This study, designed to examine instructional clarity, focuses on two questions from the literature: (1) Is it necessary for a lesson to contain keys, links, framing statements, focusing moves, and examples in order for students to achieve and be motivated? and (2) What is the specific purpose of links and focusing moves in instruction? Subjects,…

When critical thinking is conceptualized as mindful learning, the focus is on the educational experiences or actual academic tasks designed to engage students in active learning. Academic tasks are sets of specifications for learning activities that provide the framework for curricular content. The academic tasks are designed by teachers and…

This seven chapter book offers guidance to elementary and secondary teachers on how to help students develop strategic study skills. Chapter 1 summarizes current knowledge about information-processing theory, the teacher's role in facilitating learning, and the necessity for changes in instructional techniques across grade levels. Chapter 2…

By describing the characteristics of the educational and developmental belief systems of low-income African-American parents of kindergarten children, this study extended previous research on parents' beliefs about early education and development to more ethnically and socioeconomically diverse subject groups. A sample of 115 African-American…

This report describes the first year of an ongoing intervention study and the learning of a group of practicing teachers working together with researchers to make changes in the ways they teach mathematics. When reflecting on their beginning efforts, the researchers found that several assumptions in their planned interventions were not borne out…

This book tells the story of a child with learning disabilities who, now in her 50s, eventually obtained a Ph.D. The author records her memories of academic and social problems throughout her school and employment. Each chapter contains a "reflection" and "commentary" from the author. Every reflection is a dramatic demonstration of how it feels to…

This booklet is aimed at school students desiring to improve their lifelong learning skills. Part 1 is a checklist to help students determine their preferred learning styles, including sense modalities (reading, listening, viewing pictures or diagrams, touching, or moving) and best learning conditions (preferred sounds, lighting, temperature,…

This paper reports the results of a study designed to examine how students with different learning styles functioned in World Wide Web-based courses offered by Project BIO at Iowa State University in the Fall of 1997, and to determine what factors influenced their learning. The objectives of the study were to identify: (1) the demographic…

The use of multiple representations with or without technology is one of the major topics in mathematics education that has gained importance in recent decades. The use of multiple representations is advocated by many mathematics educators and supported by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards. In this paper, multiple…

In 1995 Cerritos College (California) introduced a learning community model that combines curriculum development, classroom technology, and cultural awareness sensitivity in order to strengthen student academic success. This model is different from interdisciplinary projects and blended curriculum in that the design not only focused only on…

A Mexican study investigated the relationship between foreign language learning motivation, anxiety, and learning strategies of beginning-level university English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students who are at risk of failing the EFL class only. Subjects were 68 students identified as having serious problems with listening comprehension and…

This book analyzes the nature of differences among students in terms of grade levels of academic abilities. How these differences have emerged, and what teachers can do to address such varied abilities in their classrooms are discussed. Chapter 1, "The Nature of the Educational Challenge," examines just how extensive these differences…

Experiential or work-based learning has been touted as imperative for the development of students and their preparation for the workplace. However, work-based learning does not always occur or occur to a significant extent merely because a student is in the workplace. What matters is the nature of the student's participation in workplace…

This study investigated the relationship between student motivation, both extrinsic and intrinsic, and learning strategies for English as a foreign language (EFL) students. Subjects were 46 Taiwanese undergraduate and graduate students of advanced EFL at a public university in the United States who were administered motivation and learning…

A study examined the effect of three different prereading vocabulary development strategies on sixth grade science test results. Subjects, 81 sixth-grade students from a suburban, middle-class school in Union County, New Jersey, were divided into four heterogeneous science classes and given a pretest of 40 vocabulary words taken from the science…