This study investigated how Japanese curricula represent functional relationships through the lenses of quantitative and covariational reasoning. Utilizing both macro and micro textbook analyses, we examined the tasks, questions, and representations in the Japanese elementary and lower secondary course of study, teachers' guide, and textbooks.…

The aim of this study was to identify specific cognitive abilities that predict functional outcome in high-functioning adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and to clarify the contribution of those abilities and their relationships. In total, 41 adults with ASD performed cognitive tasks in a broad range of neuro- and social cognitive…

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics (CCSSM) (CCSSI 2010) identifies the strategic use of appropriate tools as one of the mathematical practices and emphasizes the use of pictures and diagrams as reasoning tools. Starting with the early elementary grades, CCSSM discusses students' solving of problems "by drawing." In later…

Derives two sufficient conditions for a finitely generated Lie algebra to have the nilpotent hypercenter. Presents a relatively large class of generalized soluble Lie algebras. Proves that if a finitely generated Lie algebra has a nilpotent maximal subalgebra, the Fitting radical is nilpotent. (DDR)

Sixty Japanese children ranging in age from 3 years 4 months to 7 years 5 months were individually interviewed with three Piagetian tasks. Children's levels of representation were assessed by asking for a graphic representation of 4 dishes, 6 pencils, 8 small blocks etc. A conservation-of-number task was then given to assess children's level of…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue devoted to the Japanese perspectives on conceptual change. Discusses the overall conveyed message: The human cognitive system is a thematically organized knowledge base with agentive causality as the main mechanism for explain phenomena and analogy as the main mechanism for promoting conceptual…

Comments on the articles presented in this issue devoted to the Japanese perspectives on conceptual change. Suggests that different approaches to knowledge acquisition and conceptual change should be carefully examined in light of their implications for the teaching of science. Discusses critically the issues advanced from the Japanese…

Shares the results of a study in which 204 first grade students were interviewed. Interprets the findings in light of Piaget's emphasis on abstraction. Concludes that children represent ideas at their respective levels of abstraction. (Author/ASK)

Interviews 60 Japanese children between the ages of 3 and 7 years to investigate the relationship between levels of abstraction and representation. Indicates that abstraction and representation are closely related. Implies that educators need to focus more on the mental relationships children make because the meaning children can give to…

Proposes causal field theory as a model of causal reasoning. Suggests that anomaly detection through comparison with natural events triggers causal reasoning. This anomaly is interpreted in terms of agency; therefore, natural phenomena can be understood through an appeal to agency. The mechanism proposed never changes with development, whereas…

Examined and compared the logical thinking skills and science process skills of junior high school students in North Carolina (n=3,291) and Japan (n=4,397) by grade and by gender. Results indicated that Japanese students in grades seven, eight, and nine performed significantly better than North Carolina students in both areas. (MDH)

Pragmatic and semantic problem solving are examined as processes that enhance acquisition of mathematical knowledge. It is suggested that development of mathematical cognition involves restructuring and that math teachers can help restructure children's knowledge systems by providing them with situations in which semantic and pragmatic problem…

Proposes analogy as the central mechanism of knowledge acquisition in formal domains. Discusses experimental data on preschoolers' knowledge of one-to-one correspondence and college students' understanding of force decomposition. Suggests that a knowledge base domain is a thematically organized knowledge structure and that thematic relations in a…

Investigates different approaches of students from different cultures to problems and problem-solving strategies. Suggests ways to encourage students to use algebraic strategies. Provides some action research ideas for teachers to try in their classrooms. Contains 11 references. (ASK)

We are delighted to welcome you to the International Psychological Applications Conference and Trends (InPACT) 2016, taking place in Lisbon, Portugal, from 30 of April to 2 of May, 2016. Psychology, nowadays, offers a large range of scientific fields where it can be applied. The goal of understanding individuals and groups (mental functions and…