A 3-year study was conducted to determine the logical reasoning processes necessary to construct line graphs. Responses obtained from middle and high school science and mathematics students were classified into one of nine categories. These categories ranged from "no attempt to make a graph" to "complete graph with a statement of a…

This study was designed to test the hypothesis that use of a probability unit in ninth-grade general mathematics classes would yield student improvement in computational skill, arithmetic reasoning, and attitude toward mathematics. A 47-page unit on probability (developed for this study) covered basic terminology, probability of events, favorable,…

This article presents 10 practical teaching procedures to encourage students to develop formal reasoning skills. A twelfth-grade English course is used as an example. Procedures include pretesting, sequencing instruction, providing students with concrete experiences, discussing reasoning patterns and forms of argumentation, assigning argumentative…

Describes the relationship between language concepts and the basic patterns of mathematical expressions. Suggests ways to improve the reading comprehension, writing ability, and reasoning skills of school and college students by integrating language topics into the mathematics curriculum. Discusses the use of language concepts in algebraic…

A model for the development of scientific reasoning in adolescents was formulated largely upon the basis of Piagetian theory. Included as potential determinants of scientific reasoning were: experience; age; locus of control; field dependence-independence (FID); rigidity/flexibility; intelligence quotient (IQ); and sex. Causal relationships…

Curriculum guides for four social studies instruction modules at the secondary level are included in this document. The general format for each twelve week course includes a diagram of concept relationships, prefatory remarks, and an outline of concepts coordinated with activities and instructional resources. The first module, Geographic Patterns,…

Examines content and problem effects of formal thought in 13-year-olds (N=120). Three controlling variables tasks with different content and two question-type tests (analysis and controlling questions) were administered. Findings, among others, indicate that content and problem effects contribute to variance on formal reasoning problems.…

Describes a study of ninth-grade students that evaluated the ability of the Word Problem Solving Tutor, a cognitive tutoring system, to improve the abstract-reasoning component of word-problem solving. Compares combinations of traditional instruction, computer-assisted instruction, and the tutoring program and discusses implications for math…

Eight issues of this research journal on gifted children include the following topics: (1) Profile of a Gifted Child: The Johns Hopkins Program for Mathematically Precocious Youth--Fall 1986; (2) The Impact of the Arts on Our Civilization: Excerpts from Colloquium III (Louisville, Kentucky)--Summer 1987; (3) Why Are Asians so Smart? An…

The Managing Independent Living Program provides instruction in reasoning skills to analyze career and life planning, housing, and consumer needs of persons in transition. Although the program was implemented and tested with adult female offenders, it is readily adaptable to both institutionalized and noninstitutionalized persons and for secondary…

Reported are results of a study proposing to determine whether developmental patterns in correlational reasoning could be identified among a large and diverse sample; whether developmental patterns in correlational reasoning were similar regardless of problem context; and whether developmental patterns in correlational reasoning were similar for…

Interview data on the learning experiences and techniques of 90 Swedish teenagers and adults were further analyzed to explore changes in views on learning reported by the subjects themselves, and differences between subjects with respect to age (range 15-73) and formal education (range 6-17 years). Some subjects equated knowledge with discrete…

Results of seventh-grade students taking Scholastic Aptitude Test indicate that, by age 13, a large sex difference in mathematical reasoning ability exists; among students scoring greater than 700, boys outnumbered girls 13 to 1. Hypothesized factors thought to influence the difference (such as course taking, attitudes) were not supported by data…

A cognitive-based system of analysis of spoken discourse was designed to provide details about the way pupils think and talk about issues arising from prose material. Written and spoken responses were analyzed to examine the effects of intellectual ability, differences in the stimulus passage, and prior small group discussion. (Note: Page…

Describes the Plane Geometry System computer software developed at the Educational Computer Systems laboratory in Sofia, Bulgaria. The system enables students to use the concept of "algorithm" to correspond to the process of "deductive proof" in the development of plane geometry. Provides an example of the software's capability…