Dewey's concept of education as growth can be useful in conceiving of student success. Dewey regarded immaturity as potential for continuous development of both children and adults. His concept of "plasticity" as the capacity to alter present actions because of previous experiences is crucial to the notion of growth. A continuous…

To identify the profile of the active older reader, indepth taped interviews were conducted with 23 retired individuals for whom reading was an important part of daily living experience. Demographic data indicated that the highest education level attained varied from grammar school to a master's degree. Developmentally, the lifetime reader…

A study was made of the extent and ways different types of educational software allow young children to manipulate their own actions and, more specifically, to engage in reversible activity. Part 1 of the study consisted of an analysis of the types of reversible actions two kindergarten children engaged in and the actions they wanted to engage in…

Learning and developmental theories establish a basis for realistically evaluating expectations for responsible sexual behavior by adolescents. Knowledge of the ways in which individuals learn and of the characteristic developmental levels and stages of an individual's physical, cognitive, and psychosocial development should be applicable in…

The link between writing and the development of reasoning abilities, and implications for the college curriculum are discussed. The developmental models/theories of Piaget, Kohlberg, Gilligan, and Perry are described. Perry identifies a level of cognitive development called "dualism," which is a tendency to view the world in absolute,…

Seventy-one college general biology students were taught a unit in Mendelian genetics by the traditional lecture method. Emphasis was placed on meiotic formation of gametes, dominance, segregation, and independent assortment. The Punnett square model was used for all practice problems. While using this model, students were asked to: (1) identify…

Social and ethnic differences in moral judgment are examined, and a critique of the cognitive-developmental model is presented in this paper. In opposition to Piaget and Kohlberg, the thesis advanced is that morality and moral development are culturally and socially determined constructs. While Piaget postulated the presence of qualitatively…

Examples of explanations students give during science lessons are used to demonstrate that there are a number of very different modes of explaining. In addition, it is suggested that the peculiarly scientific method of explanation is fraught with difficulties, some of which current learning theories may just be able to describe. Areas discussed…

Some researchers have suggested that there are developmental stages in adult life. If adult developmental stages exist, such stages would be reflected in one's career. Individuals would progress from their career dream when they first enter the work force through a period of stability, a mid-life transition period when they compare reality to…

The purpose of this paper is to increase teachers' understanding of children's conceptualizations of death to enable them to respond to the symptoms of grief in both early and middle childhood. John Bowlby's theoretical framework of childhood mourning is elaborated, and research on teachers' facilitation of children's grief is briefly noted. The…

This article advocates continued attention to spelling in the middle years. Students need systematic spelling instruction from grades one through eight that is appropriate to the developmental stages of learning to spell. Teachers are encouraged to include both spelling patterns and spelling strategies in their spelling curriculum and provide…

This pilot study proposed and tested an institutional development model for use under the provisions of Title III of the Higher Education Act of 1965. The model could be used to improve the funding process and as a basis for future studies of the effects of the program. The study used a broad concept of management that incorporates all aspects of…

A study of 60 adults, ages 23-38, was done to assess the fit of life-stages (periods during which adults of similar age face common problems, events, pressures, situations) identified by writers in adult development for these ages. Focus was on (1) creating a structured interview schedule to obtain data which should be age-related and (2) creating…

The development of rapid word processing skills was investigated using a visual search task. Visual displays of varying orthographic structure (words, pseudowords, nonwords) were presented to college students and to kindergarten, second-grade, and fourth-grade children. Response latencies were measured as subjects indicated whether a previously…

Many studies using questionnaires and observational methods to collect information on the pointing gesture in infants have recently been performed. However, no study based on long-term observation is presently available that deals with the appearance and development of pointing as an interaction between mothers and their children. Therefore, this…