Within the Threshold Concepts Framework, 'postliminal variation' has been defined as the variation in the point and state of exit into a new conceptual space, and the epistemological and ontological terrain encountered from that point onwards. However, in the extensive published literature on threshold concepts, we find many cases in which its…

Educational researchers have concluded that there are threshold concepts in a large number of disciplines. Yet, these researchers have not paid enough attention to the objection to the theory. It is beset with severe definitional and empirical problems. I will portray definitions of 'threshold concepts' provided by Land and Meyer, the founding…

The threshold concepts framework provides educators with a useful way of thinking about the struggles students have in coming to know essential, hard to grasp knowledge. A threshold concept is often best understood through reference to eight characteristics that together describe what is critical to effective knowledge acquisition. This conceptual…

This paper sets out to provide an overview of scientific literacy specifically related to whether emphasis is placed on the "science" or the "literacy" aspect, accepting that literacy, wherever used, is wider than simply reading and writing. It does this from a general rather than a country perspective. The emphasis in giving meaning to scientific…

The author conveys a sense of the term "health" as connoting not a passive state of freedom from disease, but an active condition of being, of growth, development, and evolution. (Author/MJB)

Analyzes 40 concepts in adult education in relation to time, space, policy, theory, and ideals, as well as tensions and competition among them. Seven categories of concepts are presented: core, international, institutional, work related, learning, curricular, and structural. (SK)

This book defines and explains some 40 key concepts in adult education and training, and it presents an analysis of the more than 150 concepts that can be made by combining core and qualifying concepts. The concepts have been grouped into seven chapters, with the following core concepts discussed in chapter 1: adult, education, and training, plus…

Several experimental studies are reviewed, the results of which suggest that students often fail to acquire an understanding of some of the concepts, relationships, principles, and processes that are fundamental to traditional high school course material. Questions of what it means to understand something and of how to assess understanding are…

Discusses and contrasts varying definitions of empowerment from social work and feminist literature. Describes what is problematic in the definitions of empowerment practice with older women and suggests reasons for broadening the definition and concept of empowerment so that social welfare professionals can meet the needs of this growing…

This paper argues that if researchers studying a recognized category of behavior, such as fantasy play or aggression, were to focus on prototypical instances of the behavior, there should be high inter-researcher agreement of just the sort that operational definitions were intended to secure. A study of fantasy play was conducted using a paradigm…

Presents an overview of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and then describes the UNESCO Recommendation on the Development of Adult Education, the first worldwide standard-setting instrument in this field, and suggests why the provisions of this document are important to adult educators in the United…

Profiles a class exercise that teaches the importance of developing an accurate definition of a psychological construct (guilt, control, altruism). The more precise the definition, the easier it is to choose an appropriate technique to measure that construct. Discusses the Health and Psychosocial Instrument File, a recent measurement database.…