This report contains four papers describing research based on the view of mathematical knowledge as a hierarchy of "rules." The first paper: "The Role of Rules in Behavior" was abstracted in ED 040 036 (October 1970). The second paper: "A Theory of Mathematical Knowledge" defends the thesis that rules are the basic building blocks of mathematical…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a guide prepared by the National Pedagogic Institute for the teaching of reading and writing. The general principles in the guide will tend to unify first grade teaching methods. A brief presentation gives a description of the parts in which the guide is divided. (1)…

Greater student satisfaction, trust, and self-directed learning may result if the teacher uses questioning, clarifying and accepting behaviors for both student feedback about the effectiveness of the teacher's communication behavior (instructional metacommunication) and about the content presented; instructional metacommunication will enable…

Discusses indications of a trend toward popular recognition of the value of Latin as a personal, professional and scholarly resource. (Author/KM)

Compares a family relations class composed of dating couples with a similar family relations class composed on noncouples, with regard to their learning course material and their attitude toward the class. Results indicate that the couples group demonstrated better knowledge of course materials. (Author)

In a sentence-completion task, eighty sixth-grade students were assigned specific difficult goals or general goals ("do your best"). Subjects received one of four levels of monetary incentive. Specific difficult goals produced higher performance than nonspecific across various incentive conditions, and maintained those levels when previously…

This speech, delivered to the General Session of the National Association of College Stores Annual Meeting, discusses the change in student attitudes and the consequent need for quality textbooks with sensible readability and human interest levels. (JMD)

Expresses position that the development of academic and interpersonal skills through developmental programs is a legitimate function of any comprehensive community/junior college and that the granting of college credit for time spent acquiring skills legitimizes learning. Also deals with objections to granting college credit for remedial courses.…

Younger (N=48) and older (N=48) males participated in a vocabulary task involving varying degrees of risk under neutral, supportive, and challenging instructions. Results indicated older adults were more cautious, selected tasks with higher probabilities of success, and were less likely to raise their level of aspiration following success. (Author)

According to the learned helplessness hypothesis, the learning impairment typically displayed by subjects previously given insoluble problems results from the real learning of response-outcome independence. This learning is represented as a belief in helplessness that interferes with the subsequent acquisition of adaptive responses. Two…

Subjects learned lists of words under conditions of high, medium, or low expectations concerning test-phase cheating and were then tested for recall with cheating precluded. Test performance of subjects expecting to be able to cheat was unexpectedly better, rather than worse, than subjects with low expectations, even when cheating was precluded.…

A review of current research regarding foreign language learning motivation considers development of the prevailing theory, integrative versus instrumental premises, neglected points of significance in previous research, inadequacies of the general model, and developmental aspects of learning motives. While such research has reached a…

Research concerning the transfer of cognitive skills is outlined. Transfer is involved in learning, memory, problem solving, and other cognitive processes; it depends on domain-specific knowledge, general cognitive skills, and goals and values. Meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies facilitate transfer. Research is recommended on the interaction…

Discusses new theories of feedback which suggest that all students may not benefit from immediate, positive feedback, depending on their level of ability and the difficulty of the task. Cognitive interpretations of feedback research are reviewed, including motivation to learn, and applications to instructional design are presented. (LRW)