| dc.description.abstract |
In the initial set of studies, reported in Part II (Chapters 3-6), we examine subjects' coordination of theory and evidence as manifested in their ability to evaluate newly presented evidence that bears on a theory that they have espoused. In the work reported in Part III, we first replicate the initial research, this time using real (rather than symbolic) objects, which the subject is able to examine and manipulate. We then go on to examine some aspects of skills in the coordination of theory and evidence that are broader than the simple kinds of evidence evaluation examined in the initial studies. In the single chapter in Part IV, subjects' broader conceptions regarding the nature of scientific inquiry are explored. Finally, in Part V, we summarize the findings and their implications with respect to the identification and development of thinking skills, the development of causal and inductive inference, the development of metacognitive skill, the development and teaching of scientific thinking, and the relations between scientific and everyday thinking. |
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