Increasingly, adult educators are using narrative and stories for many reasons, including their deep appeal, satisfaction, and cultural transcendence. As a fundamental structure of human meaning making narrative is a valuable classroom tool in that it can enable students to understand life events, personal actions, and solidify identity formation.…

This digest features a review of learning styles research with a focus on the Dunn model of learning styles which delineates five types of stimuli: (1) environmental; (2) emotional; (3) sociological; (4) physical; and (5) psychological. Issues related to practical applications of the Dunn model to mathematics and science education, learning…

The advance of science and technology, the rise of mass consumerism, the deterioration of families, and other factors have enormous implications for career counseling. This digest outlines a constructivist career counseling perspective. This perspective is based on the following concepts: there are multiple realities and no single "God's…

Constructivism suggests a way to restructure the learning environment to make the transfer of learning from school to work settings more effective. The theory rests on the notion that learners actively construct knowledge by integrating new information and experiences into what they have previously come to understand. Using a constructivist…

This ERIC Digest describes the parameters of misconception research as it relates to the learning of science and highlights some of its implications for the teaching of science in the elementary school. The document reviews terminology associated with misconception research, identifies common characteristics of misconceptions, and specifies…

This digest describes an interdisciplinary approach to instruction based on the relationship between reading, writing, and arithmetic. Questions related to which language learning strategies apply to mathematics, the perspectives of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) regarding this approach, the impact of reading on…

This digest addresses principles of planning science programs for high ability learners. It notes various evaluation reports that have reviewed needs in science learning and teaching, identified essential science concepts and processes, and evaluated teacher enhancement programs and curricula. Research on gifted learners in science is briefly…

A constructivist framework can often appear vague and abstract to the novice counselor. The abstract and nebulous realm of meaning-making, which is central to constructivist approaches, can be frustrating for a linear, task-oriented counselor. This digest explains the approaches used in constructivist counseling. The need to use constructivist…

Cognitive learning related to the environment has typically been subsumed as a part of instruction in the more traditional areas of the secondary school curriculum, in particular in science and/or social studies classes. This digest contains a review of a number of studies dealing with cognitive learning in the environment, investigating the…