The Matrix-method is being advocated as one strategy for promoting the application of the presented rule (p≡q) to problem-solving. This method intends to improve the reliance on the rule proposition and promote its application to the problem by reducing the validity of the anti-rule proposition (p・not-q, not-p・q) and making recognition of the close relation of the covariation between p and q by use of the logical matrix composed of four cells; p or not-p×q or not-q. The purpose of this study was to investigate one of the conditions that control the availability of the Matrix-method by the examination of its effect in situations where "pseudo-exceptions" (that is, phenomena or instances mistakenly regarded by learners as exceptions) come to the learner's mind. The results of an experiment indicated that the effect was reduced in the cases where the "pseudo-exceptions" come to mind as compared with the other cases. It was suggested, however, that its effect was maintained regardlees of the presence or absence of "pseudo-exceptions", provided the "pseudo-exceptions" were included in the Matrix-method as positive instances.

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The idea that learners harbor misconceptions about learning materials and that these have a dramatic effect on their success is regarded as commonplace nowadays. Many teaching strategies aiming to correct learner misconceptions effectively have been considered. Increases in test scores have been used to evaluate effectiveness. The experiment presented in this research aims to verify the hypothesis that suppressed test scores result from learner misconception and logical transformative operation insufficiency. The learning materials for the college students participating in the experiment was the rule that all metals conduct electricity. Experiment results indicated that post-test scores were influenced primarily by logical transformative operation insufficiency, not learner misconception. Researchers previously have experimented using test scores as dependent variables, thus misinterpreting learning insufficiency as learner misconception. Such misinterpretation must be discussed from the perspective of logical transformative operation insufficiency.

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The present study examined the effectiveness of cooperative discussion of hypothesis testing in a sixth-grade science unit (10 hours) on "the nature of water solution" from the viewpoint of a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The result from a questionnaires analysis of the conceptual change between pre-post tests, and a coding analysis by the transactive discussion (Berkowitz & Gibbs, 1983) of the verbalization activities generated from cooperative learning during discursive processes among groups, indicated that (1) in the hypothesis testing sessions, overlapping conversation appeared to be significant for the construction of scientific conception. (2) in the post test, verbalization activities that were elaborated and disputed among members were appropriated into individual knowledges.

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The "same perimeter problem" is a task that requires us to compare the area of the transformed parallelogram with the original rectangle. The problem is that the angles of the parallelograms are changed with the perimeters identical. This problem can be solved by applying an area formula, but misjudgment that areas are the same is often made. The author supposes that the origin of the misjudgment lies in the fact that the students' primitive naive conception of conservation is more active than the area formula during problem solving. This study examined whether presenting a cognitive tool which shows the change in the area of the parallelogram with the same perimeter could restrain the students' primitive naive conception, and allow them to solve the problem correctly by using the formula. As a result, the pupils who were presented with the cognitive tool solved the "same perimeter problem" correctly, but they solved the other sort of problem incorrectly. It was suggested that when they were presented with the tool, they only understood that the area became smaller when the figure changed from rectangle to parallelogram.

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The "False Premise Task" (FPT) is one that asks learners to answer a question based on a false premise that contradicts contents of the learning material. To answer the FPT correctly the learners should not give an answer directly but point out the mistake of the premise. Until now, the FPT has been used as an instructional measure in several experimental studies of the teaching -learning process. The purpose of this paper is to review 6 studies using the FPT. The results indicate that FPT was more difficult to resolve than the retention task and the transfer task, and detected most sensitively effects of instructional variables, especially instruction that helped learners interrelate knowledge. Judging from the above, it was suggested that (a)FPT was available as a knowledge assessment technique that was different from the retention task and the transfer task;(b)the learners who succeeded in resolving the FPT might be on the level of knowledge that enables them to apply acquired knowledge to the control of their reasoning processes;(c)teaching that emphasizes the interrelations of knowledge had positive effect on the control application of knowledge. Finally, some implications to future study and educational practice were discussed.

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[in Japanese]

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