Educational Psychology Series – serie

This book stems from more than 25 years of systematic research into the experience of learning undertaken by a research team trying to account for the obvious differences between more or less successful instances of learning in educational institutions. The book offers an answer in terms of the discovery of critical differences in the structure of the learner's awareness and critical differences in the meaning of the learner's world. The authors offer a detailed account of the empirical findings that give rise to theoretical insights, and discuss the particular form of qualitative research that has been employed and developed.The form of learning that is the object of study is considered to be the most fundamental form -- namely a change in the learner's way of seeing, experiencing, handling, and understanding aspects of the world. The need for rigorous analysis of learning of specific subject matter, the individual construction of knowledge, and its social and cultural embeddedness -- the defining features of rival approaches into research on learning -- are reconciled from the approach adopted here into an intertwined and whole experience of learning. The learner's experience is always one of learning something, in some way, and in some context; by holding the learner's experience of learning as the focus of study throughout -- and not studying the learning of the content and the acts and the context as separate and distinct focuses -- the content, the act, and the context remain united as constituents of the learner's experience.By empirically revealing critical differences in the ways of experiencing these aspects of learning, and by developing a theoretical framework for the dynamics through which change comes about in the learner's awareness, this book gradually leads the reader to a powerful new view of learning. Equipped with the analytical tools and conceptual apparatus to be found in this book, the reader will be empowered to learn and to assist others to learn by creating environments conducive to the most fundamental form of learning: experiencing aspects of the world in new ways.

In this volume, Robert J. Sternberg and David D. Preiss bring together different perspectives on understanding the impact of various technologies on human abilities, competencies, and expertise. The inclusive range of historical, comparative, sociocultural, cognitive, educational, industrial/organizational, and human factors approaches will stimulate international multi-disciplinary discussion. Major questions that are addressed include:*What is the impact of different technologies on human abilities?*How does technology enhance or limit human intellectual functioning?*What is the cognitive impact of complex technologies?*What is the cognitive impact of the transfer of technologies?*How can we design technologies that foster intellectual growth?*How does technology mediate the impact of cultural variables on human intellectual functioning?Part I addresses the history of cognitive technologies and how they have evolved with culture, but at the same time helped culture evolve. Part II focuses on how educational technologies affect the ways in which students and others think. The topic of Part III is technology in the world of work. Part IV deals with the interface between intelligence and technology.The diversity and richness of technology relates to different forms of abilities, competencies, and expertise. In consequence, many psychologists, educators, and others are interested in exploring the ways in which technology and human abilities interact, but lack a handy source of information to satisfy their interest. This book provides researchers and students in these areas with relevant perspectives and information.

This volume presents research from a variety of perspectives on the enhancement of human intelligence. It is organized around five themes – enhancement via instruction; enhancement via development (over the life cycle); enhancement over time; enhancement via new constructs; and new directions in enhancement. Three key issues are addressed: First, although most of the scientific research on intelligence has concerned what it is, this volume attends to the consequential societal and economic issue concerns of whether it can be increased, and how. Second, intellectual enhancement is particularly important when targeted to minorities and the poor, groups that have typically performed relatively less well on intelligence and achievement measures. This volume reflects the education community's ongoing interest in understanding, and attempting to close, achievement or test score gaps. Third, most of the attention to examining intellectual enhancement, and in accounting for and closing the test-score gap, has focused on general cognitive ability. In line with the current emphasis on considering intelligence from a wider perspective, this volume includes constructs such as emotional and practical intelligence in definitions of intellectual functioning. Extending Intelligence: Enhancement and New Constructs is an essential volume for researchers, students, and professionals in the fields of educational psychology, intelligence, educational measurement and assessment, and critical thinking.

The key question this book addresses is how to identify and create optimal conditions for the kind of learning and development that is especially important for effectively functioning in the 21st century. Taking a new approach to this long-debated issue, it looks at how a design research-based science of learning (with its practical models and related design research) can provide insights and integrated models of how human beings actually function and grow in the social dynamics of educational settings with all their affordances and constraints. More specifically: How can specific domains or subject matters be taught for broad intellectual development? How can technology be integrated in enhancing human functioning? How can the social organization of classroom learning be optimized to create social norms for promoting deep intellectual engagement and personal growth? Part I is concerned with broad conceptual and technical issues regarding cultivating intellectual potential, with a focus on how design research might fill in an important a niche in addressing these issues. Part II presents specific design work in terms of design principles, models, and prototypes.

The key question this book addresses is how to identify and create optimal conditions for the kind of learning and development that is especially important for effectively functioning in the 21st century. Taking a new approach to this long-debated issue, it looks at how a design research-based science of learning (with its practical models and related design research) can provide insights and integrated models of how human beings actually function and grow in the social dynamics of educational settings with all their affordances and constraints. More specifically: How can specific domains or subject matters be taught for broad intellectual development? How can technology be integrated in enhancing human functioning? How can the social organization of classroom learning be optimized to create social norms for promoting deep intellectual engagement and personal growth? Part I is concerned with broad conceptual and technical issues regarding cultivating intellectual potential, with a focus on how design research might fill in an important a niche in addressing these issues. Part II presents specific design work in terms of design principles, models, and prototypes.

In a world plagued by enormous, complex problems requiring long-range vision and interdisciplinary insights, the need to attend to the influence of dogmatic thinking on the development of high ability and creative intelligence is pressing. This volume introduces the problem of dogmatism broadly, explores the nature and nuances of dogmatic thinking from various disciplinary perspectives, and applies the gleaned insights to what is known about creativity. Bringing together leading thinkers in the fields of creative studies and education, and in other relevant fields (history, sociology, psychology) whose work pertains to the various dimensions of dogmatism and the ethical problems it generates, this panoramic view represents interdisciplinary bridge building with the potential to generate new insights about the education of creative young minds.

In a world plagued by enormous, complex problems requiring long-range vision and interdisciplinary insights, the need to attend to the influence of dogmatic thinking on the development of high ability and creative intelligence is pressing. This volume introduces the problem of dogmatism broadly, explores the nature and nuances of dogmatic thinking from various disciplinary perspectives, and applies the gleaned insights to what is known about creativity. Bringing together leading thinkers in the fields of creative studies and education, and in other relevant fields (history, sociology, psychology) whose work pertains to the various dimensions of dogmatism and the ethical problems it generates, this panoramic view represents interdisciplinary bridge building with the potential to generate new insights about the education of creative young minds.

This volume presents the most current perspectives on the role of metacognition in diverse educationally relevant domains. The purpose is to examine the ways in which theoretical investigations of metacognition have recently produced a strong focus on educational practice. The book is organized around four general themes relevant to education: metacognition and problem solving, metacognition and verbal comprehension, metacognition and the education of nontraditional populations, and metacognition and studentship. Chapter authors review current literature as it applies to their chapter topic; discuss theoretical implications and suggestions for future research; and provide educational applications. Each chapter describes testable theory and provides examples of how theory can be applied to the classroom. The volume will have wide appeal to researchers and students concerned with the scientific investigation of metacognition, and to practitioners concerned with the cultivation of learning and achievement in their students.The unique contribution of this book to the literature on metacognition is its presentation of the most current research examining specific theoretical aspects of metacognition in domains directly relevant to education. This is especially valuable for the many researchers and practitioners who subscribe to the concept that by fostering metacognitive processes during instruction, more durable and transferable learning can be achieved.

This volume presents the most current perspectives on the role of metacognition in diverse educationally relevant domains. The purpose is to examine the ways in which theoretical investigations of metacognition have recently produced a strong focus on educational practice. The book is organized around four general themes relevant to education: metacognition and problem solving, metacognition and verbal comprehension, metacognition and the education of nontraditional populations, and metacognition and studentship. Chapter authors review current literature as it applies to their chapter topic; discuss theoretical implications and suggestions for future research; and provide educational applications. Each chapter describes testable theory and provides examples of how theory can be applied to the classroom. The volume will have wide appeal to researchers and students concerned with the scientific investigation of metacognition, and to practitioners concerned with the cultivation of learning and achievement in their students.The unique contribution of this book to the literature on metacognition is its presentation of the most current research examining specific theoretical aspects of metacognition in domains directly relevant to education. This is especially valuable for the many researchers and practitioners who subscribe to the concept that by fostering metacognitive processes during instruction, more durable and transferable learning can be achieved.

Intelligence, Instruction, and Assessment shows how modern theories of intelligence can be directly applied by educators to the teaching of subject matter, regardless of the age of the students or the content being taught. It is intended primarily for teachers at all levels--elementary, secondary, tertiary--who want to apply in their classrooms what we know about intelligence. The focus is not on modifying students' intelligence, per se, but on increasing their disciplinary knowledge and understanding. Hence, this book will help teachers learn how they can teach more effectively what they are already teaching. The assumption is that what teachers care most about is how they can improve upon what they are already doing, and how they can learn what they need to do in order to be more effective in their work. The contributors are well known for their work on intelligence and education. Each chapter includes an accessible explanation of the author's theory of intelligence, and discusses the implications of that theory both for instruction and for assessment. The book is international in scope, reflecting both American and European perspectives. Anyone interested in knowing how modern theories of intelligence can be applied to education will want to read this book--particularly teachers and other education specialists, as well as developmental psychologists, cognitive psychologists, and philosophers with an interest in applying psychological theory to classroom practice. It will serve well as a text for courses on educational psychology, intelligence, cognition and instruction, and foundations of teaching.

Intelligence, Instruction, and Assessment shows how modern theories of intelligence can be directly applied by educators to the teaching of subject matter, regardless of the age of the students or the content being taught. It is intended primarily for teachers at all levels--elementary, secondary, tertiary--who want to apply in their classrooms what we know about intelligence. The focus is not on modifying students' intelligence, per se, but on increasing their disciplinary knowledge and understanding. Hence, this book will help teachers learn how they can teach more effectively what they are already teaching. The assumption is that what teachers care most about is how they can improve upon what they are already doing, and how they can learn what they need to do in order to be more effective in their work. The contributors are well known for their work on intelligence and education. Each chapter includes an accessible explanation of the author's theory of intelligence, and discusses the implications of that theory both for instruction and for assessment. The book is international in scope, reflecting both American and European perspectives. Anyone interested in knowing how modern theories of intelligence can be applied to education will want to read this book--particularly teachers and other education specialists, as well as developmental psychologists, cognitive psychologists, and philosophers with an interest in applying psychological theory to classroom practice. It will serve well as a text for courses on educational psychology, intelligence, cognition and instruction, and foundations of teaching.

Adult education occurs whenever individuals engage in sustained, systematic learning in order to affect changes in their attitudes, knowledge, skills, or belief systems. Learning, instruction, and developmental processes are the primary foci of educational psychology research and theorizing, but educational psychologists' work in these domains has centered primarily on the childhood and adolescent school years. More recently, however, a number of educational psychologists have studied learning and development in adulthood. The results of these efforts have resulted in what is now called adult educational psychology.The purpose of this volume is to introduce this new subfield within educational psychology. Section 1 focuses on the interplay between learning and development in adulthood, how various forms of instruction lead to different learning outcomes for adults, description of the diverse social contexts in which adult learning takes place, and the development of metacognitive knowledge across the life span. Section 2 describes both research and theory pertaining to adult intellectual functioning, thinking, and problem-solving skills within various contexts. Section 3 describes research in a variety of adult learning domains; discusses the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of reading in adulthood and the applications of reading in real-life circumstances; examines an educational intervention developed to promote forgiveness; and relates the outcomes of an intervention designed to educate parents about their children's mathematics learning. Section 4 summarizes the themes and issues running throughout this, the first book that has sought to span the gulf between adult education, adult development, and educational psychology.

Adult education occurs whenever individuals engage in sustained, systematic learning in order to affect changes in their attitudes, knowledge, skills, or belief systems. Learning, instruction, and developmental processes are the primary foci of educational psychology research and theorizing, but educational psychologists' work in these domains has centered primarily on the childhood and adolescent school years. More recently, however, a number of educational psychologists have studied learning and development in adulthood. The results of these efforts have resulted in what is now called adult educational psychology.The purpose of this volume is to introduce this new subfield within educational psychology. Section 1 focuses on the interplay between learning and development in adulthood, how various forms of instruction lead to different learning outcomes for adults, description of the diverse social contexts in which adult learning takes place, and the development of metacognitive knowledge across the life span. Section 2 describes both research and theory pertaining to adult intellectual functioning, thinking, and problem-solving skills within various contexts. Section 3 describes research in a variety of adult learning domains; discusses the cognitive and behavioral dimensions of reading in adulthood and the applications of reading in real-life circumstances; examines an educational intervention developed to promote forgiveness; and relates the outcomes of an intervention designed to educate parents about their children's mathematics learning. Section 4 summarizes the themes and issues running throughout this, the first book that has sought to span the gulf between adult education, adult development, and educational psychology.

Why should inquiry—the engine for independent, curiosity- and interest-driven, life-long learning—be a curricular imperative, and its presence a criterion for excellent education? Is it possible to teach inquiry skills systematically and to engage learners in being inquirers across elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling?To answer these urgent questions, this book*pulls together more than four decades of expert opinion, quantitative research, and qualitative research on inquiry in different disciplines, school subjects, and levels of education; and *presents a dozen different pedagogical, philosophical, and disciplinary traditions within which evidence and rationale are found for building learning and teaching experiences around inquiry-based curricula.Inquiry in Education, Volume I: The Conceptual Foundations for Research as a Curricular Imperative is the first book to gather all these sources together, to build a cross-disciplinary case for inquiry as the central core of sound curriculum design, and to offer an organized interpretation of this large body of knowledge from a variety of perspectives and for different educational purposes. A companion volume, Shore, Aulls, & Delcourt, Eds., Inquiry in Education, Volume II: Overcoming Barriers to Successful Implementation, focuses on a corollary question: If inquiry is such a good thing, why is it not universal practice? What barriers stand in the way, and how can teachers overcome them?Inquiry in Education, Volume I is intended for scholars, faculty, and students of education, and for practitioners at all levels of schooling who support inquiry-oriented reforms in education and who want to learn more about how to use inquiry in their own practice.

Why should inquiry—the engine for independent, curiosity- and interest-driven, life-long learning—be a curricular imperative, and its presence a criterion for excellent education? Is it possible to teach inquiry skills systematically and to engage learners in being inquirers across elementary, secondary, and post-secondary schooling?To answer these urgent questions, this book*pulls together more than four decades of expert opinion, quantitative research, and qualitative research on inquiry in different disciplines, school subjects, and levels of education; and *presents a dozen different pedagogical, philosophical, and disciplinary traditions within which evidence and rationale are found for building learning and teaching experiences around inquiry-based curricula.Inquiry in Education, Volume I: The Conceptual Foundations for Research as a Curricular Imperative is the first book to gather all these sources together, to build a cross-disciplinary case for inquiry as the central core of sound curriculum design, and to offer an organized interpretation of this large body of knowledge from a variety of perspectives and for different educational purposes. A companion volume, Shore, Aulls, & Delcourt, Eds., Inquiry in Education, Volume II: Overcoming Barriers to Successful Implementation, focuses on a corollary question: If inquiry is such a good thing, why is it not universal practice? What barriers stand in the way, and how can teachers overcome them?Inquiry in Education, Volume I is intended for scholars, faculty, and students of education, and for practitioners at all levels of schooling who support inquiry-oriented reforms in education and who want to learn more about how to use inquiry in their own practice.

A companion to Inquiry in Education, Volume I: The Conceptual Foundations for Research as a Curricular Imperative. Volume I presents the arguments for the necessary inclusion of inquiry-driven learning and instructional experiences in any modern school curriculum. Volume II illustrates how educators in a range of settings have dealt with obstacles to successful implementation of inquiry-based approaches. Each chapter focuses on a particular barrier or barriers, and has a primary focus on learners, teachers, or the curriculum. The stories reflect highly varied learning contexts ranging from infancy to university, from the classroom to a range of out-out-school contexts.

A companion to Inquiry in Education, Volume I: The Conceptual Foundations for Research as a Curricular Imperative. Volume I presents the arguments for the necessary inclusion of inquiry-driven learning and instructional experiences in any modern school curriculum. Volume II illustrates how educators in a range of settings have dealt with obstacles to successful implementation of inquiry-based approaches. Each chapter focuses on a particular barrier or barriers, and has a primary focus on learners, teachers, or the curriculum. The stories reflect highly varied learning contexts ranging from infancy to university, from the classroom to a range of out-out-school contexts.

This practical guide is designed to help college teachers plan their undergraduate courses and deliver high-quality instruction. The book's theme is that teaching is a creative, decision-making, idea-testing enterprise whose purpose is to facilitate student learning in all of its facets. Its goal is to help instructors understand the multiple kinds of learning taking place in their courses so that they can select, devise, evaluate, and modify teaching techniques to improve their effectiveness. Based on research on human learning, memory, thinking, and problem solving, as well as studies of teaching and less-formal reports of teaching practices, the book offers concrete advice about all aspects of college teaching.*Part I is devoted to course planning. It outlines the many decisions instructors face in defining a course as their own and discusses the larger issues that shape a course and constrain some specific choices. Selecting course content, choosing learning goals, deciding how to pace a course, and scheduling tests are some of these issues. A workable timetable for preparing a course is included.*Part II is a mini-course on human learning, memory, and thinking. It provides the conceptual foundation for making teaching decisions, for selecting instructional strategies, and especially for inventing new techniques that might particularly fit a specific course.*Part III deals with the "nitty-gritty" of college teaching, including how to choose a textbook; lecturing and conducting classroom discussions; types and purposes of writing assignments, and how to structure and evaluate them; dealing with plagiarism; strengths and weaknesses of different types of tests, the relation of tests to learning goals, and guidelines for constructing good tests; and grading systems.*Part IV addresses professional and ethical issues of importance and consequence to instructors.New college instructors, more experienced faculty who would like to reflect on their teaching practices and consider making some changes, and teaching assistants will all find this book relevant and useful.

The intuitive mind is a powerful force in the classroom and often an undetected one. Intuitive conceptions--knowledge or knowledge-structures that individuals acquire and use largely without conscious reflection or explicit instruction--sometimes work to facilitate learning in the classroom and other contexts. But learning may also be impeded by intuitive conceptions, and they can be difficult to dislodge as needed. The literatures in psychology and education include a large and diverse body of theory and research on intuitive conceptions, but this work is limited in some respects. This volume contributes in four ways to overcome these limitations. Understanding and Teaching the Intuitive Mind: Student and Teacher Learning:* pulls together diverse theoretical and methodological approaches to the origin, structure, function, and development of intuitive conceptions; * explores a diversity of academic disciplines--paying equal attention not only to mathematics and science, the fields in which intuitive concepts have been studied most extensively, but also to the social sciences, arts, and humanities; * explicitly links theory and research to educational implications and classroom applications; and * focuses not only on students' intuitive conceptions but also on teachers' intuitive beliefs about learning and teaching. Although the viewpoints of the contributors are diverse, they share the belief that educational practices have much to gain by systematic studies of the intuitive learner and teacher. This volume offers state-of-the-art, research-based information and support for psychologists, teacher educators, educational administrators, teachers, prospective teachers, and others who seek to develop educational practices that are cognizant of (and responsive to) the intuitive conceptions of students and teachers.

Although specific definitions may change over time, few goals are considered more important to education than the pursuit of academic excellence. There are many different viewpoints on this issue today among educational psychologists and other social scientists. One particularly glaring fault line in the debate divides those who emphasize developing individual learning and those who focus on promoting cultural and institutional reform. These two perspectives are rarely addressed in a single volume.In this book, well-known theorists and researchers present a range of perspectives on how to promote excellence in education. This allows those who stress transformation of educational practice and those who emphasize individual abilities to speak to each, and invites readers to jointly consider the arguments for both positions, or for some synthesis of the two. The point is to consider how these two divergent viewpoints can be reconciled, or simply coordinated, in an effort to benefit both students and society at large. The main thesis is that excellence can be fostered without sacrificing equity, both of which are fundamental tenets of a democratic education.The issues addressed in this book have implications and relevance for school reform efforts and across the fields of educational psychology, curriculum and instruction, philosophy of education, and educational leadership. The volume provides a unique source for students and teachers in various disciplines who want to gain a broader and more integrated view of the nature and development of excellence through education.

Although specific definitions may change over time, few goals are considered more important to education than the pursuit of academic excellence. There are many different viewpoints on this issue today among educational psychologists and other social scientists. One particularly glaring fault line in the debate divides those who emphasize developing individual learning and those who focus on promoting cultural and institutional reform. These two perspectives are rarely addressed in a single volume.In this book, well-known theorists and researchers present a range of perspectives on how to promote excellence in education. This allows those who stress transformation of educational practice and those who emphasize individual abilities to speak to each, and invites readers to jointly consider the arguments for both positions, or for some synthesis of the two. The point is to consider how these two divergent viewpoints can be reconciled, or simply coordinated, in an effort to benefit both students and society at large. The main thesis is that excellence can be fostered without sacrificing equity, both of which are fundamental tenets of a democratic education.The issues addressed in this book have implications and relevance for school reform efforts and across the fields of educational psychology, curriculum and instruction, philosophy of education, and educational leadership. The volume provides a unique source for students and teachers in various disciplines who want to gain a broader and more integrated view of the nature and development of excellence through education.

Martinez defines intelligence from a cognitive perspective as a repertoire of those skills, strategies, and knowledge structures that are most instrumental in human effectiveness. He posits that in today's complex, fast-paced, technologically dense, and information-rich society, intelligence is the supreme human resource. The current social context not only demands intelligence, but rewards it economically, psychically, and in other ways. His central argument in this book is this: The intellectual abilities that are crucial to modern life, including economic viability and effectiveness in daily living, correspond to the cognitive functions that are reasonably called intelligence; these intellectual abilities are learnable; we now know enough about the structure and mechanisms of intelligent thought and behavior to teach them directly. Martinez explicates his argument and provides research-based evidence to support his claim.

This volume presents the most comprehensive, balanced, and up-to-date coverage of theory and research on cognitive, thinking, and learning styles, in a way that:* represents diverse theoretical perspectives;* includes solid empirical evidence testing the validity of these perspectives; and* shows the application of these perspectives to school situations, as well as situations involving other kinds of organizations. International representation is emphasized, with chapters from almost every major leader in the field of styles. Each chapter author has contributed serious theory and/or published empirical data--work that is primarily commercial or that implements the theories of others. The book's central premise is that cognitive, learning, and thinking styles are not abilities but rather preferences in the use of abilities. Traditionally, many psychologists and educators have believed that people's successes and failures are attributable mainly to individual differences in abilities. However, for the past few decades research on the roles of thinking, learning, and cognitive styles in performance within both academic and nonacademic settings has indicated that they account for individual differences in performance that go well beyond abilities. New theories better differentiate styles from abilities and make more contact with other psychological literatures; recent research, in many cases, is more careful and conclusive than are some of the older studies. Cognitive, learning, and thinking styles are of interest to educators because they predict academic performance in ways that go beyond abilities, and because taking styles into account can help teachers to improve both instruction and assessment and to show sensitivity to cultural and individual diversity among learners. They are also of interest in business, where instruments to assess styles are valuable in selecting and placing personnel. The state-of-the-art research and theory in this volume will be of particular interest to scholars and graduate students in cognitive and educational psychology, managers, and others concerned with intellectual styles as applied in educational, industrial, and corporate settings.

This volume presents the most comprehensive, balanced, and up-to-date coverage of theory and research on cognitive, thinking, and learning styles, in a way that:* represents diverse theoretical perspectives;* includes solid empirical evidence testing the validity of these perspectives; and* shows the application of these perspectives to school situations, as well as situations involving other kinds of organizations. International representation is emphasized, with chapters from almost every major leader in the field of styles. Each chapter author has contributed serious theory and/or published empirical data--work that is primarily commercial or that implements the theories of others. The book's central premise is that cognitive, learning, and thinking styles are not abilities but rather preferences in the use of abilities. Traditionally, many psychologists and educators have believed that people's successes and failures are attributable mainly to individual differences in abilities. However, for the past few decades research on the roles of thinking, learning, and cognitive styles in performance within both academic and nonacademic settings has indicated that they account for individual differences in performance that go well beyond abilities. New theories better differentiate styles from abilities and make more contact with other psychological literatures; recent research, in many cases, is more careful and conclusive than are some of the older studies. Cognitive, learning, and thinking styles are of interest to educators because they predict academic performance in ways that go beyond abilities, and because taking styles into account can help teachers to improve both instruction and assessment and to show sensitivity to cultural and individual diversity among learners. They are also of interest in business, where instruments to assess styles are valuable in selecting and placing personnel. The state-of-the-art research and theory in this volume will be of particular interest to scholars and graduate students in cognitive and educational psychology, managers, and others concerned with intellectual styles as applied in educational, industrial, and corporate settings.

The unique perspective of Richard E. Snow, in recent years one of the most distinguished educational psychologists, integrates psychology of individual differences, cognitive psychology, and motivational psychology. This capstone book pulls together the findings of his own 35 years of research on aptitudes and those from (especially) European scholars, of which he had exceptional knowledge. A panel of experts and former associates completed this book after his death in 1997, expanding his notes on implications of the theory for instructional design and teaching practice. The panel developed Snow's ideas on where the field should go next, emphasizing promising research strategies.Viewing intelligence as education's most important product, as well as its most important raw material, Snow stressed the need to consider both cognitive skills and affective-motivational characteristics. In this book, previously unconnected research and scattered theoretical ideas are integrated into a dynamic model of aptitude. Understanding the transaction between person and situation was Snow's primary concern. This volume draws from diverse resources to construct a theoretical model of aptitude as a complex process of unfolding person-situation dynamics. Remaking the Concept of Aptitude: Extending the Legacy of Richard E. Snow:*presents historical and contemporary discussion of aptitude theory, illuminating recent ideas by pointing to their historic antecedents;*provides evidence of how sound research can have practical ramifications in classroom settings;*discusses the strengths and weaknesses of prominent research programs, including Gardner's "multiple intelligence," meta-analysis, ATI experiments, and information processing;*describes in detail specific research that has developed important concepts--for example, Czikszentmihalyi on "flow"; Lambrechts on success in stressful training; Sternberg on componential analysis; and Gibson on tailoring affordances to match motivations; and*keeps statistical complexities to a minimum, and includes a simply written Appendix that explains the interpretation of key technical concepts.By characterizing sound research in the field, this volume is useful for psychologists and educational researchers. It will also be instructive for teachers seeking to deepen their knowledge of the whole child and for parents of children facing standardized testing.

Some aspects of giftedness and creativity cannot be explained by cognitive, developmental, personality, or social approaches considered in isolation. At the intersection of these approaches is something invisible, deeply hidden, but at the same time very important--the extracognitive facets of high ability. This volume brings together chapters by leading specialists from around the world responsible for much of the current research in this field, presenting a wide range of perspectives for understanding exceptional achievement. "High ability" refers to human abilities described by terms, such as giftedness, talent, creativity, excellence, genius, child prodigies, exceptional leadership, and wisdom. "Extracognitive factors" refer to phenomena like internally developed standards and subjective norms of intellectually creative behavior; specific intellectual intentions and beliefs that influence exceptional achievements; specific feelings that scientific geniuses and other highly creative individuals say contribute to their advanced development; specific preferences and intellectual values; luck, chance, intuition, and other similar phenomena in extraordinary development and performance; and social, cultural, and historical influences on talent development. Although there are many books about the cognitive bases of high ability, this volume uniquely discusses the foundations of such achievements in extracognitive factors as defined here, thus providing a rich source of information on this topic to researchers, practitioners, and graduate students of education, psychology, business, and administration who work in the area of high ability.

Some aspects of giftedness and creativity cannot be explained by cognitive, developmental, personality, or social approaches considered in isolation. At the intersection of these approaches is something invisible, deeply hidden, but at the same time very important--the extracognitive facets of high ability. This volume brings together chapters by leading specialists from around the world responsible for much of the current research in this field, presenting a wide range of perspectives for understanding exceptional achievement. "High ability" refers to human abilities described by terms, such as giftedness, talent, creativity, excellence, genius, child prodigies, exceptional leadership, and wisdom. "Extracognitive factors" refer to phenomena like internally developed standards and subjective norms of intellectually creative behavior; specific intellectual intentions and beliefs that influence exceptional achievements; specific feelings that scientific geniuses and other highly creative individuals say contribute to their advanced development; specific preferences and intellectual values; luck, chance, intuition, and other similar phenomena in extraordinary development and performance; and social, cultural, and historical influences on talent development. Although there are many books about the cognitive bases of high ability, this volume uniquely discusses the foundations of such achievements in extracognitive factors as defined here, thus providing a rich source of information on this topic to researchers, practitioners, and graduate students of education, psychology, business, and administration who work in the area of high ability.

This book is about bilingual young people who have been selected by their families to carry out the hard work of interpreting and translating to mediate communication between themselves and the outside world--between minority and majority communities. It examines the experiences of these young interpreters and the skills they develop in order to fulfill this role. The authors' purpose in this volume is to contribute to extending current definitions of gifted and talented, by proposing and offering evidence that the young people who are selected to serve as family interpreters perform at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, and environment, and should thus clearly be included in the 1993 U.S. federal definition of giftedness. They maintain that not only are these capabilities currently overlooked by existing assessment procedures, but also that there is little understanding of the ways in which the unique talents of young interpreters might be nurtured and developed in academic settings. A strong case is made that in order for such students to be identified as gifted on the basis of their bilingual abilities, the field of gifted and talented education must embrace the concept that bilingualism is a strength. The field must also make developing bilingualism a focus of programs designed to meet the needs of the increasingly multilingual student population in the United States. The research this book reports--part of a larger five-year study of giftedness through linguistic and cultural lenses, funded by OERI through the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented--was conducted by researchers whose background is very much outside the field of gifted education. Rather, their focus is on language, working within the traditions of qualitative sociolinguistics. Thus, this book offers a unique approach to the exploration of giftedness. It asks researchers and practitioners ordinarily accustomed to working with quantitative data to examine and make sense of detailed and rich analyses of students' linguistic performance, and argues that it is only by understanding the challenges of such bilingual interactions that the field of gifted and talented education can expand and reframe its vision of giftedness.

This book is about bilingual young people who have been selected by their families to carry out the hard work of interpreting and translating to mediate communication between themselves and the outside world--between minority and majority communities. It examines the experiences of these young interpreters and the skills they develop in order to fulfill this role. The authors' purpose in this volume is to contribute to extending current definitions of gifted and talented, by proposing and offering evidence that the young people who are selected to serve as family interpreters perform at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, and environment, and should thus clearly be included in the 1993 U.S. federal definition of giftedness. They maintain that not only are these capabilities currently overlooked by existing assessment procedures, but also that there is little understanding of the ways in which the unique talents of young interpreters might be nurtured and developed in academic settings. A strong case is made that in order for such students to be identified as gifted on the basis of their bilingual abilities, the field of gifted and talented education must embrace the concept that bilingualism is a strength. The field must also make developing bilingualism a focus of programs designed to meet the needs of the increasingly multilingual student population in the United States. The research this book reports--part of a larger five-year study of giftedness through linguistic and cultural lenses, funded by OERI through the National Research Center on the Gifted and Talented--was conducted by researchers whose background is very much outside the field of gifted education. Rather, their focus is on language, working within the traditions of qualitative sociolinguistics. Thus, this book offers a unique approach to the exploration of giftedness. It asks researchers and practitioners ordinarily accustomed to working with quantitative data to examine and make sense of detailed and rich analyses of students' linguistic performance, and argues that it is only by understanding the challenges of such bilingual interactions that the field of gifted and talented education can expand and reframe its vision of giftedness.