Date of Award
6-2-1991
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (EdD)
Department
Teaching & Learning
Abstract
In this study, the thinking practices of students as they used reading, writing, and talking in a thematic unit of study were described and analyzed.The subsidiary questions were suggested by recent studies and reports that indicated a decline of "thinking" in American schools. The questions were: (1) What categories of thinking were evident in the language and behaviors of young learners? (2) What environmental factors contributed to the development of children's thoughts and ideas?The thinking of nine first graders was described by semantic maps, direct observation, video and audio tapes, and analyzed using the categories of Bloom's Taxonomy and Tough's Assessment. Factors in the classroom environment which had contributed to the conceptual development of the children were posited by application of Berlaks' dilemma language to the teaching situation. The results indicated that thematic units of study which incorporate environmental factors conducive to thinking enable students to expand their thinking skills in the areas of application, analysis and reasoning.
Recommended Citation
Wenger, Laurie M., "Theme studies and thinking: How children use reading, writing, and talking to develop and extend their thoughts." (1991). Theses and Dissertations. 8717.
https://commons.und.edu/theses/8717