This eighth annual listing of research on mathematics education is organized alphabetically by author(s) within three categories: research summaries, journal-published reports, and dissertation abstracts. Grade or age level is indicated for each reference. Studies specific to mathematics are annotated. A general topics index is included. (MN)

Emphasis on the systems approach in economic and social studies education demands attention to hierarchical analysis and sequencing of desired skills and instruction according to valid learning hierarchies. Learning hierarchies are arrangements of intellectual skill objectives in a pattern of prerequisite relationships among simple and complex…

Examines attitudes of high school students towards the protection of civil liberties in School governance policies and studies effects of student and school variables on governance attitudes. Little support exists for civil liberties when the exercise of those liberties is seen at threatening the interests of peer group members. (Author/AV)

Describes a model to evaluate the extent to which students perceive that coursework will be helpful to some future aspect of their lives. Social studies was not perceived as highly articulated with future careers, marriage, or family life, but students who expected community work to be important to their future happiness were more likely to…

Discusses possible social meanings of social studies knowledge. Argues that a major social function of the information in social studies textbooks is to provide formal justification for and legitimation of ongoing institutional practices. (Author)

This study explored the relationship between attributes of innovative social studies materials and school administrator's attitudes towards and adoption of these materials. Attributes which were studied included relative advantage, compatibility, observability, trialability, observable benefits and investment requirements. (Author/AV)

This study used a pretest-posttest control group experimental design to assess attitude changes in students toward the environment after study of special social studies and science modules. Coordinated instruction in both social studies and science classes produced significantly higher mean scores on cognitive and affective measures when compared…

The relationship between a cognitive style variable, field-dependence-independence, and instructional treatments that differed in two dimensions of discovery learning, level of guidance and level of abstraction, was investigated with 116 prospective elementary teachers. As predicted, field-independent students did better with minimum guidance,…

In grades 8, 10, and 12, 464 subjects were tested on each of the four basic principles of conditional reasoning with (1) Four Card problem tasks and (2) a paper-and-pencil instrument. It was shown that the two assessment procedures lack concurrent validity. (Author/MN)

Relationships were investigated between mathematics learning, spatial visualization, verbal ability, and eight affective variables with 1320 sixth through eighth graders. Results were synthesized with those obtained at the high school level and demonstrate fewer sex-related cognitive differences than previous conclusions in the literature would…

Seventy-five preservice elementary school teachers were given a Piagetian-related paper-and-pencil test involving the equilibrium of a beam balance. Results show a significant positive relationship between the developmental levels of the clearness, as measured by the test, and their performance on equation solving when different reversible…

Ninety second and fourth graders participated in eight weeks of instruction in basic facts. Instruction for the experimental groups resequenced traditional instruction in order to emphasize thinking strategies for remembering the facts. Findings were generally consistent with other research that supports the use of thinking strategies to…

Instruction for six groups of 204 students enrolled in introductory psychology and sociology courses was similar except in degree of teacher vagueness and student participation. Results support conclusions that the frequency of vagueness terms negatively influences achievement while they fail to support conclusions that the degree of student…

The author describes the structure, content, and standardization of the Stanford Mental Arithmetic Test (SMAT), which was developed at Stanford University from 1973 to 1975. (MN)

Offers a set of principles that should govern the composition of secondary school social studies curriculum as related to the developing and changing forms of cognition in secondary students. Discusses the "romantic" and "philosophic" stages of the secondary student's development and outlines curriculum implications for each stage. (KC)