Describes scientific thought as a type of goal-directed behavior and its product and discusses its nature in terms of that goal and means appropriate for achieving it. Discusses the Galilean-Newtonian paradigm, empiricism, the idea that scientific thought has philosophical foundations, and the scientific status of human sciences. (Author/JRH)

Offers a resolution to the debate between constructivists and realists regarding the epistemological status of human knowledge. Presents evidence in the form of three case studies and one experimental study. Concludes that knowledge acquisition involves a pattern idea generation and test that, when cast in the form of a verbal argument, follows an…

Criticizes Hugh Lacey's use of the term "materialist" when describing materialist strategies used during structuralist explanation in scientific practice. Examines the grounds for supposing an affinity between these strategies and the growing subordination of human values to the attractions of technological transformations of nature.…

Theories of teaching and learning on human cognition depend on domain-free, general purpose processing by the brain. Cognition is modular in nature and often domain-specific. Children's ideas in science are often triggered rather than learned. Triggered conceptual structures are not necessarily expressible in language and may not be susceptible to…