Fluid intelligence as a predictor of learning: A longitudinal multilevel approach applied to math

The association between fluid intelligence and inter-individual differences was investigated using multilevel growth curve modeling applied to data measuring intra-individual improvement on math achievement tests. A sample of 166 students (88 boys and 78 girls), ranging in age from 11 to 14 (M = 12.3, SD = 0.64), was tested. These individuals took four math achievement tests, which were vertically equated via Item Response Theory, at the beginning and end of the seventh and eighth grade. The cognitive abilities studied were Numerical Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, and Spatial Reasoning (as measured by the Differential Reasoning Test). The general cognitive factor was significantly associated with the parameters of initial level (intercept) and rate of change (slope). A high level of intelligence was associated with higher initial scores, as well as a steeper rise in math scores across the two years.     

A comparison of concrete and formal science instruction upon science achievement and reasoning ability of sixth grade students

Several recent studies suggest concrete learners make greater gains in student achievement and in cognitive development when receiving concrete instruction than when receiving formal instruction. This study examined the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Four intact classes of sixth grade students were randomly selected into two treatment groups; concrete and formal. The treatments were patterned after the operational definitions published by Schneider and Renner (1980). Pretest and posttest measures were taken on the two dependent variables; reasoning, measured with Lawson's Classroom Test of Formal Reasoning, and science achievement, measured with seven teacher made tests covering the following units in a sixth grade general science curriculum: Chemistry, Physics, Earth Science, Cells, Plants, Animals, and Ecology. Analysis of covariance indicated significantly higher levels (better than 0.05 and in some cases 0.01) of performance in science achievement and cognitive development favoring the concrete instruction group and a significant gender effect favoring males.     

高师理科教学与学生科学推理能力的培养

科学推理能力是理科师范生应具备的一种重要能力.用 "Lawson科学推理能力测试量表(LCTSR)"对四所师范院校理科学生进行测试,结果显示理科学生科学推理测试成绩普遍偏低;测查的7个能力维度水平发展不均衡,其中高级控制变量推理能力最低;能力维度得分与院校存在显著相关性但与专业和年级的相关性不显著,这表明师范院校理科教学对提高学生科学推理能力作用不明显.为此,结合理科教学现状进行深入分析了原因并提出理科教学改革的建议.     

ADU LT COGNITIVE STYLES AND TEST PERFORMANCE

Ninety adult males ages 25 to 58 were individually tested with three cognitive style measures: the Estimation Scale (ES), a measure of category width; the Matching Familiar Figures (MFF) Test; and the Hidden Figures Test (HFT). Multiple correlations were performed between the three cognitive style measures and the standardized scores from the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) area achievement examinations. The results of this analysis indicated that only MFF error scores produce a significant correlation with CLU exam performance. Further analyses conducted on the MFF data indicated that there was a significant negative correlation between response latencies and errors, there was a significant positive correltation between response latency and age, and reflective subjects had significantly higher mean CLU scores than did impulsive subjects. It was concluded that error scores on the MFF are a better predictor of test performance than are latencies. This conclusion was consistent with other studies that have found error scores to be more strongly related to personality variables and performance on other cognitive style than latencies prove to be.     

Progression Trend of Scientific Reasoning from Elementary School to University: a Large-Scale Cross-Grade Survey Among Chinese Students

This study examines progression trends of Chinese students’ scientific reasoning skills across grade levels from elementary school to university. A large-scale survey using the Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (CTSR) was conducted with 2669 Chinese students at 13 grade levels (grades 4–16). The construct validity of the CTSR was first examined using Rasch analysis to verify that the various reasoning sub-skills targeted by the test (hypothetical-deductive reasoning, proportional reasoning, correlation reasoning, probabilistic reasoning, and control of variables) form a cohesive cognitive construct. Based on an affirmative result, we proceeded to fit grade-level averages to the best-fit logistic regression model and generated trend lines for the reasoning sub-skills measured by the CTSR. Results show that the cross-grade progression trends generally follow continuous paths through increasingly greater levels of improvement. While all sub-skills display a noticeable growth during middle and high school years, they progress across the grades with different rates. Specifically, the development of proportional reasoning is fast-paced and large, but the progression of hypothetical-deductive reasoning and control of variables is markedly tardy and small. Formal science instruction, particularly the emergence of multiple domain-specific science courses in middle and high school, can influence the cross-grade progression trends. Possible causes and future improvement in science education are proposed. This study contributes to our understanding about the development of scientific reasoning and offers important implications for science instruction and research at different grades.     

Training chemistry students to ask research questions

In previous studies, science students have been trained to ask more and better questions through intensive instruction apart from the ongoing academic program. Cognitive strategies (such as questioning) are developed best, however, within the framework of an academic subject. In the current study, questioning skills were taught to high school chemistry students in the context of their laboratory experiments. Since both intellectual development and questioning skills are causally related to problem solving, the effect of intellectual development on the learning of questioning skills also was investigated. The Piagetian model of intellectual development was chosen for its demonstrated effects on many important aspects of science instruction. The number and quality of student research questions was measured by the Science Inquiry Assessment Instrument. The student's level of intellectual development was measured by the Classroom Test of Formal Operations. The twelve-week experimental treatment involved printed lessons which taught students to ask research questions in response to unanticipated observations in their regularly scheduled laboratory experiments. The pretest exaggerated the effect of this treatment. This effect, however, was significant among unpretested students, accounting for 14% of the post-test score variance. The level of intellectual development has no effect on these post-test scores. These important questioning skills can be acquired within the framework of the regularly scheduled classroom activities by high school chemistry students, irrespective of their level of Piagetian intellectual development.     

Predictors of Success on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination

This study examined the relationship between 403 counseling graduate students' scores on the Counselor Preparation Comprehensive Examination (CPCE; Center for Credentialing and Education, n.d.) and 3 admissions requirements used as predictor variables: undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) General Test Verbal Reasoning (GRE‐V) score, and GRE General Test Quantitative Reasoning (GRE‐Q) score. Multiple regression analyses revealed that all predictor variables accounted for somewhat limited, yet significant variations in the CPCE‐Total scores (R² = .21). Results indicated that UGPAs, GRE‐V scores, and GRE‐Q scores are valid criteria for determining counseling graduate student success on the CPCE.     

Comparisons of the peabody picture vocabulary test and the McCarthy Sclaes of Children's Abilities with a sample of autistic children

The Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test and the McCarthy Scales of Children's Abilities were administered to eight autistic children. A correlated t-test and Pearson product correlations were calculated between the scores of the two tests in a within-subjects desgin. The Peabody correlated significantly with the McCarthy General Cognitive Index, Verbal Scale, perceptual Scale, and Memory Scale. A significant difference between the means of the two tests was found, with the Peabody yielding lower scores. The importance of multiskilled testing for the cognitive assessment of autistic children was discussed.     

The Reliability and Validity of Quick Tests With High School Seniors

The Quick Word Test (QWT), Quick Number Test (QNT), and a number of criterion verbal and numerical tests were related with the English and Math grade point average (GPA) scores in this study. The QWT, in general, had lower correlations with English GPA scores than the criterion tests. The correlations between the QNT and the Math GPA was approximately at the same level as the criterion measures.     

Comparison of the predictive validities of two McCarthy short forms

Scores on Kaufman's (1977) McCarthy short form and the McCarthy Screening Test (1978) were obtained for a sample of 53 first graders in their first month of school. Nine months later, the Metropolitan Achievement Test was administered to the sample. The correlation between Kaufman's estimated General Cognitive Index and the Metropolitan Basic Battery raw score was .71. Biserial correlations between “At Risk” and “Not At Risk” classifications of the McCarthy Screening Test and Metropolitan Basic Battery raw scores ranged from .43 to .78. Kaufman's short form scores usually indicated a smaller number of false negatives than did McCarthy Screening Test scores. Implications of these findings for these findings for first-grade screening are discussed.     

Development and validation of a scientific (formal) reasoning test for college students

We present a multiple-choice test, the Montana State University Formal Reasoning Test (FORT), to assess college students' scientific reasoning ability. The test defines scientific reasoning to be equivalent to formal operational reasoning. It contains 20 questions divided evenly among five types of problems: control of variables, hypothesis testing, correlational reasoning, proportional reasoning, and probability. The test development process included the drafting and psychometric analysis of 23 instruments related to formal operational reasoning. These instruments were administered to almost 10,000 students enrolled in introductory science courses at American universities. Questions with high discrimination were identified and assembled into an instrument that was intended to measure the reasoning ability of students across the entire spectrum of abilities in college science courses. We present four types of validity evidence for the FORT. (a) The test has a one-dimensional psychometric structure consistent with its design. (b) Test scores in an introductory biology course had an empirical reliability of 0.82. (c) Student interviews confirmed responses to the FORT were accurate indications of student thinking. (d) A regression analysis of student learning in an introductory biology course showed that scores on the FORT predicted how well students learned one of the most challenging concepts in biology, natural selection.     

The Role of Extended Time on the SAT® for Students with Learning Disabilities and/or Attention‐Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

Accommodation policymaking and practice should be guided by empirical research and informed clinical judgment. Findings from our study can provide information to test users about the validity of inferences that can be made from scores obtained from accommodated test administrations for students with disabilities. The factor structure of the newly revised Scholastic Aptitude Reasoning Test (SAT®, 2005) was examined across two groups of students (students without disabilities tested under standard time conditions, and students with disabilities tested with extended time) to determine whether the test measures the same construct for both groups. Invariance across the two groups was supported for all parameters of interest, suggesting that the scores on the Critical Reading, Math, and Writing sections of the SAT Reasoning Test can be interpreted in the same way when students have an extended‐time administration as opposed to the standard‐time administration.     

Influence of Three Different Methods of Teaching Physics on the Gain in Students' Development of Reasoning

The Lawson Classroom Test of Scientific Reasoning (LCTSR) was used to gauge the relative effectiveness of three different methods of pedagogy, Reading, Presenting, and Questioning (RPQ), Experimenting and Discussion (ED), and Traditional Methods (TM), on increasing students' level of scientific thinking. The data of a one-semester-long senior high-school project indicate that, for the LCTSR: (a) the RPQ group (n?=?91) achieved effect-sizes d?=?0.30 and (b) the ED group (n = 85) attained effect-sizes d?=?0.64. These methods have shown that the Piagetian and Vygotskian visions on learning and teaching can go hand in hand and as such achieve respectable results. To do so, it is important to challenge the students and thus encourage the shift towards higher levels of reasoning. This aim is facilitated through class management which recognizes the importance of collaborative learning. Carrying out Vygotsky's original intention to use teaching to promote cognitive development as well as subject concepts, this research has shown that it is better to have students experience cognitive conflict from directly observed experiments than by reflecting on reported experience from popularization papers or writings found on the internet.     

Neuropsychological Assessment of First‐Year Architecture Students’ Visuospatial Abilities: Overview

First‐year architecture students are expected to utilise visuospatial abilities to generate/construct, retain, rotate and manipulate space mentally and physically through physical and digital representations. This study of 57 female and 23 male participants was conducted to investigate first‐year architecture students’ visuospatial abilities by means of the Beck Depression Inventory, Logical Reasoning Test and Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO) test. Participants’ sexes, cognitive development level, depression scale scores, university entrance exam results, vision disorders, physical competences, art training prior to university and error types were the study’s main parameters. The results showed that academic scores of the participants both to enrol in the program and complete the first‐year studio did not correlate with their JLO scores. Nondepressed participants performed better in JLO. Error analyses demonstrated that there is a concentration on certain items according to the test stimulus line positions, especially in females. Those who reported limited physical and visual competency made more mistakes in the same items. The study concludes that sex, depression, and individual differences in physical and visual competency, and art training, are significant variables for visuospatial performance. Judging visuospatial parameters through spatial design exercises is different from having proper methods and instruments to assess the achievements of the students regarding those abilities in architectural design education. It is important to map students’ visuospatial abilities individually from a developmental perspective. There is a strong need to develop 4D psychometric instrument to assess visuospatial abilities.     

A Computer-Based Task for Measuring the Representational Component of Quantitative Proficiency

In this study, we created a computer-delivered problem-solving task based on the cognitive research literature and investigated its validity for graduate admissions assessment. The task asked examinees to sort mathematical word problem stems according to prototypes. Data analyses focused on the meaning of sorting scores and examinee perceptions of the task. Results showed that those who sorted well tended to have higher GRE General Test scores and college grades than did examinees who sorted less proficiently. Examinees generally preferred this task to multiple-choice items like those found on the General Test's Quantitative section and felt the task was a fairer measure of their ability to succeed in graduate school. Adaptations of the task might be used in admissions tests, as well as for instructional assessments to help lower- scoring examinees localize and remediate problem-solving difficulties.     

A cognitive strategy instruction to improve math calculation for children with ADHD and LD: a randomized controlled study

The authors examined the effectiveness of cognitive strategy instruction based on PASS (Planning, Attention, Simultaneous, Successive) given by special education teachers to students with ADHD randomly assigned by classroom. Students in the experimental group were exposed to a brief cognitive strategy instruction for 10 days, which was designed to encourage development and application of effective planning for mathematical computation, whereas the comparison group received-standard math instruction. Standardized tests of cognitive processes and math achievement were given at pretest. All students completed math worksheets throughout the experimental phase. Standardized achievement tests (Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement, Third Edition, Math Fluency and Wechsler Individualized Achievement Test, Second Edition, Numerical Operations) were administered pre- and postintervention, and Math Fluency was also administered at 1 year follow-up. Large pre-post effect sizes were found for students in the experimental group but not the comparison group on math worksheets (0.85 and 0.26), Math Fluency (1.17 and 0.09), and Numerical Operations (0.40 and -0.14, respectively). At 1 year follow-up, the experimental group continued to outperform the comparison group. These findings suggest that students with ADHD evidenced greater improvement in math worksheets, far transfer to standardized tests of math (which measured the skill of generalizing learned strategies to other similar tasks), and continued advantage 1 year later when provided the PASS-based cognitive strategy instruction.     

Comparison of scores for intellectually gifted students on the WISC-R and the fourth edition of the Stanford-Binet

The WISC-R and the Fourth Edition of the Stanford-Binet (SB: FE) were compared in the identification and assessment of 48 intellectually gifted students in the primary and secondary grades. While only a 3.2-point difference between the mean SB: FE Composite score and the mean WISC-R Full Scale score was found, (r = .393, p. ⩽ .01), the t test between the two scores was significant (t = 2.30, p ⩽ .05). Correlations between the three scales of the WISC-R and the SB: FE four broad area and Composite scores ranged from −.219 (SB: FE Abstract/Visual Reasoning with WISC-R Verbal) to .599 (SB: FE Short-Term Memory with WISC-R Full Scale). Within the correlational matrix, only 5 of the 15 correlations were significant. Both the SB: FE Abstract/Visual Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning Area scores had no significant correlations with any of the WISC-R scores.     

The revised test of visual-motor integration: Its relation to the test of visual-motor integration and bender visual-motor gestalt test for regular education students

Comparisons were made among three tests of visual-motor integration: The Revised Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI-R), the Test of Visual-Motor Integration (VMI), and the Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test (BG). BG age equivalent scores were significantly higher than those obtained for either the VMI-R or VMI. Although the BG age scores were greater than the respective chronological age, such was not the case when CA was compared to either the VMI-R or VMI. The VMI-R yielded higher scores than did the VMI. Highly significant correlations were found among all variables.     

Levels of Cognitive Functioning as Related to Anxiety

The relationships between levels of cognitive functioning as suggested by the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, Handbook I and states of affective arousal as measured by Text Anxiety (the main variable of interest), General Anxiety, and Need for Achievement were investigated. Two separate samples were used: (1) 234 university students, and (2) 319 junior and senior class high school students.

For the university sample significant negative correlations between Text Anxiety and Knowledge (recall of specific facts) and Test Anxiety and Comprehension were found. For the high school sample the negative correlation between Test Anxiety and Comprehension was significant. No significant relations between Test Anxiety and higher levels of cognitive performance were found. The results are discussed in terms of interfering effects to task performance that Test Anxiety may produce when the examinee is given no information to “workwith” and must rely essentially on memory.     

An evaluation of two cognitive learning methods in adults on pre-qualification schemes: Logo and logical reasoning workshops (ARL)

Two groups of adults on AFPA pre-qualification training schemes were each exposed to a different programme, explicitly aimed at improving their cognitive skills: Ateliers de Raisonnement Logique/Logical Reasoning Workshops and Logo exercises. They were compared with a control group receiving special treatment, members being informed that they were participating in an experiment. This latter group was exposed, for an essentially similar period, to training in the use of office-work software and computer-assisted education. The three groups were tested, at the beginning and end of the scheme, on a number of cognitive dimensions. The level of self-esteem of participants, their attitude to computers and the internality of their attributions were also evaluated. Results showed: 1) a modest increase in cognitive efficiency in each group at the end of training and ambiguous variations in conative variables; 2) no superiority of the Logo group over the control group; 3) superiority of the ARL group for two cognitive variables of the ten studied (combinatory analysis and perceptive field independence). The extent of the difference was invariably less that one standard-deviation of the distribution of scores. These results, and in particular the absence of transfer of acquisitions, seem insufficient to justify the conclusion of any specific efficacy of this last method.