Two experiments involving 112 college students, half male and half female, examined the spatial nature of mental-image rotation (MIR) tasks and the use of MIR in stereotypically male or female tasks. Results add to the evidence that instructional and stimulus effects may exacerbate or eliminate sex differences in spatial cognition. (SLD)

This meta-analytical review of seven studies examined the effectiveness of two intervention approaches--(1) behavior training strategies and (2) cognitive process strategies--to teaching social skills to learners with moderate to severe mental retardation. Although both approaches were effective, the cognitive process appeared more effective in…

Asserts that whether students engage in creative and critical thinking depends on how teachers structure the learning situation. Contends that using "academic controversy" among students provides a basis for deliberate discourse and creative problem solving. Presents a five-step instructional model to guide students. (CFR)

The interaction effect between two process skills (application and interpretation) and two task contexts (scientific and everyday) was investigated. Korean students (n=255), ages 13 and 15, were the subjects of this study. Results reveal that there was an apparent interaction between process skills and contexts. Sex-skill interaction and…

Literature on word processing (WP) and writing in elementary classrooms is reviewed. Five propositions are constructed to provide a schema for understanding what is known and needs to be learned about young writers and WP. WP's effects on students' composing processes, written products, attitudes, and keyboarding/systems skills are considered.…

Describes a study of undergraduate education students that investigated the use of corrective feedback in computer-directed instruction (CDI) and examined how different levels of feedback interacted with cognitive levels (i.e., interpretation and memory) for the mastery of mathematics. Implications for instructional designers are suggested. (17…

Reviews the literature on the relationship between schooling, IQ, and the cognitive processes presumed to underpin IQ. The data suggest the importance of quantity of schooling for IQ. Schooling fosters the development of cognitive processes that underpin performance on IQ tests. This development is unrelated to the quality of schools. (BC)

Measures of visual and tactual recognition memory, tactual-visual transfer, and object permanence were obtained for preterm and full-term infants. Measures of tactual-visual transfer were correlated with later intelligence measures up to the age of five years. These correlations were independent of socioeconomic status, medical risk, and early…

This paper describes student performance and beliefs regarding fractions resulting from a five-phase approach toward developing mathematical intuition via physical materials. Interviews with students using this approach and with students using a conventional textbook approach indicated significant differences in problem-solving abilities and…

To investigate whether there are 2 types of test-anxious students, those with poor study skills and those with difficulties in retrieving material, study skills training or anxiety desensitization were provided to 84 high test-anxious university students in Israel. Results support the theory of two types of test-anxious students. (SLD)

Examines the adaptive nature of prolonged human cognitive immaturity through developmental research in metacognition, egocentricity, plasticity, the speed of information processing, and language acquisition. Discusses the consequences of viewing children's immature cognition as adaptive for cognitive development and education. (Author/JB)

Counterintuitive moments in the classroom challenge common sense and practice and can be used to help mathematics students appreciate the need to explore, reflect, and reason. Proposed are four examples involving geometry, systems of equations, and matrices as counterintuitive instances. (MDH)

Explored the effect of topic-related attitudes on sixth graders' learning and remembering. Students in control, favorable-attitude, or unfavorable-attitude instruction groups heard neutral, positive, or negative passages read aloud. Results suggest experimentally created topic-related attitudes do not interfere with the immediate recall of…

Researchers examined student listening and reading performance to determine weaknesses in listening and reading comprehension, questioning whether performances of students with such problems suggest differences in processing strategies. Results showed significant between-group listening and reading differences. Using listening to measure optimal…

This study explored the relationship between traditional item difficulty and cognitive complexity as measured by response time. Rural students (n=43) responded to computer-based tests of the Individualized Study by Technology General Mathematics Course developed by Alaska's Department of Education. Results indicated that mean response times were…