Preservice elementary teachers enrolled in a mathematics course were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups for instruction on computation in bases other than 10. Group 1 (Min-M) involved minimal guidance and a concrete level of abstraction, while group 2 (Max-S) had a large amount of guidance and dealt with concepts at a symbolic level.…

Using student ability, measured by grade point average and cognitive structure, as measured by the number of high school and college courses in science and mathematics, as predictor variables, the investigator attempted to determine the reliability of the use of advance organizers to enhance the retention of meaningful concepts. Students enrolled…

In this study the researcher investigated the feasibility of constructing a valid paper-and-pencil measure of problem solving ability. (Rationale and design of the study are discussed in Part 1.) The principal feasibility criterion, correlation of at least .71 with scores on taped and coded individual "thinking aloud" problem-solving…

Analysis of 65 children over a 4-year period on tests of operational and causal thinking offers support for Piaget's notion of stage progression. In kindergarten and grade one, the majority of children in this longitudinal study were between preoperational and the achievement stage of operational thought. By grade two, the majority had attained…

Reported is a study related to diagnosing elements of propositional thinking in the cognitive functioning of 62 sixth- and seventh-grade students. The rationale is based on the work of Piaget and others. Instruments used to diagnose levels of abstract thinking involved using computer simulated experiments (CSE). The direct and indirect effects of…

Reported is a study of possible relationships between selected teacher characteristics and teacher effectiveness in the teaching of junior high school science, Interaction of Matter and Energy (IME). Thirty-two teachers and IME students from eight schools participated in the study. Teacher data were collected by means of: (1) Rokeach Dogmatism…

This study examines the relationship between a child's concept of geographic and territorial relationships and his competence on classification and class inclusion measures. Jean Piaget's stages of development and studies conducted by other investigators (Jahoda, 1964; Stoltman, 1971; Rand and Towler, 1973; Flavell, 1963; Asher, et al, 1971;…

The Test of Logical Thinking in Science and tape recordings and notes from a scientific inquiry lesson were used to evaluate the relative effectiveness of the regular and new science programs in developing scientific thinking among elementary school pupils. The findings, limited by sample size and short-term experimental design, indicated that the…

The relationship between sex of the experimenter and of a child's cognitive style on risk-taking behavior is reported. The Subjects were 30 boys and 30 girls in the fourth grade. An adult female experimenter administered Kagan's Matching Familiar Figures task to half the children of each sex to give a measure of the childrens' reflective or…

The purpose of this literature review was to summarize results of experimental studies on the instructional effectiveness of audiovisual media in post-secondary education. Studies which met seven major screening criteria were used. A study was generally accepted if it compared performance of experimental and control groups on objective measures of…

This study investigated (1) relationships between reading comprehension, IQ, and equivalence range (ER) and (2) categorizing styles through multidimensional scaling and varimax rotation analysis. One hundred and six male and 97 female sixth-graders comprised three reading groups according to Metropolitan Achievement Test, Reading subtest, and Otis…

Described are 12 instruments utilized in studies measuring the Piagetian level of cognitive development of students. Instruments for elementary and secondary students are included, and a detailed analysis of the concepts measured and the method for evaluating the results of each instrument is included. Stressed is the importance of analyzing why a…

Analyzes the performance of the Electronic Task (ET), to test for combinatorial reasoning, over a broad range of subject ages and abilities in order to evaluate it as a substitute for the original Chemical Task (CT). (GA)

Discusses some of the findings of the assessment conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress, from 1976 to 1977, concerning science achievement. (HM) Aspect of National Assessment (NAEP) dealt with in this document: Results (Overview).

Compared the performance of 338 children on the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers (MAP) in a follow-up study, to eight indices of school functioning, including retention in school, teachers' observations, assignment to special classes or services, and report card grades. Preschoolers with low MAP scores were significantly more likely to be…