Abstract not available.

Abstract not available.

L'erreur epistemologique a ete operationnalisee en termes de conception qui a ete derivee d'une experience personnelle extensive et qui est incompatible avec la theorie scientifique etablie. Sa nature est cependant plus complexe que ne le laisse supposer cette definition, puisqu'elle fournit des reponses efficaces dans un contexte frequemment rencontre et permet ainsi d'aborder une large classe de problemes pratiques. Inexplorees, les erreurs epistemologiques resistant remarquablement a l'enseignement. Les recherches revelent qu'un traitement efficace de ces erreurs necessite un diagnostic qui degage la structure des conceptions idiosyncratiques qui les supportent. D'un point de vue strategique, les manifestations a posteriori de ces erreurs suggerent que leur traitement s'insere dans un processus d'evaluation formative. La presente recherche explore le potentiel d'une methodologie d'evaluation formative qui conjuge les approches metaphorique et analogique pour diagnostiquer les erreurs epistemologiques, ainsi que pour faciliter les changements conceptuels qu'elles necessitent. Deux classes de mathematiques de 10e annee furent selectionnees, de facon a representer des niveaux d'habilete differents, pour participer a l'experimentation. Ainsi, 21 eleves de niveau avance et 22 eleves de niveau general furent exposes a la methodologie proposee. Un test metaphorique, ainsi que des mesures paralleles de controle leur furent administres collectivement, sous la forme de pre-tests et post-tests de calcul et de resolution de problemes. Les eleves furent ensuite rencontres individuellement afin de recueillir des donnees qui permettent d'etayer la validation du test metaphorique et d'etudier le phenomene des emotions cognitives. Les interventions formatives de type metaphorique/analogique furent conduites lors de ces occasions. Les verbalisations de ces entrevues furent enregistrees, transcrites et codees afin de documenter les diverses questions de la recherche. Deux series de post-tests furent finalement administrees afin de controler les effets de l'intervention formative a court et a moyen termes. La premiere fut administree individuellement, suite a chacune des interventions. La seconde fut administree collectivement, 2 semaines apres la derniere intervention, ce qui represente un laps de 2 a 5 semaines selon le moment ou chaque eleve avait ete rencontre individuellement. Les resultats indiquent que le test metaphorique est une measure valide pour diagnostiquer les erreurs et obstacles epistemologiques. Les resultats indiquent egalement qu'une intervention formative de nature metaphorique/analogique est aussi efficace en mathematiques, que lors des recherches effectuees precedemment en physique. La presente recherche a ensuite permis de determiner les fondements des emotions cognitives des eleves, en specifiant les criteres sur lesquels ils se basent pour evaluer leurs analogies et justifier leurs degres de certitude. Les resultats indiquent que les degrets de certitude sont des indices valides de la mai trise des concepts. La validite des degres de certitude, comme indice de la mai trise des concepts s'est revelee legerement superieure au niveau avance. Les resultats indiquent egalement que l'utilite des degres de certitude, comme predicteurs des resistances et des recurrences des obstacles epistemologies etait comparable pour les deux groupes. La prediction d'erreurs est seulement un peu plus precise au niveau avance, comme l'annoncait deja la legere difference de validite des degres de certitude. On a finalement conclu, qu'en terme de generalisabilite, le methodologie proposee est aussi valable pour les eleves d'un niveau d'habilete que de l'autre. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Curriculum-based measurement (CBM) is a fast, reliable, and valid set of procedures for measuring student progress in basic skills. However, the predictive validity of math computations and applications probes administered three times across the year (fall, winter, and spring) has not been compared to the TerraNova standardized assessment, nor has CBM's acceptability from corrective education teachers serving students out of the classroom been explored. In this study, nine corrective education teachers working in a large mid-Atlantic urban school district and providing corrective education services to private and parochial schools participated by administering math computations and concepts and applications CBM probes to second and/or third grade students three times. There were 453 second grade students in 19 nonpublic schools and 371 third grade students in 16 nonpublic schools who completed three computations and applications CBM probes at three different points in the year. Of these students, 133 second grade students in 13 parochial schools as well as 108 third grade students in 12 parochial schools completed the TerraNova math assessment. Through the use of multiple regression analyses, it was determined that the concepts and applications probes had significant levels of predictive validity while the computations probes were not found to have any predictive validity when compared to the Normal Curve Equivalent of the Total Math subtests. The nine corrective education teachers also completed three versions of the Assessment Rating Profile-15 (ARP-15), one prior to the use of CBM and two following its use. No significant difference was identified when comparing the results of the first rating scale with either of the second or when comparing the two different rating scales administered at the end of the year. Overall, the concepts and applications probes were found to be significantly predictive of performance on the TerraNova, Second Edition, Total Math subtests, despite the fact that the teachers did not indicate a strong like or dislike towards the use of CBM tools. / School Psychology

The general purpose of the study was to build a model of the processes of constructing conceptual knowledge during mathematical problem solving, focusing on the internal activities and meanings students give to problems while in the process of problem solving on the computer. Specifically, it proposed a model of the roles played by abstraction and anticipation in the problem-solving process, and investigates other factors that may affect problem-solving performance in a Logo computer microworld. Questions investigated include: (1) What types of experiences occur prior to students constructing abstractions of an experience and moving towards anticipation? (2) How does the cognitive style of field independence influence students abstractions and anticipations? / The explanation of the role played by abstraction and anticipation in mathematical problem solving is guided by the constructivist perspective that learning is an internal activity where learners must actively, through experiences and investigations, construct their own knowledge. In the process of constructing knowledge, learners advance through increasingly higher levels of abstraction in order to internalize processes and structures. / The subjects for the Logo problem-solving interviews come from the eighth grade class of a small private school. All were given the Group Embedded Figures Test to measure their degree of field independence, and were given instruction in basic Logo programming. The format of the assigned tasks provided an opportunity to observe different ways that solvers construct and utilize conceptual knowledge during problem solving. A detailed case study was prepared for each student by analyzing the verbal and video protocols. Different abstract levels of solution activity were inferred from the solvers actions. / The results generally indicated a direct relationship between degree of field-independence/dependence and success with problem solving for those students with extreme measures of these cognitive qualities. Also noted was a relationship between the amount and quality of reflection and abstraction with problem solving. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-01, Section: A, page: 0058. / Major Professor: Janice L. Flake. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1994.

Psychologists have long been interested in the factors that influence behavior. With the rise of information processing theories, there has been an increasing emphasis on the role of thinking as an important factor in behavior. Bandura's social and cognitive theory of behavior is the most popular of the recent social learning theories. According to this model, the most important of the cognitive constructs mediating behavior is one's self efficacy belief. While Bandura's ideas are appealing and promising, a number of conceptual and methodological problems have been raised. / The present study investigated a self efficacy based model of mathematical performance, math self efficacy, and outcome expectations. College females took a series of mathematical word problem tests. In each test the subjects choose the level of problem level difficulty on which to be tested and how much effort to expand. A path analysis procedure was used to test the expected relationships. / Two past experience measures, previous college math courses and CLAST test scores, were found to be related to general math self efficacy. General math efficacy predicted situational math efficacy which accounted for the majority of variance in task level choice. In the second trial, situational efficacy again accounted for task choice while outcome expectations explained task persistence. In the final trial, past experience was the major contributor to performance. / The theoretical contentions of Bandura were only in part supported. Self efficacy was, at the beginning of the task, the major contributor to task level choice. Following two trials, self efficacy was only indirectly related, with past experience being the major factor in performance. A three stage process of transformation, replication, and behavior pattern was proposed to explain the results. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 48-03, Section: B, page: 0909. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1986.