This paper reviews three essays in "Philosophy and Education: Eightieth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education." The volume, as a whole, failed to consider economic, social, political, and related educational issues realistically and practically. (PP)

An educational researcher suggests that "Philosophy and Education: Eightieth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education" should have dealt with: (1) the nature of educational inquiry and its relationship to the social sciences and (2) how philosophical treatment of knowledge, thinking, and learning relate to…

The theories of progressive educators are compared to those of liberal-rationalist reformers such as R. S. Peters, P. H. Hirst, and R. F. Dearden. Particular attention is given to differences in their views on personal autonomy of students, the value of child-centered versus subject-centered curriculum, and the importance of authority in the…

An explanation is sought for the striking apparent failure of the interactions of intelligence and memory factors with socioeconomic status predicted by Jensen's Level I/Level II theory, in a study by Stankov, Horn and Roy (EJ 239 630). It is suggested that Level I ability is a category of narrower abilities involving rote learning and primary…

The views of Jean Piaget and Rudolf Steiner concerning children's stages of development are compared and related to present-day instructional practices used in the Waldorf schools, which employ Steiner's ideas. Educational principles and practices used at the elementary school level are discussed. (PP)

Jean-Jacques Rousseau's educational and political thought is compared to that of John Locke. Rousseau's theories, as expressed in "Emile," are placed in the context of some of that author's other works to show how his educational theories can seem practical in terms of his views on social and political inequality. (PP)

Sex education programs should be built on sound principles of learning and development and should take advantage of cognitive, behavioral, and social learning theories. Educators should be able to order factual information about sexuality sequentially and to structure learning experiences to meet the student's stage of development. (PP)

Translates for the secondary teacher current learning theory research into educational program implications for the mentally retarded adolescent. Discusses adaptive behavior, effectance motivation, limited range of reinforcing events, external locus of control, and deficiencies in social discrimination. (Author/DC)

Argues for a scientific philosophy that views theory not as absolute truth but as a model that attempts to explain reality and promote inquiry. Proposes that science teachers build upon students' existing knowledge by first presenting simple, less accurate but more comprehensive models and later discussing the weaknesses. (DC)

A multidisciplinary team research project to document the relationship between environmental and cultural features of Papua New Guinea, cognitive development, and mathematics learning is described. (MP)

The failure of research on media to deal with media's symbol systems is discussed. Nature of symbol systems is described and related to cognition and learning. Symbolic elements used by media can facilitate the cultivation of mental skills in interaction with individual differences and depth of processing. (Author/RD)

Examines the need for integrating assumptions about learning processes with the decisions typically made when designing instructional systems. The relationships between learning theory and instructional design are discussed, and suggestions offered for improving the design process. Extensive references are included. (Author/BK)

Reviews the stages of children's thinking according to Piaget's Theory. Illustrates how a curriculum writer might consider the complexities of a topic and match these to a level of thinking as represented by a school grade level. Outlines the implications of Piagetian levels in the construction of examinations. (GS)

Soviet teaching experiments, based on the research of P. Ia. Galperin and of V. V. Davydov, are described, in which children are taught abstract concepts before they are provided with concrete examples. (GDC)

A model of reading comprehension focuses on eye fixations, which are related to the level of reading processes--words, clauses, and text units. Longer pauses are associated with greater processing difficulty. This model is illustrated for a group of undergraduate students reading scientific articles from "Newsweek" and "Time" magazines. (GDC)