Examines processes of moral change in light of emerging concepts from narrative psychology. Argues that role taking can be better understood when narrative concepts are employed. Concludes that, where cognitive developmental and narrative approaches to psychological development differ, the narrative account can illumine and challenge categories…

Recommends treating basic skills students as if they have innate knowledge, not an intellectual disease. Underscores inference as a key activity in critical thinking. Suggests strategies for improving students' inferential powers. Argues that the strategies can help students recognize their inferential ability and learn to use it in writing. (SG)

Two groups of 32 junior kindergarten and 32 first-grade children performed an instance and superordinate name comprehension task, using 96 single-exemplar pictures from 12 categories. High rates of instance name intrusions and other findings suggest that superordinate name production may be interfered with by more readily available instance names.…

Twenty-three intermediate grade students (seven with learning difficulties) completed a concept mapping and vocabulary quiz, with instructions highlighting the value of learning goals or performance goals. Children with varying learning histories mediated in-school learning with qualitatively distinct epistemologies, and the "learning goals" task…

This article uses a case study of a deaf-blind infant to examine issues in the early cognitive development of such infants. The study used an ecological approach involving naturalistic observation, videotaping, anecdotal accounts, and the use of four global developmental scales. (DB)

Seven infants and toddlers with severe/profound and multiple learning difficulties were presented with a contingency situation which they could control. Increased responses and positive emotional effects, which were reversed when their control was eliminated, suggested that infants with mental ages as young as two months can detect cause and…

Discusses why improvements in teaching mathematics are needed, including discussion of students, human development, knowledge and learning, structure of schools and instructional programs, and mathematics. Also discusses a need for two theories: (1) how young people form self-concepts and (2) classification of approaches to curricula and…

Two experiments tested two, three, and four year olds' ability to understand false beliefs. Results of both experiments support earlier claims that an understanding of false beliefs and deceptive ploys emerges at around age four. Two and three year olds can be led to produce such ploys but show no clear understanding of their effect. (GLR)

Hypothesized that reduction of schematic processing distortions would lead to increased flexibility in children's beliefs about what men and women can do. Subjects were 76 children between 6 and 11 years of age. The intervention led to a reduction in children's occupational stereotyping. (RH)

Two questionnaires were given to 38 students (16-18 year olds), in which they were asked to classify a list of different conceptual entities by several ontological features. The results suggest the form of a fundamental "ontological space" and locate some scientific concepts in this space. (Author)

Two inquiry-based teaching activities that are structured to cause cognitive disequilibrium and enable the student to alleviate the disequilibrium with the resultant equilibration at a higher cognitive level are presented. The first activity uses a Cartesian diver and the second a short film in which students are asked to determine the main idea…

A sample of 48 children with and without musical training were presented with a melody of 9 notes and asked to select the line drawing that best depicted the melodic contour. Findings indicated a lengthy course of development of sensitivity to diatonic scale structure and suggested that musical training may enhance acquisition of this type of…

Discussed is the research method of "didactic engineering" and the potential theoretical problems of putting research findings into practical use as teaching methods in mathematics classrooms. Cited is the possible incompatibility between the theoretical principles of experimental methods and teachers' conceptions. (MDH)

Discussed is the importance of establishing the link between students' understanding of mathematics in real world settings and the symbolism used to represent that mathematics. Examples provide evidence that students and sometimes teachers fail to establish that link. References are given for resources providing strategies and contexts to assist…

The learning style mean scores of 539 Pennsylvania 4-H members were below the national norm on 4 of 5 cognitive subscales. It was recommended that nonformal education such as 4-H stress such cognitive skills as ability to think, solve problems, and process information. (SK)