A study examined how the text variables of organizational plan (top-level structure), emphasis plan (implemented through signalling devices), and presence of details influenced the selection of reading strategies by adults. Subjects--149 young, middle aged, and older expert readers--read and recalled in writing two expository prose passages of 388…

A study investigated cognitive behaviors and processes that contribute to writer's block. Subjects were 10 college undergraduates who had scored at the extreme ends of a writer's block measurement instrument. The 10, 6 "high-blockers" and 4 "low-blockers," varied in their English experience, class standing, and majors. Each was given a writing…

A number of professional qualities might be developed in a program designed to prepare early childhood teachers to function in multiple settings. Solving problems, assessing situations, communicating with a range of people, and being flexible and innovative are such qualities. But one can also view prepararing educators to function in multiple…

The use of a step-by-step procedure for sequencing materials from concrete objects to paper and pencil can provide kindergarten teachers with a defensible means for showing that children are progressing in their mathematical competencies even though they may not be doing paper-and-pencil activities. Developmental characteristics of young children…

This study documented the spontaneously derived strategies that children use which may play a key role in the transition from counting to recall of number facts. For these strategies, the child uses a small set of known number facts to derive the solution to unknown number facts. How training in the use of derived strategies influences the…

A computer program written for the Apple II was designed to teach college students how to map expository information. The program consists of five lessons, the first beginning with a definition and illustration of mapping. In this introductory lesson, students are asked to answer three basic questions when reading expository text: identify the…

A study was conducted to determine if visual linguistic numeric, auditory linguistic numeric, and tactile concrete learners have statistically significant different study habits, study attitudes, and study orientation than their low visual linguistic numeric, low auditory linguistic numeric, and low tactile concrete counterparts. Data were…

The process of introducing students to alternative approaches and giving them the opportunity to debate their views about a work in order to develop critical thinking skills can start in the elementary school grades. George Hillocks' seven-level hierarchy represents an appropriate scheme by which teachers can sequentially move students to higher…

This resource book is intended as a companion to the book "Curriculum Initiative: An Agenda and Strategy for Library Media Programs," which provides practicing school library media specialists and students in professional degree-granting programs with both a conceptual framework and practical approaches to the curriculum-related…

The study examined relationships between children's mastery motivation, self-assessment of performance, and task-related help-seeking behavior during task performance. A total of 79 average-achieving black elementary school students in the third- and fifth-grades, who varied in mastery motivation, performed a multi-trial verbal task and were given…

The incorporation of new technologies into elementary and secondary education must be initiated through reconceptualization of curriculum and instruction; expecting the technology alone to catalyze the transformation is unreasonable and not substantiated by experience. The traditional curriculum improvement process is the best vehicle for bringing…

Most physics problem-solving studies provide data that indicate problem representation is different between experts and novices. This paper presents "cognitive aids" guiding the process of elaboration of a problem representation through intermediate representations. Intermediate means that the representation is situated somewhere between…

Questioning in the college classroom remains an undeveloped, unrefined skill even though there is abundant evidence that classroom questioning can be improved. Research on classroom questioning techniques at the pre-college level shows that teachers ask questions that are predominantly literal in nature. Questions that require "higher…

The work of E. P. Torrance concerning creative thinking abilities, creative learning and teaching, the creative learning environment, and the measurement of creative thinking is discussed. Torrance began his pioneering research on the nature of creative thinking in 1958 with pilot testing of his first batteries designed to assess creative thinking…

Drawn from several comprehensive bibliographies and computer searches of volumes by speakers at the Conference on Thinking, this brief bibliography presents resources for researchers and practitioners interested in the areas of cognitive and critical thinking skills. The materials are divided into the following topic areas: (1) general, (2)…