This paper examines and critiques several learning style inventories (LSI) in an effort to find the optimal research instrument for a proposed empirical study of both the quality of courseware and the impact of courseware characteristics on variations of learning effectiveness due to learner characteristics. Five LSIs are examined: (1) Dunn LSI;…

Extends earlier studies investigating possible relationships between student aptitudes and different modes of mathematical instruction. In the study, college students were exposed to either a verbal-pictorial-numeric treatment or a verbal-symbolic-numeric treatment in quadratic inequalities. Interactions between instructional treatment and…

Models of self-regulated learning hypothesize that learners selectively match study tactics to varying tasks and diverse goals. In this study, students rated the frequency with which they applied 26 study tactics, used 20 textbook features and other resources, and adopted 30 goals for studying. Findings indicate students' reports of…

Fourteen studies were reviewed whose findings indicate that learner control of certain presentation characteristics interacts with certain learner characteristics. Thus, learner control is not a panacea for accomodating individual differences. Instead, some kinds of individual differences probably should be taken into account by teachers and…

Evaluated the effect of listening to stories on children's vocabulary growth. Children acquired new vocabulary from listening to stories, with both frequency of exposure and teacher explanation of target words enhancing vocabulary learning. The interventions, however, were not sufficient to overcome the Matthew effect, as higher ability children…

Root word vocabulary was studied in two normative samples (English-speaking, wide socioeconomic range) and in an advantaged sample. Findings suggest that greater efforts should be made to foster vocabulary acquisition in the primary years, and that a rough vocabulary curriculum sequence can be identified for the elementary years. (Author)

Sixth-grade students were measured on fluid and crystallized ability, given instructions stressing one of the abilities, and pre- and posttested on a mathematical concept. Results suggest that students with lower general ability benefit most by instruction focused on fluid ability, and students with higher general ability by instruction focused on…

Three experimental studies investigated psychological processes underlying the effects of achievement in one domain and on self-perceived competence in another. In Study 1, high achievement in one domain led to lower self-perceived competence in the other. Study 2 showed inverse effects on self-perceived competence based on achievement feedback.…

The purpose of this paper is to improve knowledge of the interaction between the learner, the teaching arrangement, and the content. For practical purposes the combination of the teaching arrangement and the content has been called the task, as these cannot successfully be treated separately in the teaching-learning process. Through analysis of…

Describes a British study with undergraduate accountancy students which compared the quantitative and qualitative effects of three types of embedded tasks or questions--relational-semantic, transpose-semantic, and non-semantic--on learning outcomes. Variables investigated included mathematical background, recall, and comprehension. Relevance of…