ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the characteristics of current cognitive science research as they bear on the instructionally relevant tasks in order to suggest directions for a cognitive science of instruction. It begins by characterizing the current state of cognitive task analysis and then turns to the implications of information-processing theories for cognitive theories of acquisition and intervention. The process of equilibration is sparked by cognitive conflict, or the noting of contradictions. A central concern of cognitive science today is the analysis of complex task performances. One can hardly consider the possibilities for a cognitive instructional theory without attending to Piaget. A central core of Piaget's work has been concerned with characterizing the emergence in children of the general logical deductive capacities that are the structural bases of thinking. As a result, Piagetian theory provides a very weak guide for instructional efforts. The chapter focuses on three domains from the school curriculum—reading comprehension, science, and mathematics.
