Discusses a common misconception in the area of electric circuits at the level of introductory college physics. The data, collected from clinical interviews, shed light on the cognitive sources of misconception. Also discusses some implications for laboratory approaches used in science courses. (Author/SK)

Errors students typically generate while trying to translate problems into and out of algebraic notation are reviewed. Translation skills and pupil difficulties with them are seen as areas deserving further research. (MP)

It is important that teachers test not only knowledge, but also comprehension, application, synthesis, and evaluation. Several suggestions for test items in physical education are presented. (CJ)

Discussion about the nature and varieties of mathematical understanding is presented. Symbolic understanding is defined as a mutual assimilation between a symbol system and a conceptual structure, that is dominated by the conceptual structure. (MP)

Seven-year-olds compared successively presented oblique lines which varied as to their position within a square display and their relation to the diagonal axis of the display. Children apparently encoded lines in terms of position and axis features. They used a categorical spatial representational system to compare oblique lines. (Author/RD)

When the mathematics and extended range vocabulary subtests on the Relief Format Assessment Test were factor analyzed, altitude estimation (predicted by mathematics aptitude) and terrain analysis (predicted by vocabulary skills) were found to underly map-reading performance. Solutions were found to be dependent on verbal-analytic ability more than…

Argues that by carefully planning questioning techniques, the classroom teacher can build prereading concepts and help students make those links between their own knowledge and experience and the information contained in a text. Offers taxonomies of teacher responses and of concept development to help teachers structure classroom interaction. (FL)

The duration and timing of the context is which letters occur is shown to influence the perceptibility of the target in experiments demonstrating that early on enhanced word presentations and pronounceable-pseudoword contexts increase letter perceptibility. The perceptibility of letters in strings sharing several or few letters with words is…

Indicates that a program for parents of preschool children that emphasized the teaching of language and cognitive skills to children was successful in improving the school readiness scores of those children. (FL)

Recommends teaching learning-to-learn competencies simultaneously with the course content. Reviews competencies needed for effective learning in the areas of information processing, active study strategies, and self-management. Illustrates opportunities for instructors to teach learning competencies while presenting material or explaining course…

Examined six- and eight-year-old children's use of contextual expectations to detect inconsistencies in story information and their ability to discriminate between information that resolved or was irrelevant to these inconsistencies. Results showed that six-year-olds frequently detected inconsistent events but that they failed to discriminate…

Finke and Kurtzman report that fields of resolution increase with increases in the diameter of both perceived and imagined circular patterns. In contrast, we find no such increase for imagined circular patterns when the experimenter is not aware of the experimental predictions, even though our subjects received imagery training. (Author/RD)

A large sample of 11-year-olds were observed on a perceptual maze task. Three ability level groups were formed and compared as to overall response paths and specific binary decision configurations. Explanations for observed qualitative differences and discussion of the viability of the experimental approach adopted are presented. (Author/RD)

Described is a study which relates Piaget's theory of cognitive development to Lowenfeld's types of perceptual aptitude (i.e., visual v haptic orientation). General interpretations of questionnaire results from university students (N=312) are made that postulate a relationship linking incidence of perceptual and logical ability. (CS)

The article uses Jean Piaget's theory of four stages of intellectual growth to describe (1) developmental aspects of the six- to seven-year-old child which are pertinent to the teaching of social studies and (2) a social studies program which teaches rational thinking. (Author/KC)