This article traces changes in mathematics teaching, stresses the importance of mathematics in the lives of today's children, and gives some suggestions for new teaching methods. The applications and distortions of Piaget's learning theory as applied to mathematics instruction are also discussed. For journal availability, see SO 506 042. (JK)

This survey of 11-, 12-, and 15-year-old English schoolchildren suggests that (1) at each level of family environment, increases in affective characteristics are associated with increments in cognitive scores, and (2) at each level of attitudes toward school and locus of control, increases in family environment scores are related to increments in…

Twelve one-word-stage children were given minimally contrasting two-word instructions. Since non-linguistic cues were eliminated, comprehension involved making non-syntactic inferences from the word combinations. The children could respond correctly to some of the instructions, and even carried out some unfamiliar activities. (Author/SW)

First, second, third, sixth, and ninth graders and college students were presented with 4 different tasks of surface-volume dissociation in order to see whether or not the conservation of one of these properties would wrongly induce a belief in the conservation of the other. (Author/JMB)

This study examines the development of children's understanding of temporal cycles and the relationship between cyclic concepts and cognitive development. A sample of 62 children, ranging in age from 4 to 10 years, were administered Piagetian tests of classification and seriation and a variety of specially designed cyclic tasks. (Author/JMB)

Presents a study of inferential problem solving abilities of 5-year-old children. Tasks involved the combination of separately acquired behavior segments in order to solve a novel problem. (BD)

Preschool children between 3 and 5 1/2 years of age participated in a learning task in which a conditional relational problem was presented in either a blocked or random series. Prior training on the components of the task was also varied. (BD)

Cites research findings to refute Piaget's contention of stages of cognitive development. Advocates continuous cognitive differentiation as a model. (CP)

Reports on an investigation in which topics in genetics and probability were taught to students divided along the Piagetian dimension of field-indepent (FI) and field-dependent (FD) ability. Two teaching strategies, inductive (IND) and a deductive (DED) approaches, were used. Retention scores revealed that regardless of strategy experienced, FI…

Children aged four through eight performed a series of tasks involving two-dimensional isometrics to determine the amount of compatability between a mathematically-based organization of Euclidean transformation concepts and the existing cognitive structures of the children. Results confirmed that mathematical and cognitive structures are not…

The author recounts his experience in dealing with a child of normal intelligence but an unusually short attention span and physical restlessness. (JD)

Advocates the educational theories of David Ausubel as a basis on which to build science and mathematics curricula and instructional procedures. Offers interpretations of Piaget's conservation tasks in Ausubelian theory. (CP)

Six alternative school programs are evaluated to provide additional insight into their effectiveness in (1) promoting cognitive achievement, (2) developing positive student attitudes and self-concepts, (3) developing positive behavior change, and (4) providing long-term benefits to the students. (MJB)

In a task in which 4- and 7-year-old children were asked to select a photograph depicting the visual perspective of a puppet which was placed at various locations around a dollhouse, three types of errors were examined in relation to the shielded vs. nonshielded condition, age, and type of vantage point. (SB)