Four experiments supported the hypothesis that, when learning to use equipment such as computers, if the material to be learned has an intrinsically high degree of interaction between elements, then learning might be facilitated by not having the equipment present. Thus, an analysis of intrinsic and extraneous cognitive load can lead to…

Two experiments involved an intelligent tutoring system for the Carnegie Mellon University Lisp Tutor using production system theories of transfer and analogical problem solving. Results suggested that acquisition of cognitive skills is facilitated by high degrees of metacognition, which includes higher level monitoring of states of knowledge,…

This study analyzed relations between student achievement in the domain of fractions and the extent to which classroom practices are aligned with principles recommended by current reform frameworks. Hierarchical linear-model analyses revealed that alignment of classroom practices with reform principles was related to student achievement in problem…

Presents a case study of third graders' development of place value conceptions to illustrate an approach for documenting students' mathematical development in the social context of the elementary school classroom. Documents the evolution of communal mathematical practices in which students participate and the development of individual…

Examined grade nine student reflection during mathematics problem-solving situations in which students worked individually, collaborated in small groups, subsequently wrote group reports, then engaged in a teacher-led discussion in which students reported on the process. Found that reporting was a social practice through which private artifacts…

Develops a multidimensional framework for analyzing an extended physics classroom interaction to understand the resources participants use, alignments they form, and meanings and context they construct. Considers how participants negotiate their positions, focusing on one resistant student and why she remains unconvinced by others' arguments and…

Ten children, 5- to 9-years old, taught magic tricks to absent and present peers through tape-recorded and face-to-face instructions. Children's informative, descriptive, and persuasive speech was compared for absent and present peers, and effects of age, practice, and trick length were assessed. Results revealed skills for informative and…

Examined the complex interactions among student engagement, scientific-thinking practices, and student role taking and social interaction in the context of school-based science lessons. Found that students in an intellectual-roles plus audience-roles condition were more active in initiating engagement episodes than those in intellectual roles only…

Three studies evaluated a method for developing prior-knowledge structures that prepares students to learn from a text or lecture. Findings indicate that there is a place for lectures and readings in the classroom if students have sufficiently differentiated domain knowledge to use the expository materials in a generative manner. (TJQ)

Two studies pursued theory that knowledge of addition combinations facilitates learning of subtraction combinations. Study 1 involved 25 kindergartners and 15 first graders in a gifted program; study 2 involved 21 first graders in a regular program. Participants responded to two pairs of problems. Findings revealed that the complementary…

Examined the strategies employed by 30 Israeli preschool children when identifying noncommercial print appearing in their kindergartens. Found that 5-year olds, but not 4-year olds, attended to print rather than to contextual cues. Results point to a causal role for alphabetic and phonological skills in the development of preschool word…

Explores school districts' responses to recent mathematics reforms. Notes that district leaders' understanding focused on piecemeal changes that often miss the disciplinary particular of the reform. Advocates inclusion of implementers' interpretation of the reform message with more conventional variables, such as local resistance to reform and…

Documented differences in frequency and type of mathematical explanations during lessons in U.S., Taiwanese, and Japanese first- and fifth-grade classrooms. Found that explanations occurred more frequently in Japanese and Taiwanese classrooms than in U.S. classrooms. Typical explanations in Asian classrooms were more substantive than in U.S.…

Examined beliefs of elementary, middle, and high school mathematics teachers regarding algebra development. Found that teachers held a symbol-precedence view of student mathematical development. High school teachers were most likely to hold the symbol-precedence view and made the poorest predictions of students' performance, whereas middle school…

Used interviews and observations of teachers and students to examine how historical concepts and research strategies were taught and learned in two fourth grade classrooms. Found that teaching method differences were obvious but student differences in concept- and strategic-knowledge development were subtle. Both teachers were partially successful…