Describes the use of cognitive mapping to identify historical conceptions by examining whether adolescents' historical knowledge can be characterized according to distinctions between critical and traditional orientations. Presents three "ideal conceptions'" of Jewish history: (1) theological; (2) sociological; and (3)…

Randomly selected high school students (n=13) who studied an ecology unit were interviewed, and narrative data analyzed for changes in knowledge schema. Data support the current theory that the amount and quality of prior knowledge substantially influence gains in new knowledge and are closely linked to a capacity to apply higher-order cognitive…

Low-achieving college students (N=94) evidenced less use of self-regulating strategies and a stronger relationship of self-regulated strategy use to positive motivational orientation than high-achieving students (N=49). Samples were predominantly white and female. Encouraging the use of these strategies may improve low achievers' academic…

Describes a study that investigated the relationship and development of fifth-grade students' conceptual ecologies of heat. Contends that relying on a single mode of assessing students' learning can lead to a restricted view of what they truly know. (WRM)

"Moments at the edge" occur when adventure participants reach the boundaries of their assumptions and mental frames and are ready to experiment with a new, more successful, mindset. Facilitators can support this experiment if the moment is recognized. Several indicators of the edge are described, and a case study of "edgework"…

Examines aspects of 10-year-old children's conceptions of understanding. Analyzes to what extent they (1) recognize understanding as a cohesive whole, (2) know when a descriptive understanding versus a causal understanding is expected, and (3) can distinguish between the types of causal understanding in science and history. Includes references and…

In two experiments, affect-based and cognition-based attitudes toward a person were induced by varying sequence of affective and cognitive information presented to subjects while holding content constant. Results indicated affect-based attitudes were most effectively changed by affective persuasive appeals, whether these appeals were produced by…

Discusses the identification of critical elements that will induce and maintain behavior change in drug education. Demonstrates how the Theory of Reasoned Action can be used to identify these elements. Data were gathered from a sample of heroin injectors and the cognitive structures underlying drug use were investigated. Discusses findings with…

Draws on recent work leading to new conceptions of learning, induction, transfer, and strategy acquisition. Contends learning is no longer simply the acquisition of behaviors, but also includes storing knowledge about relations in the world, and acquiring structural representations and mental models. Sees learning and the growth of processing…

Two experiments examined preschoolers' and adults' relative reliance on visual and verbal information in identification of animals and machines. Findings include both children and adults can use either visual or verbal cues in categorization, and a stricter definition is used in identifying animals. Results suggest that a perceptual to conceptual…

Examines quantitative models in school physics, looking particularly at the degree to which they match the real world. Explores the positive aspects of a mismatch between models and real world conditions. (DDR)

Presents a study in which the conversations of primary school groups were collected in a botanical garden and analyzed for content. The data were examined for the effects of the presence or absence of an adult in the group, age, and the sex of the pupils. (Contains 27 references.) (Author/DDR)

Explores the relationship between three psychological factors (1) field dependence/field independence; (2) convergent/divergent dimensions of cognitive styles; and (3) working memory capacity and their effect on word association test responses for biological concepts, as well as grid questions. States the research study was completed in three…

In an examination of the sweep of Catholic education's history, the author asserts that the most salient characteristic of Catholic education is its commitment to educate the whole person. Catholic education's idea of knowledge promotes wisdom for life, intending a knowledge that is lived and that shapes people's identity and character. (VWC)

Suggests that the study of memory needs to be situated within broader conceptual and research contexts. Examines how four contexts accommodate memory phenomena: (1) knowledge; (2) comprehension; (3) context/function; and (4) strategy. Suggests that memories are best examined as knowledge structures resulting from efforts to understand, and that…