Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 1996. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 87-96). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1992. / Vita. Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-78). Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1964. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 83-86).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1969. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1973. / Transcript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliography.

Esta dissertação apresenta quatro estudos independentes, do tipo quasi-experimental com aplicação de pré-teste e pós-testes e grupo de controle não equivalente. O objetivo dos quatro estudos é investigar como uma ferramenta baseada em mineração de texto e apresentação gráfica multirrepresentacional (SOBEK) pode contribuir com o processo de construção de conceitos científicos. Textos do tipo refutacional oriundos de pesquisas internacionais já publicadas foram utilizados nos estudos, assim como os testes de desempenho correspondentes a cada texto. Os conceitos abordados são energia, evolução Darwiniana e a natureza particulada da matéria. Realizados em uma escola municipal da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, os estudos contaram com a participação de 73 alunos distribuídos em duas turmas de 8º ano e duas turmas de 9º ano. As análises estatísticas dos escores registrados pelos alunos nos testes identificaram uma melhora significativa no desempenho dos alunos de 9º ano que utilizaram a ferramenta SOBEK como apoio para o estudo do texto. Para os alunos de 8º ano, não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os alunos que usaram a ferramenta e os que responderam questionários sobre o texto. Estudos de maior profundidade são necessários para identificar a ocorrência e extensão de possíveis mudanças conceituais promovidas pela abordagem proposta. / This work presents four independent studies, in a quasi-experimental design with application of pre-test and post-tests with non-equivalent control groups. The set of four studies aim to investigate how a tool based on text mining and multirrepresentacional graphical presentation (SOBEK) can contribute to the process of constructing scientific concepts. Refutational texts from international published researches were used in the studies, as well as the corresponding performance´s tests about each text. The concepts covered are energy, Darwinian evolution and the particulate nature of matter. Performed in a municipal school in the Porto Alegre´s metropolitan region, in Southern Brazil, the studies included 73 students divided into two classes of 7th grade and two classes of 8th grade. Statistical analysis of the scores performed by students in the tests show a significant improvement in student´s performance in 8th grade that used the SOBEK tool as support for the study of the text. For students in grade 7th, there were no statistically significant differences in the performances of students who used the SOBEK tool and those who answered questionnaires about the text. More detailed studies are needed to identify the occurrence and the extent of possible conceptual changes supported by the proposed approach.

Esta dissertação apresenta quatro estudos independentes, do tipo quasi-experimental com aplicação de pré-teste e pós-testes e grupo de controle não equivalente. O objetivo dos quatro estudos é investigar como uma ferramenta baseada em mineração de texto e apresentação gráfica multirrepresentacional (SOBEK) pode contribuir com o processo de construção de conceitos científicos. Textos do tipo refutacional oriundos de pesquisas internacionais já publicadas foram utilizados nos estudos, assim como os testes de desempenho correspondentes a cada texto. Os conceitos abordados são energia, evolução Darwiniana e a natureza particulada da matéria. Realizados em uma escola municipal da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, os estudos contaram com a participação de 73 alunos distribuídos em duas turmas de 8º ano e duas turmas de 9º ano. As análises estatísticas dos escores registrados pelos alunos nos testes identificaram uma melhora significativa no desempenho dos alunos de 9º ano que utilizaram a ferramenta SOBEK como apoio para o estudo do texto. Para os alunos de 8º ano, não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os alunos que usaram a ferramenta e os que responderam questionários sobre o texto. Estudos de maior profundidade são necessários para identificar a ocorrência e extensão de possíveis mudanças conceituais promovidas pela abordagem proposta. / This work presents four independent studies, in a quasi-experimental design with application of pre-test and post-tests with non-equivalent control groups. The set of four studies aim to investigate how a tool based on text mining and multirrepresentacional graphical presentation (SOBEK) can contribute to the process of constructing scientific concepts. Refutational texts from international published researches were used in the studies, as well as the corresponding performance´s tests about each text. The concepts covered are energy, Darwinian evolution and the particulate nature of matter. Performed in a municipal school in the Porto Alegre´s metropolitan region, in Southern Brazil, the studies included 73 students divided into two classes of 7th grade and two classes of 8th grade. Statistical analysis of the scores performed by students in the tests show a significant improvement in student´s performance in 8th grade that used the SOBEK tool as support for the study of the text. For students in grade 7th, there were no statistically significant differences in the performances of students who used the SOBEK tool and those who answered questionnaires about the text. More detailed studies are needed to identify the occurrence and the extent of possible conceptual changes supported by the proposed approach.

Esta dissertação apresenta quatro estudos independentes, do tipo quasi-experimental com aplicação de pré-teste e pós-testes e grupo de controle não equivalente. O objetivo dos quatro estudos é investigar como uma ferramenta baseada em mineração de texto e apresentação gráfica multirrepresentacional (SOBEK) pode contribuir com o processo de construção de conceitos científicos. Textos do tipo refutacional oriundos de pesquisas internacionais já publicadas foram utilizados nos estudos, assim como os testes de desempenho correspondentes a cada texto. Os conceitos abordados são energia, evolução Darwiniana e a natureza particulada da matéria. Realizados em uma escola municipal da região metropolitana de Porto Alegre, os estudos contaram com a participação de 73 alunos distribuídos em duas turmas de 8º ano e duas turmas de 9º ano. As análises estatísticas dos escores registrados pelos alunos nos testes identificaram uma melhora significativa no desempenho dos alunos de 9º ano que utilizaram a ferramenta SOBEK como apoio para o estudo do texto. Para os alunos de 8º ano, não houve diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre os alunos que usaram a ferramenta e os que responderam questionários sobre o texto. Estudos de maior profundidade são necessários para identificar a ocorrência e extensão de possíveis mudanças conceituais promovidas pela abordagem proposta. / This work presents four independent studies, in a quasi-experimental design with application of pre-test and post-tests with non-equivalent control groups. The set of four studies aim to investigate how a tool based on text mining and multirrepresentacional graphical presentation (SOBEK) can contribute to the process of constructing scientific concepts. Refutational texts from international published researches were used in the studies, as well as the corresponding performance´s tests about each text. The concepts covered are energy, Darwinian evolution and the particulate nature of matter. Performed in a municipal school in the Porto Alegre´s metropolitan region, in Southern Brazil, the studies included 73 students divided into two classes of 7th grade and two classes of 8th grade. Statistical analysis of the scores performed by students in the tests show a significant improvement in student´s performance in 8th grade that used the SOBEK tool as support for the study of the text. For students in grade 7th, there were no statistically significant differences in the performances of students who used the SOBEK tool and those who answered questionnaires about the text. More detailed studies are needed to identify the occurrence and the extent of possible conceptual changes supported by the proposed approach.

Current rule-utilization research indicated that subjects successively tested multiple conceptual rules, available from natural preexperimental experience, to solve a sorting task. Prior results suggested that older subjects were more efficient in utilizing rules and shifting to unused rules, possibly due to the availability of more conceptual rules at higher age levels. The experimental groups consisted of third, fourth, sixth, ninth graders, and college students. Each of the five groups contained 16 subjects. The rule-utilization procedure was applied to each group. The procedure contained a multitrial, card sorting task. The feedback given at the end of each trial was limited to the correctness of the entire card sort and did not provide information on the correctness of the sorting for any individual card. All subjects in each group were run until they used both bidimensional rules (the conjunctive and the inclusive-disjunctive rule), or until a limit of 30 trials was reached.

The effects of sex and tutorial instructions were studied as they influence the hour concept development of the pre-school child. The research was conducted at Utah State University Child Development Laboratories with twenty-two, three to five-year-old children enrolled at the time. Each child received three training sessions with the author. It was found that the twenty-two children who had received individualized instruction on the hour concept showed a significant concept of a clock when the large hand was always constant on the numeral twelve. The findings indicate that there was no significant difference between boys and girls on their ability to retain the hour concept from post-test 1 to post-test 2. No significant difference was found in the learning ability between boys and girls in this study.