Interest in the human mind is a centuries-old fascination, dating back to Plato, Aristotle, and Descartes. While the theories proposed about the human mind have since advanced and evolved, the fascination remains. Growing Minds is a unique and interdisciplinary work that guides the reader through an examination of the human mind's nature, performance, lifespan, and variations. The book sets out to answer a variety of questions: What are the cognitive processes underlying intelligence? What is general and what is specific in intelligence? What is stable and what is changing in intelligence as children grow older? Why do individuals differ in intelligence, and are differences genetically determined? How is intelligence and intellectual development related to the genome and the brain? How is intelligence related to personality? Can intelligence be enhanced by specific interventions? The text is organised into three parts: the first provides a summary and evaluation of research conducted on the human mind by experimental cognitive psychology, differential psychology, and developmental psychology. The second presents an overarching theory of the growing mind, showing how mind and intelligence are at the crossroads of nature and nurture; and the third assesses the relationship between education and intelligence. This book is the result of decades of extensive research and culminates in the proposal of a new overarching and integrated theory of the developing mind. For the first time, research is gathered and combined to form a comprehensive concept and fulfil the need for a fresh, integrative paradigm which both asks and answers questions about the human mind from a multi-faceted perspective.

A must-read for anyone working within education or intellectual development, Educating the Developing Mind introduces and integrates classical and modern research with the theory of the developing mind, creating a robust theory of learning and instruction. Drawing on the theories of Piaget, Bruner, and Vygotsky, coupled with 40 years of empirical research, this book highlights the importance of individual and social construction in learning and proposes a robust framework and methodology for teaching and strengthening learner cognitive processes. Filled with subject-specific research, this essential book highlights how cognitive development takes place and advocates a guided constructive approach to teaching. Topics explored span from the individual learner to the wider educational community, including but not limited to: Development of the mind Personality and individuality The brain Predicting school performance Measuring and improving intelligence Problem-solving skills Language This is an essential read for anyone working within education who wants to better understand the cognitive processes involved in the developing mind and to improve learning and instruction within their school, college, or university.

This book's innovative transformative stance revives the critical-activist gist of Vygotsky's project to move beyond theoretical-ideological canons in addressing the crisis of inequality.

What does research tell us about the effects of school leadership on student achievement? What specific leadership practices make a real difference in school effectiveness? How should school leaders use these practices in their day-to-day management of schools and during the stressful times that accompany major change initiatives? Robert J. Marzano, Timothy Waters, and Brian A. McNulty provide answers to these and other questions in School Leadership That Works. Based on their analysis of 69 studies conducted since 1970 that met their selection criteria and a recent survey of more than 650 building principals, the authors have developed a list of 21 leadership responsibilities that have a significant effect on student achievement. Readers will learn the specific behaviors associated with the 21 leadership responsibilities; the difference between first-order change and second-order change and the leadership responsibilities that are most important for each; how to work smart by choosing the right work to focus on to improve student achievement; the advantages and disadvantages of comprehensive school reform models for improving student achievement; how to develop a site-specific approach to improving student achievement, using a framework of 11 factors and 39 action steps; and a five-step plan for effective school leadership. Combining rigorous research with practical advice, School Leadership That Works gives school administrators the guidance they need to provide strong leadership for better schools.

Provides selections of key works by Howard Gardner covering the topics of multiple intellgences and the psychology of learning.

Now in its third edition, this classic text remains the seminal resource for in-depth information about major concepts and principles of the cultural-historical theory developed by Lev Vygotsky, his students, and colleagues, as well as three generations of neo-Vygotskian scholars in Russia and the West. Featuring two new chapters on brain development and scaffolding in the zone of proximal development, as well as additional content on technology, dual language learners, and students with disabilities, this new edition provides the latest research evidence supporting the basics of the cultural-historical approach alongside Vygotskian-based practical implications. With concrete explanations and strategies on how to scaffold young children’s learning and development, this book is essential reading for students of early childhood theory and development.