means.…