Abstract
A Language Arts Test of Cognitive Functioning was administered to seventh grade students to estimate levels of cognitive functioning in language arts tasks. The six tasks developed are based on Shayer's curriculum taxonomy: (1) interest and investigation style, (2) reasons for events, (3) relationships, (4) use of a model as a theory, (5) type of categorization, and (6) depth of interpretation. Student responses were analyzed and students were classified as concrete, transitional, or formal thinkers. When compared with results from Bumey's Logical Reasoning Test, students were generally rated lower in cognitive functioning on the LATCF. Of greater importance was the predictability of the LATCF for language arts thinking. Student answers in response to the six tasks elicited specific characteristics of concrete, transitional, and formal thinkers.

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