Critiques of 10 articles reporting research studies focused on various aspects of attitude development in science education and of six research articles related to investigations of learning and cognitive development are contained in this issue. Seven of the attitude articles describe investigations designed to change the attitudes of both…

The scientific concept of intelligence has been heavily influenced by the technology of measurement. The variables which can be measured have been made the operational definition of intelligence. This approach differs from a deductive approach, in which a theory of cognition in general is used to derive the sorts of measurements that must be taken…

A study investigated 261 Mexican American mothers' estimations of their preschool children's cognitive performance. Existing literature on parental estimations was reviewed. The McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities (MSCA) were administered to 107 boys and 154 girls, ranging from 32 to 75 months of age. The children's mothers were then asked how…

A four-year longitudinal study of concept attainment and uses of concepts, as specified by the Conceptual Learning and Development Model, is described. Data collected during the first two years were based upon the assessment of the concept, equilateral triangle. The assessment battery was administered to 351 children (grades K, 3, 6, and 9) in…

Identifying the effects of the New York State Experimental Prekindergarten Program on the development of children requires that a broad array of data be analyzed. In studying the effects of the program, the evaluation unit is interested in determining whether there is an overall effect, and whether children of different ages and different levels…

This module, one of ten competency based modules developed for vocational home economics teachers, is based on a job cluster in the catering industry. It is designed for use with a variety of levels of learners (secondary, postsecondary, adult) in both school and non-school educational settings. Focusing on two levels of employment, food caterer…

This module, one of ten competency based modules developed for vocational home economics teachers, is based on a job cluster in fast food services. It is designed for a variety of levels of learners (secondary, postsecondary adult) in both school and non-school settings. Focusing on the specific job titles of bus attendant, counter…

The purposes of this study were to investigate: (1) effectiveness of three small group teaching methods on the acquisition and retention of seriation abilities; (2) transfer of seriation abilities using the three treatments; and (3) relationship between visual and nonvisual seriation abilities. One hundred twenty first grade Canadian students were…

The work of the United States Civil Service Commission's Personnel Research and Development Center to develop a basis for the written test portions of the Professional and Administrative Career Examination (PACE) is described. The objective was the identification of a construct-valid set of cognitive ability tests for entry level positions.…

This study investigated the effects of certain types of science experiences ("hands-on" versus "non-hands-on") on the development of selected cognitive abilities as inferred by performance on Piagetian-type tasks. Thirty-six students from first, third, and fifth grades were randomly chosen as subjects. Eighteen of the students from each grade…

Item writing methods for criterion referenced tests in the cognitive domain are reviewed. The methods are classified on a continuum from informal-subjective to automated-objective. Examples of approaches to improving instructional objectives are given. Domain-based tests are derived from content specifications and five approaches are described:…

This 4-year longitudinal study of logical reasoning found complex interrelationships among different cognitive processes of children ages 6 to 15. Piaget's stage theory is discussed in the introduction, with a focus on the concrete operational stage in middle childhood. In the study, a representative array of logical concept tasks and short-term…

The basic hypotheses were (1) children with detailed exposure to objects would increase in knowledge of the complexity of objects but would also exhibit a corresponding increase in object-picture discrepancy, (2) children exposed only to pictures would show minimal object-picture discrepancy but would exhibit a lower response repertoire, and (3)…

In a test the presence or absence of a "structure" in the individual's cognitive processes of formal operations thinking, 61 fourth, fifth, and sixth grade students were administered three tasks supposedly requiring such a method of thinking. The three tasks were (1) a problem solving task (PS), (2) a chemistry task requiring a certain combination…

An evaluation was conducted on seven career education projects in seven Minnesota school districts. Formative and summative evaluation methods were used to assess teachers' and directors' project implementation and the impact on students' (grades 1 to 9) cognitive achievement. Self evaluation forms were used to obtain information from and to…