Presented are issues related to instruction for mastery learning. The theories and research related to mastery learning are reviewed and the issues which must be addressed by the teacher are examined. (SD)

Two experiments involving 131 graduate students were conducted to determine effects of reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) on graduate students' academic achievement, test anxiety, and academic self-efficacy. RPT and nonRPT groups did not differ significantly on achievement tests, but other results suggest that RPT may help students achieve learning…

Argues that four key assumptions about teaching and learning must be reevaluated to create a curriculum of the future: (1) learning is the result of individual activity; (2) teachers are consumers of theory; (3) assessment is concerned with evaluating learning outcomes; and (4) teaching and learning are primarily cognitive, ethical, or affective…

Relates why educators should embrace tests as tools for transforming teaching and learning. States that rigorous and meaningful testing can help ensure the academic achievement of all students. Further, useful education assessments must make clear what they measure, and they must measure what educators value most. (Contains six references.) (WFA)

This article gives a general historical perspective and framework for the discussion of higher education in post-1992 Europe. Universities are, by nature of their commitment to advancing universal knowledge, essentially international institutions, but they have been living in a world of nation states that have designs upon them. (MLW)

A study of acquisition of the alphabetic principle in 64 preliterate children, aged 3 to 5 years, is reported. It appears that phonemic awareness and grapheme-phoneme knowledge are needed in combination for acquisition of the alphabetic principle. Once gained, alphabetic insight proved relatively robust. (TJH)

Describes research related to the effectiveness of past efforts at school improvement as well as the evolution of the self-study/school improvement process in North Dakota. Uses three components of school accountability cited by L. Darling-Hammond (1992) as a backdrop. (SLD)

Examines relationships between factors affecting high school students' (n=142) ability to acquire meaningful understanding of specific biological concepts. Assessment using mental modeling techniques showed a significant correlation between students' meaningful learning orientation and their understanding of a topic. Suggests that perhaps much…

Cognitive holding power is defined as a characteristic of the learning setting that presses students into different kinds of cognitive activity. Development of an instrument to measure cognitive holding power and studies of the instrument's reliability with over 1,500 Australian technical college students are reported. (SLD)

An evaluation of a computer-based instructional and learning system in the sciences, the Rediscover Science Program, is described. Results from 40 classrooms with 1,153 students indicated the success of the program in fostering a classroom environment conducive to learning and in student achievement outcomes. (SLD)

A conceptual framework is presented for organizing and relating terms pertaining to select knowledge constructs. In constructing this framework, definitions are derived for 27 basic terms essential for understanding literature on learning and literacy. Implications of this terminology for research and instructional practice are discussed. (SLD)

Discusses the relationship between learning and governing, suggesting that systems of social organization reflect prevailing theories of mind and are presuppositional in higher education. Using philosophy, history, and politics, the paper suggests ways of designing higher education systems that reflect a comprehensive view and enhance democratic…

Three experiments (initial total sample of 190 college students) examined students' long-term retention of knowledge learned in college courses. Results of all experiments suggest that students remember a great deal of what they learn up to 11 months later and that tutoring has positive effects on recall by tutors. (SLD)

In the current article, effects of socially induced metacognitive activities on performance of 60 French elementary and secondary school students (grades 3 through 9) were studied. Performance of low-achievement students was higher in a social comparison situation than an ordinary academic situation. A strong contingent relationship between social…

The authors discuss the importance of being aware of two attitudes of students and faculty--learning orientation (LO) and grade orientation (GO)--and describe instruments (LOGO II and LOGO F) that provide instructors with information about how their students stand on those two issues. (Author/MLW)