This paper provides a historical review of the interview research that has been used by science educators to investigate children's basic astronomy knowledge. A wide range of strategies have been developed over the last 120 years or so as successive teams of researchers have endeavoured to overcome the methodological difficulties that have arisen.…

Although competency-based education (CBE) has existed since the early 1970s adult-focused degree programs, interest in CBE has spiked in recent years due to the increased attention on higher education affordability and accountability. This article reviews the extant literature on CBE to address the following questions: (a) What are the definitions…

It is contradictory to expect all students to achieve certain marks and to master given course content and simultaneously to call some students low achievers to accommodate test distribution curves. Mastery learning, emphasizing students' learning rates and presentation of material, can help resolve this contradiction. (PP)

To determine whether increasing teachers' effectiveness influences the relationship between teachers' initial expectations for a student and the student's actual performance, data were gathered on intermediate grades and secondary school teachers who participated in a mastery learning workshop. Correlations between teacher expectations and student…

A review of the development and innovation of testing at the higher education level focuses on Ralph Tyler's testing emphasis on the educational process and the objectives of instruction, a precursor to the current trend of integrating formative evaluation into the curriculum development process. (CB)

Reviews theory and research on mastery motivation in young children. Discusses Piaget's and White's perspectives on motivation, changes in mastery motivation during early childhood, how motivation relates to cognition, how caregivers influence mastery motivation, motivation in children with disabilities, assessment of mastery motivation, and how…

The school curriculum has been under scrutiny in an attempt to improve the educational experiences of children, often in the form of federal and state control to make schools accountable for students' education. The goal of standardization is to increase minimum standards in all classrooms and to make sure that all students receive a foundation of…

This text presents basic principles of applying curriculum-based assessment (CBA) to the evaluation of and instruction of students with disabilities. Throughout the book, the mnemonic APPLY is used as an organizing method for teachers to develop and use CBA. APPLY stands for: (1) analyze the curriculum, (2) prepare items to match curriculum…