Scientific sense-making is a process in which theory and evidence are brought into coordination. This work examines the conditions for the development of scientific sense-making in fifth and sixth grade classroom science lessons. Classroom activities that were structured as a series of presentations are compared with activities structured more as…

Examines the effects of modified instruction and high ability fifth-grade students' use of metacognition on spelling achievement. Notes that the instruction was modified to match the visual, auditory, tactile, and kinesthetic preferences of the group. Finds positive results. (RS)

Examined gender differences in individual and cooperative (small-group) self-management training programs targeting mathematics performance. Findings from 33 fifth graders revealed that girls in individual training condition improved significantly less than girls in cooperative condition and boys in individual condition. Boys in cooperative…

A study investigated the correlation between students' learning styles and their academic achievement on report cards and standardized tests. Subjects were 58 fifth-grade students in a suburban middle school. The "Learning Style Inventory" by Brown and Cooper was administered to this population, and students' academic averages and…

Effects of cognitive style matching on interaction patterns in teacher-student dyads were investigated. Cognitive similarity/dissimilarity was not associated with the interaction patterns. Dyadic interaction was affected by factors including cognitive style and sex of teachers and students and contextual factors, particularly whole class v…

Discusses how a fifth-grade teacher gained a new perspective on the reading habits of a reluctant male reader identified as having a specific learning disability in language. Notes that the student became enchanted with nonfiction, forcing the teacher to reevaluate her value system that placed reading, writing, and speaking above all other forms…

Relationships between cognitive style, conceptual tempo, and problem solving strategies of 81 fifth-grade students were examined. While cognitive style was not related to strategies used in problem solving, conceptual tempo influenced time spent and quality and quantity of questions asked. Effective training techniques were also described.…

When two upstate New York teachers analyzed the problems attending student presentations, it became clear that only students with Quadrant 2 (analytical) learning styles were comfortable listening to an oral report. After their gifted fifth and seventh graders created a 4MAT wheel, their new insights helped generate possible solutions to common…

This paper summarizes two related sets of data. First, the findings of an inquiry titled, "The Appropriateness of Forced Choice True/False Response Formats for Selected Learning Style Inventories" is reported. This inquiry compared data from two forms of the Dunn/Price Learning Style Inventory. The first form was the real Dunn/Price…

Describes a study of fifth graders that was conducted to determine the relationship among cognitive style, the structuring of the knowledge domain as controlled by the hypermedia software, and the test performance of the learner in terms of cognitive skill levels. Hypothesis testing and results of analysis of covariance are discussed. (Author/LRW)

Performance of 100 middle school students during and immediately after instruction showed that (1) students exposed to pre-instructional concept lessons have a higher achievement rate, (2) the Taba and the inquiry methods yield better performances than the expository method, and (3) field independent students are somewhat superior to field…

Fourth and sixth grade children differing in reading proficiency read and commented on brief expository passages containing three different types of embedded problems (nonsense words, prior knowledge violations, and internal inconsistencies). Half of the children were specificially instructed as to the types of standards they should apply in order…

Explores the relationships of emotion, cognition, and inner speech to each other and to context in a classroom of 24 fifth-grade students. Results of interviews and observations suggest the necessity of understanding adaptive behavior in context, understanding the role of context in determining cognitive and emotional responses, and understanding…

This report describes a program to improve student achievement through the use of music strategies. The targeted population was fifth-grade students in a small Iowa community. The absence of music integration into the social studies area was observed through data that displayed the lack of motivation and in-depth learning by the students. Analysis…

The predictive validity of reading attitude, field independence, locus of control, and demographic variables for reading and mathematics achievement was investigated. Expressed Reading Difficulty, field independence, and locus of control all contributed substantially to the regression equation. (Author/CM)