This study tested and extended Dweck's social-cognitive theory of motivation with adults who deliberately chose to face the challenge of returning to school. We examined the relationships among beliefs (implicit theories) on the nature of intelligence, goal orientation, cognitive engagement in learning, and achievement using path analyses.…

In this article, we propose a theory for understanding the processes of adaptation in classroom learning and interaction. Adaptation processes are the emergent, improvisational, and recursive relationships between tensions and how they subsequently reorder learning activities. Through the analysis of a representative example of classroom…

Little is known about how successful students in Web-based courses self-regulate their learning. This descriptive case study used a social cognitive model of self-regulated learning (SRL) to investigate how six graduate students used and adapted traditional SRL strategies to complete tasks and cope with challenges in a Web-based technology course;…

This paper considers the work of Martin Heidegger and its relation to situated cognition. The motivation for the paper springs from the perceived misconception that many educators have on situated cognition by applying situated learning strategies in a dualistic orientation, whereas situated cognition is fundamentally relativist (non-dualistic) in…

This study examined the effects of providing explicit metacognitive instruction prior to cognitive strategy instruction on students' with learning disabilities ability to generalize a vocabulary strategy learned in a special education setting to a general education setting. The subjects were eight elementary school students with learning…

This article argues that an important source of the difficulties posed by particular concepts and theories is the narrow range of "types of causal models" with which most learners are familiar. Most learners are familiar with relatively simple styles of causal models, but many concepts and theories in science depend on styles…

Notetaking is important for recording and remembering class content in most university courses. Despite the importance of this behavior, however, students are often poor notetakers. This study compared undergraduates' notes after traditional lecture, lecture with slides, and lecture with slides plus guided notes. Data on the percentages of…

We examined the relationship between parents' behaviour and children's use of simple arithmetic strategies while playing a board game in contrast to solving arithmetic problems. In a microgenetic study spanning 3 weeks, 5-year-old children who were just beginning kindergarten played a modified game of "Chutes and Ladders" with one of…

Education Queensland's New Basics project has extended conceptions of "equity" to incorporate dimensions such as higher order thinking and student control of classroom activity. This requires a critique of the outcomes attained by even high achieving students. It is therefore useful to interrogate professional discourses that shape…

This research paper focuses on "teacher-led" primary school visits to the Eden Project in Cornwall, England. It considers the objectives of school visits and the aims of the Eden Project. The strategies used by the Eden Project to convey their messages are investigated and effective strategies for learning are evaluated, based on…

Recently, the authors engaged in a collaborative inquiry with a sixth grade science class to explore mind mapping, a graphic organizer that can be used to generate ideas, take notes, develop concepts and ideas, and improve memory (Buzan 1979). With a very limited body of research available on how to best use mind maps in the classroom, the authors…

The integration of science with social science and literature captures the spirit of inquiry and pedagogy embodied in the "National Science Education Standards". Multiple instructional approaches--group and individual work, small and large group work, at-home activities, hands-on and virtual instruction, extension into literature, writing and…

This article presents an example of a versatile multi-solution problem that can be used right across the primary years. The basic problem is: "Noah saw 16 legs go past him into the Ark. How many creatures did he see?" Any even number can be used, although, 2 legs allows only one answer and with 16 legs there are already 14 different…

This article discusses learning within the corporate environment. Comparing objectivist and constructivist theories of learners and learning, the author presents her views from a constructivist approach. Three learning methods are discussed: (1) Problem-based; (2) Cooperative and (3) Situated. A background of each is included, noting outcomes…

This experimental study examined the influence of a classwide peer-tutoring reading program (Peer-Assisted Learning Strategies; PALS) on the quality of social relationships of elementary school children. Using a sociometric procedure, social preference and friendships were evaluated before and after the PALS program. Overall (mean) and…