Describes a survey of Greek schoolchildren's alternative conceptions about weather and climate. Finds that misconceptions exist, including confusion between the meanings of the terms "weather" and "climate", inflated estimates of temperature, and a belief that yearly weather data define climate. Suggests ways to help students…

This study of 51 Australian elementary school students found that information seeking, driven by a contextual and practical need, resulted in greater retention. Research in the use of electronic information sources has shown that while students can retrieve information, they often fail to retain the information. Attributes the gain to an increased…

Proposes a model of document selection by real users of a bibliographic retrieval system. Reports on Part I of a longitudinal study of decision making on document use by academics (25 faculty and graduate students in Agricultural Economics). Examines what components are relevant to the users' decisions and what cognitive process may have occurred…

Describes the current situation of teaching and learning in China and the features of biology science; reviews existing theories of cognitive and learning styles as well as concept mapping. A Concept Mapping Training Course is outlined which incorporates concept mapping into biology learning. Students' different cognitive styles are taken into…

Issues in educating for gender equity are reviewed. The current "problem" paradigm, and research regarding differences in masculine and feminine modes of knowing and thinking are reviewed. Ideas for a holistic model of critical thinking inclusive of the feminine voice, and implications for educational practice are discussed. (Author/EMK)

Investigates the scope and nature of tasks demanding students' application of higher order thinking skills while studying biology in junior and senior high schools in Israel. Contains 29 references. (DDR)

Explains why high-level verbal interaction is the key to learning in collaborative groups. Discusses influences on high-level verbal interaction in collaborative groups, including prior achievement, friendships, and status and expectations. Notes ways that teachers can train students in high-level verbal interactions. (SR)

Explains why metaphors are important design elements in multimedia learning environments. Describes a model developed for levels of metaphor mapping which is oriented toward a cognitive engineering approach for describing aspects of user interfaces. Shows the extent that the didactic dimensions of width and depth of metaphors be taken into account…

Summarizes research on the effects of stimulant medication on children with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (AD/HD). Concludes that medication alone is not enough, its benefits should not be oversold, and it is not the solution for everyone. Encourages educators to participate in interventions for children with AD/HD. (MKA)

Data from a study of learning conducted with 26 seventh and eighth graders are used to show the highly heterogeneous and contingent nature of students' responses to lever problems. A framework is proposed to explain variations in cognitive performance across situations and to critique some of the assumptions underlying assessments. (SLD)

A comparison of 33 Australian adolescents with Down syndrome who did not receive early intervention services and 41 adolescents with Down syndrome who had received early intervention services found no significant difference between the two cohorts in cognitive functioning. Socioeconomic status, mothers' education, and gender were predictors of…

Investigated whether information and memory processing associated with emotional topics would create distinct processing behaviors in English-as-a-Second-Language students. Participants reviewed several topics, described their levels of emotional impact, and wrote about them. Emotional topics motivated students to emphasize the lower,…

Investigated a kindergarten teacher's practice in order to understand her knowledge of her children's mathematical thinking, her method of knowledge acquisition, and the uses she made of that knowledge in making instructional decisions. Discusses the role of Cognitively Guided Instruction workshops in shaping the teacher's mathematical teaching.…

Comments on cognitive universals related to preparedness and surprise and outlines Bernard Lonergan's account of the universal, transcultural experience of human knowing. Discusses the bodily action and repetition involved in ways of knowing and preparing to know. States that embodied knowing should be developed in cognitive studies related to…

Examines the types of student learning outcomes that are useful in assessment for the purposes of accreditation. After identifying learning goals in the cognitive, behavioral, and affective domains, departments and programs should consider formative and summative assessment, the advantages of qualitative and quantitative data, and whether to…