INFLUENCE OF TRAINING FOR INDUCTIVE THINK ING ON THE ACQUISITION AND USE OF THE NETWORKING LEARNING-STRATEGY

Three classes of eigth grades were involved in a quasi-experiment for testing the influence of a training of inductive reasoning on the acqu isition and application of the networking learning strategy. One class received a training of inductive reasoning plus a training of the lea rning strategy, a second class received the strategy training only whe reas a third class just was instructed how to construct a network. Bas ed on a theory of inductive reasoning as a higher order mental skill, it is expected that the training of inductive reasoning fosters both f luid intelligence and the acquisition of the learning strategy as well as learning of subject matter. The results reveal a rather strong inf luence of the training of inductinve thinking on mastering the learnin g strategy and on school relevant learning.