Purpose: In madrasahs around the world, teaching and learning methods regarding the memorisation of the "Qur'an" follow the same notion of repetition and the need for embodiment, going beyond rote memorisation, to include a form of active learning. The process of memorisation for automaticity and inculcation of the Qur'an is seen when an…

This article presents the results of a participative study, involving a group of 27 British Muslim students aged 15-18, who were given the opportunity to reflect on the implications of having participated in two different 'traditions' of education: that is, Muslim supplementary education (in its various forms) and state mainstream schooling. The…

This study examines the effects of corpus use on learning L2 collocations. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how the information extracted from corpus data helped learners memorize and output collocations. The effects of corpus use were examined by comparing the effects of dictionary use. 55 intermediate EFL learners from a…

Students' approaches to learning are heavily researched in higher education and are of particular concern in the field of mathematics where many students have been found to struggle with the transition to university mathematics. This article outlines a mixed methods study which sought to describe undergraduate mathematicians' approaches to…

For centuries, memorisation was the vital mode through which the "uses of poetry" were realised. Mixed reactions to its reinstatement on the primary curriculum indicate how much has changed. But does memorisation afford a type of understanding not available through reading or critical analysis? This article draws on the initial findings…

Using PISA 2009, an international education database, this study compares gifted and talented (GT) students in three groups with normal (non-GT) students by examining student characteristics, reading, schooling, learning methods, and use of strategies for understanding and memorizing. Results indicate that the GT and non-GT gender distributions…

Increasing numbers of students are applying to university with the International Certificate of Christian Education (ICCE), an alternative to mainstream qualifications based on a biblically-based, individualised curriculum called Accelerated Christian Education (ACE). No formal validity arguments exist for the ICCE, but it claims to prepare…

The dissonance between Eastern and Western learning approaches is regarded as an obstacle for Chinese students in adjusting to Western education environments, and one of the reasons is the lack of an understanding of Chinese learning approaches, that is, Chinese learners are uncritically perceived as rote learners. This paper investigates Chinese…

Much attention has been paid in the literature to matters of script choice vis-a-vis languages. This attention, however, has focused on script choice in a national and political context. By contrast, there has not been any significant attention paid to more local and idiosyncratic instances of script choice operating on an individual and community…

Higher institutions in the United Kingdom (UK) have responded enthusiastically to two prime ministers' "Initiatives for International Education" to promote Britain as a destination for overseas students and international fees from Chinese students now play an important role in the funding of the UK university sector. Yet it is not clear…

Reports the results of a study of the influence of mnemonic strategies on normal schoolwork. Two history assignments were presented; the first required memorization without guidance while the second supported memorization with mnemonic strategies. Concludes that the second assignment produced better memorization and more enthusiasm. (BSR)

"Adult Language Learners: Context and Innovation" presents instructional practices that are particularly successful with adults. Adult language learners are goal oriented and direct their learning to fulfill particular needs or demands: to advance their studies, to progress up the career ladder, to follow business opportunities, to pass…

Six intermediate/advanced learners of English, studying in the United Kingdom, identified messages that they wanted to convey in specific future conversations and memorized native-like versions of them. Their ability to use them in practice and in the real conversation was analyzed. Propensity to attempt using memorized material correlated with…

This paper addresses the case for collaboration between English and modern languages teachers and researchers in teaching and learning languages. The British context is set out against a background of government initiatives to raise secondary pupils' literacy skills. Salient trends in the teaching approach of English (L1) and modern language (ML)…

The current emphasis in medical education is on engaging learners in deep processing of information to achieve better understanding of the subject matter. Traditional approaches aimed for memorization of medical facts; however, a good memory for medical facts is still essential in clinical practice. This study demonstrates that deep information…