Cognitive Acceleration

Abstract

Cognitive acceleration is a term used to describe an approach to pedagogy and a research tradition in science education that is based on two broad principles: (1) that there is a general intellectual function in children which develops with age and (2) that the development of this general intellectual function is influenced both by the environment and by maturation (Shayer and Adey 2002). Cognitive acceleration pedagogy sought to stimulate and advance students’ general intellectual functioning beyond what would happen as a result of maturation through the use of specially designed thinking lessons. The intention of these lessons is to improve students’ intellectual capacity, thus leading to an improvement in their ability to participate in the school curriculum and an improvement in their school achievement.