This thesis presents an analysis of a learning situation of positive and negative integers. It is considered as a case study within the more general context of the development of school learning analysis tools based on cognitive psychology. An analysis of error patterns obtained from a group of 55 secondary I level students has shown: (1) that the acquisition of the integer concept can imply several levels of integration of the sign and the numerical aspect; (2) that the set of all possible addition and subtraction items can be classified according to their possibility of being related to previous numerical knowledge; (3) that errors in addition and subtraction can be explained by either the utilisation of previous knowledge that was contrary to what was taught, or by systematic transformations of the procedures that were taught, or by problems with the integer concept. The thesis ends with a discussion of the properties of an information processing system that could generate the observed performances, and of the pedagogical implications of that kind of analysis.

Estes (l962) has stated that there may be as many outcomes in the evaluation of a learning experiment as there are changes in performance. Since performance is the basic datum from which learning is inferred, the question arises as to when a performance measure ceases to reflect performance, per se, and when it begins to reflect learning. This thesis is concerned with the above problem as it relates to one form of simple learning, viz., classical conditioning, and one response system, namely the galvanic skin response (GSR). The assessment of learning through classical conditioning of the GSR involves three related issues. [...]

Fifty-one children, ages 4, 5, and 6, wcre required to learn a temporal series of spatial positions under three expcrimental conditions which varied in their emphasis on visual and motor cues. For 5 and 6 year old subjects fewest errors were made undcr a condition which required overt motor activity. The greatest number of errors were made under the condition which minimized both kinethetic cues and cues of observed movement. There was no significant difference in performance between the overt motor condition, and a condition which involved cues of observed movement. The results support the hypothesis that covert motor processes may be important components of learning in children of this age. [...]

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