This study investigates how 17 affective factors are related to Japanese second language (L2) reading comprehension and "kanji" knowledge test scores of 43 university students in advanced Japanese courses. Major findings are that: a) reading comprehension ability and "kanji" knowledge have direct associations with…

Given its important role in mathematics as well as its role as a gatekeeper to future educational and employment opportunities, algebra has become a focal point of both reform and research efforts in mathematics education. Understanding and using algebra is dependent on understanding a number of fundamental concepts, one of which is the concept of…

This article focuses on facilitating learners' collaborative knowledge construction in case-based learning scenarios. The article first describes how case-based learning can promote knowledge acquisition and then discusses the characteristics of videoconferencing in such scenarios. Then we focus our attention on the process and outcomes of the…

When implementing institutional strategies to bring research and teaching together, learning occurs. A research-intensive university in Australia put in place institutional strategies to strengthen the relationship between research and teaching.

Recent research indicates that Americans are reading less than they have in the past, as black-and-white text competes with more visually exciting media, such as the Internet, movies, and television. As a solution to this problem, the author proposes that books and instructional materials engage readers visually through the use of color and…

Faculty collaboratively developed an on-line Bachelor of Science degree in Consumer Science and Merchandising (CSM). Part-time faculty and technical support services supported the four-member team. Small grants assisted in the creation and redesign of all CSM major courses for on-line delivery. Issues of appropriate learning strategies, student…

This study investigated the relationship between language learning strategy (LLS) preferences and English proficiency among Chinese university students. Oxford's (1990), Strategy Inventory for Language Learning (SILL) and an institutional version (ITP) of the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) were administered to 168 third-year English…

The focus was on the study methods of nurse students during their first 2 years in higher education. Qualitative data were obtained by interviewing a sample of the first year students, plus a sample of second year students in two nursing specialities. The essay was found to be the most difficult format, particularly for those coming straight from…

The ways in which the Reading Recovery Programme supports children with reading difficulties is considered in this article within the context of the national development of the programme in England which began in the 1990s. We go on to describe the implementation of this early intervention programme in one London LEA. We then compare the Early…

This article presents a rationale for why role-play simulation is an effective and socially dynamic learning strategy for VET or HE. The factors of generational change, work world demands due to global economics and rapid technological developments are drivers for educationalists to focus more on the process of learning rather than the content.…

Schools have much to learn from video games and the gaming community. By providing compelling activities for motivating otherwise indifferent learners, video games can potentially help teachers improve the design of learning environments. However, there are considerable rhetorical and practical barriers between the schooling and gaming communities…

The scholarship of teaching has its roots in reflective teaching practice. Every time a teacher is taken by surprise at something that has occurred in a course, whether he or she prefers that it not be repeated, or that it take place regularly, an opportunity exists for the scholarship of teaching to begin. In this essay, the author's intent is to…

This study investigated the effectiveness of concept mapping used as a learning strategy with students in English as a Second Language classrooms. Seventy-nine ESL students participated in the study. Variables of interest were students' achievement when learning from English-language text, students' reported use of self-regulation strategies…

The development of two dominant research traditions is described: students' approaches to learning (SAL) and information processing (IP). The development of the third tradition, self-regulated learning (SRL) is added. SAL is based on European research, whereas IP and SRL are more typical background ideas for North-American research. The most…

The purpose of this article is to explore the effects of an alternative, transformative andragogy, i.e., the art and science of helping others to learn, designed to be responsive to the challenges of preparing educational leaders committed to social justice and equity. Three aspects of Mezirow's (1990) Transformative Learning Theory, which in…