Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education A Research Agenda (1985) / Chapter Skim
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2. Research on Reasoning
2. Research on Reasoning
Pages 5-14
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From page 5... ...
analyzed what information a learner should acquire while reading a description of a scientific relation and used their findings to design special training. In this training, students reading scientific text practiced finding particular kinds of information, e.g., units and symbols for quantities, typical values, scaling properties, and features distinguishing them from other quantities.
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From page 6... ...
. Being skilled at such probtems appears to be associated with being skilled not merely in the basic arithmetical operations, but also in categor iz ing problems according to the relationships they involve.
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From page 7... ...
Contrapositive: instead of proving the statement waif X is true then Y is true,. you can prove the equivalent statement waif Y is false then X must be false.U Contradiction: assume, for the sake of argument, that the statement you would like to prove is false.
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From page 8... ...
By presenting computer simulations of events (for example, objects falling in accordance both with Newtonian principles and commonsense perceptions) , exper imental instruction in this area has been shown to influence strongly held beliefs and deepen understanding of the power of scientific accounts (Champagne et al.
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From page 9... ...
Average performers in a field often know enough about the domain to construct an efficient initial representation of a problem, but they lack knowledge of the conditions for applying certain procedures. A major research challenge is to understand better the dynamic process through which reasoning skills are acquired, to develop a rich theory of learning particularly targeted toward reasoning skills that are difficult to acquire.
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From page 10... ...
Schema theory attempts to describe how acquired knowledge is organized and represented and how such cognitive structures facilitate the use of knowledge in particular ways. This theoretical construct has particular utility for devising approaches to instruction as individuals attempt to interpret new information on the basis of prior knowledge.
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From page 11... ...
The committee recommends research on how competence in reasoning skills is acquired, including the mechanisms of reasoning skills, particularly as evidenced in the differences between novice and experienced learners; the dynamic processes through which reasoning skills are acquired in the context of specific domains of knowledge; and the scientific reasoning skills of children. THE SEARCH EOR GE~I~ IN CONING SKILLS Despite many efforts to understand and teach "generals reasoning skills, success has been unclear.
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From page 12... ...
One explanation may be that effective reasoning requires a large amount of domainspecific knowledge, as illustrated by the work cited in the previous section, and relatively little generalpurpose knowledge. This conclusion is further supported by considerable recent work on modeling and simulating experts in various fields.
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From page 13... ...
For example, in an integrated set of training studies, Palincsar and Brown have shown that instruction based on a system of inquiry can greatly increase children's skills in understanding what they read -- from 20 percent to 60 percent correct scores on reading comprehension tests. The training sessions they designed focus on encouraging children to internalize skills that foster comprehension.
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From page 14... ...
Hence, the committee recommends focused research on self-regulatory or metacognitive capabilities what they are, how they develop, and how learners can be helped to acquire them. We also recommend systematic tracking of outcomes resulting from efforts to teach generalized thinking and reasoning skills.
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