Investigates predictions derived from the Karmiloff Smith framework for understanding the process of cognitive development. Finds broad support for the model but also indicates that behavior for some tasks is more variable than expected; and, contrary to expectations, that more abstract tasks did not disrupt behavior to any large extent. (DSK)

Discusses situative perspective as a framework for integrating issues of theoretical assumptions, educational practices, and educational research. In this perspective, the focus of theoretical principles is at the level of interaction among people and between people and their environments. Contains three pages of references. (MMU)

A 32-item self-efficacy scale for computer programming was developed, primed to the C++ programming language. The scale was administered to 421 students at the beginning and end of an introductory course in C++ programming. There was growth in self-efficacy between two administrations of the scale 12 weeks apart, particularly for students who…

Describes a first-year course in General Chemistry that incorporates the principles of active engagement and the learning cycle paradigm. Recommends student small-group instruction and guided-inquiry laboratory investigations. (WRM)

Describes a study that investigated whether scientific and nonscientific understandings in the same content area are linked. Finds that students' (n=107) explanations indicate that they were using an "if-then" type of reasoning which linked scientific and nonscientific conceptions. Contains 39 references. (Author/WRM)

Assesses the quality of tutorial sessions in the problem-based learning curriculum that was adopted at the University of Tampere in Finland. (Author/CCM)

Examines the role of empirical evidence in the interpretation of psychological and epistemological aspects of Piagetian theory. Concludes that Galileo's method of idealization has important implications for the construction of a neo-Piagetian epistemological theory. Contains 35 references. (Author/WRM)

Article 1 reviews literature on psychomotor skill acquisition, finding inconclusive research based on a positivist approach. Article 2 reviews theories of skill acquisition. Both reviews will be used to evaluate a skills center for nurses that is based on a constructivist approach. (SK)

Suggests that activity theory provides a useful framework for studying teachers' professional development, emphasizing the importance of settings in learning to teach and highlighting social and cultural factors that mediate development in particular contexts. Describes activity theory, illustrating key concepts with examples from a study of…

Reports on an ethnographic study of inservice biology teachers (N=8) in which two questions were explored. The questions pertain to the frequency and forms of analogies used by biology teachers to explain scientific concepts to their students. Contains 23 references. (DDR)

Discusses two theories of cognitive development, Ausubel's theory of verbal learning and Piaget's development theory. Illustrates that both concept mapping and the learning cycle are rooted in these two theories. (DDR)

Introduces this special journal issue by describing what developmental approaches are and how they can be applied to children with disabilities. Gives a short preview of the articles in the issue and raises future challenges for developmental research and intervention with young children with disabilities. (JS)

Based on the principle that all genuine education comes about through experience, John Dewey's ideas are particularly relevant to the theory and practice of museum education. Comments on Dewey's book "Experience and Education" in hopes of giving it wider readership. Major ideas from each chapter are summarized along with comments on…

This paper answers several frequently asked questions about constructivism, including how to define it, how to plan the curriculum, how to assess student understanding, what to do with the information, where to begin, how students work in a constructivist classroom, and why constructivism is important. (SM)

Analyses of sentence combination data from 33 adult learners of English as a Second Language instructed in sentence combination tasks yielded inconclusive results as to whether implicational generalization (IG) is unidirectional to hierarchy levels implicated by the instructed level. The results suggest that IG is clearly not uniformly maximal to…