Background: Although instructional development for teachers has become an important topic in higher education, little is known about its actual impact. In particular, evidence regarding the impact of teachers' instructional development on students' perceptions of the teaching-learning environment is scarce. Aims: The impact of an instructional…

If tests of cognitive ability are repeatedly taken, test scores rise. Such retest effects have been observed for a long time and for a variety of tasks. This study investigates retest effects on figural matrix items in an educational context. A short term effect is assumed for the direct retest administration in the same test session, and a long…

Affect has been the subject of increasing attention in cognitive accounts of learning. Many intelligent tutoring systems now seek to adapt pedagogy to student affective and motivational processes in an effort to increase the effectiveness of tutorial interaction and improve learning outcomes. To this end, recent work has begun to investigate the…

The need has arise for the consideration of individual differences, to include their learning styles, learning orientations, preferences and needs in learning to allow learners engage and be responsible for their own learning, retain information longer, apply the knowledge more effectively, have positive attitudes towards the subject, have more…

This longitudinal study uses an ecological framework to examine school and individual influences on academic achievement among African American and Latino students with and without disabilities who had recently transferred to more inclusive schools. The authors' ecological framework includes four domains: organizational policies and practices,…

With this document, the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO) offers for public dialogue and comment a set of model core teaching standards that outline what teachers should know and be able to do to help all students reach the goal of being college- and career-ready in today's world. These standards are an update of the 1992 Interstate…

The success of a virtual learning environment (VLE) depends to a considerable extent on student acceptance and use of such an e-learning system. After critically assessing models of technology adoption, including the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), TAM2, and the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Usage of Technology (UTAUT), we build a conceptual…

Three models representing different relations between intellectual ability, metacognitive skills, and learning were compared. The conditions under which each of these models holds were investigated, on the basis of the threshold of problematicity theory [Elshout, J. J. (1987). Problem solving and education. In E. De Corte, H. Lodewijks, R.…

In hypertext learning, comparative research is mostly dedicated to differences in text-hypertext information retrieval and processing and to optimization of nonlinear information retrieval. Most of these investigations are conducted within the context of applied research. The theoretical background of information acquisition from linear and…

The research literature is just beginning to uncover factors involved in sustaining constructivist learning environments, such as Project-Based Learning (PBL). Our case study investigates teacher responses to the challenges of constructivist environments, since teachers can play strong roles in supporting or undermining even the best…

Performance aspects of three samples (N=58) of students enrolled in computer science literacy courses for educators were studied. The person-environment congruence concept of Holland's model of vocational behavior was used to predict class performance. The model uses a classification system which arranges six vocational types in a hexagonal…

This study explored individual, family, and school-related factors contributing to underachievement among 56 gifted students (grades four to eight). Comparison of four models found the complex model incorporating all three factors best fit the data. The importance of an ecological approach to problems of underachievement is stressed. Intervention…

A model of the sources of differences in the learning potentials of students is presented, including group differences in learning potentials between gifted and nongifted students; interindividual differences between gifted students; intraindividual differences within one gifted student; and independent and interactive contributions of…

The development of programing for the gifted and the culturally diverse follows the same general developmental sequence: awareness, recognition, appreciation, acceptance, and affirmation. A gifted program model, based on the recognition of individual differences, enrichment, and self-actualization through counseling, can be effectively applied…

This 2-year longitudinal study is being conducted better to understand the lives of secondary school students as they move from one social setting to another and to draw implications for learning as teachers are provided with a more holistic picture. The study describes students' interrelationships with family, school, and peers; perceptions of…