This experiment investigated the effect of the presentation of a globe--the culturally accepted artifact representing the earth--on children's reasoning in elementary astronomy. Forty-four children from grades 1 and 3 were interviewed individually. First, the children were asked to make their own representations of the earth (i.e., drawings and…

An experiment is reported that investigated the development of students' understanding of the numerical value of fractions. A total of 200 students ranging in age from 10 to 16 years were tested using a questionnaire that required them to decide on the smallest/biggest fraction, to order a set of given fractions and to justify their responses.…

In the present article, we argue that the conceptual change approach to learning can apply in the case of mathematics, taking into consideration the particular nature of mathematical knowledge and the neurobiological bases of mathematical cognition. In the empirical study that is reported in this article, we investigated ninth graders'…

Studied the use of research-based principles to create a learning environment for teaching mechanics to one class of Greek fifth and sixth graders. Students were encouraged to take active control of their learning, make predictions, and test their own hypotheses. Results show significant differences between experimental and control groups,…

It is argued that cognitive psychology has contributed to advances in learning and instruction not so much because of its original epistemology and implicit theory of learning as because of its methodology. A revised epistemology conceptualizing the mind as a developing biological system will bring new advances in understanding learning. (SLD)

It is argued that recent findings in the study of learning and cognitive science have established a basis for a psychology of learning taking culture into account. Two aspects beyond those discussed are the construction of culture itself and how conceptual models influence the physical reality of culture. (SLD)