Claims of a special cultural emphasis on learning and education (SCELE) in East Asia versus the West -- the United States in particular -- are legion in the research literature. The evidence is, however, largely anecdotal, severely geographically limited, or reflects an unrepresentative selection of respondents. We review the evidentiary…

Virtual schools have the potential to improve student learning--but so far, as asserted in this article, research tells little about how online instruction affects student performance. Most of the studies that pointed to good student outcomes were small in scale and based on specific programs or products. Few provide data to help understand…

This report summarizes the complex research literature on quantitative methods for assessing how impacts of educational interventions on instructional practices and student learning differ across students, educators, and schools. It also provides technical guidance about the use and interpretation of these methods. The research topics addressed…

The article reviews research on the effects of the three components of instructional time--allocated time, used time, and engaged time. Evidence that use of time is a powerful variable in student learning is applied to the instruction of hearing impaired students. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses homework policy as a product of 50 years of experimental research. Part 1 discusses homework guidelines in grades 3 through 8 by suggesting that homework should be assigned, graded, and individualized. In addition, homework should provide feedback about student achievement that includes parental monitoring. Part 2 recommends…

Purpose: This annotated bibliography is focused intentionally on postsecondary peer cooperative learning programs that increasing student achievement. Peer learning has been popular in education for decades. As both a pedagogy and learning strategy, it has been frequently adapted for a wide range of academic content areas at the elementary,…

Examines implications of IEA international educational research for educational policies in three areas: overall quality of the national educational system, including success in achieving social and economic objectives; structure of the formal system and its influence on student achievement; and influence of school resources and instructional…

This paper reviews the literature on mastery learning theory and reports its successful application since 1987 with mainstreamed special education students at one elementary school in Missouri. The methodology, originally developed by Benjamin Bloom, involves formative evaluation after initial instruction followed by either corrective activities…

The article examines the depressed academic achievement of deaf children from Black and Hispanic minority groups and notes implications concerning educational assessment, placement, student expectations, curriculum development, staffing, and policymaking. Demographic data are also provided. (Author/DB)

This paper reports on the outcomes of the first in a series of three systematic literature reviews in inclusive education. The aims include establishing what research has been undertaken in the area of effective pedagogical approaches to enable children with special educational needs to be included in mainstream classrooms, synthesising themes in…

This review of the literature looks at family influences on the achievement of economically disadvantaged youth, with an emphasis on relationships among families, academic achievement, and gifted education. Theoretical perspectives on the study of families have focused primarily on families as static systems and families as dynamic systems and,…

A study evaluated 35 research projects from 1970-92 comparing problem-based learning in medical and nursing education with more traditional methods of instruction. It was found that results generally supported the superiority of the problem-based learning approach for both affective outcomes and academic performance. (Author/MSE)

The disparity in educational outcomes between majority White and minority African American populations has become known as the African American achievement gap. The authors examine the under performance of African American university students by providing an overview of the major cultural, communication, and learning style characteristics of Black…

This review of the literature focuses on research findings concerning the long-term academic, social, and emotional effects of acceleration, as well as the results of non-acceleration, on gifted children. Access to accelerated programs in Canada and the United States was also investigated. The review led to the following conclusions: (1) academic…

At a time when college degrees are increasingly a prerequisite for middle-class wages, less than 40 percent of college students are able to demonstrate proficiency on literacy tests, barely half of college students graduate on time, and many do not graduate at all. At the same time. the price of college continues to increase quickly and…