Some studies of science education indicate that many students are alienated from the subjects by their presentation, both verbal and textual. While some have stressed the need to build on students' existing knowledge, it may also be that much scientific presentation is unnecessarily abstruse and even misrepresentative of scientific practice. (MSE)

This booklet, part of the "Getting to Grips with..." series, gives teachers and trainers in vocational education and training some easily digestible information about learning styles. It provides practical tips on how to identify students' learning styles, and how to respond to individuals and groups based on their preferred methods of…

Students taking hybrid or online classes are often unprepared for the kinds of skills that are needed to be successful in this environment. This report provides an overview of one approach, an interactive CD-ROM (SPARK), that faculty can use to assist students in narrowing the gap between needed online learning skills and their current technical…

The effects of students' conceptual levels and teachers' instruction patterns on students' motivation to learn academic course content were investigated. An examination of 63 students indicated that for low-conceptual-level students, direct teaching methods maximized motivation to learn course content. For high-conceptual-level students, nondirect…

Concepts used by two classes of grade eight students, one advanced and the other average, to explain the changes that occur when water is heated to boiling are presented. Little difference was found between groups in terms of the personal misconceptions used to explain boiling. The changes that take place in conceptual knowledge immediately after…

Examined scenarios for using two schematic organizers (schematic knowledge maps and conceptual matrices) in integrating episodic and semantic knowledge about alcohol. Seventy college students were assigned to either schematic organizer group or essay writing group. Groups were further divided into episodic/semantic and semantic/episodic treatment…

Constructs a corrective learning system using the Socratic dialogue as a guide to correct mistakes in students' knowledge of subtraction. The Socratic dialog applies a dialectic method to present questions to the student and lets the student reconsider his or her own thinking. Results show that the Socratic-dialog approach is of great help to…

Describes a survey of 54 tutors in a peer tutoring program that examined the knowledge the tutors had gained concerning methods of student learning. Discusses responses regarding strategies that promote learning, the most effective instructional methods, and self-directed learning. Includes a list of cited tutorial methods. (27 citations) (MAB)

Investigated the effects of problem-solving instruction on high school students' knowledge acquisition, retention, and structuring in contrast to expository instruction in social studies. Students in both groups completed knowledge acquisition instruments. Results indicated that knowledge structure measures did not differ significantly between the…

In Hong Kong, early-years teachers face professional challenges in adopting a creative and child-oriented pedagogy in which play-based learning is central. The paper illuminates teachers' understanding of play, approaches used, difficulties faced, and their power in finding solutions. Six Hong Kong kindergarten teachers participated in an in-depth…

Using contextual or applied methods of instruction when teaching is not a new notion. However, it is receiving new attention as many school districts begin restructuring their curricula to meet the needs of students preparing to take their places in the rapidly changing world of work. Contextual instruction has traditionally been used in career…

Recently, there has been a rapid proliferation of lesson study groups in the United States. Since deep knowledge about lesson study is rare in the U.S., it is likely that some of these groups have an incomplete understanding of this Japanese practice. Some may focus on structural aspects of the process of lesson study or may mimic its superficial…

The near invisibility of women's contributions to psychology is a serious problem in the teaching of psychology. We tested the effectiveness of a teaching exercise aimed at increasing students' awareness of women's contributions to psychology. The exercise involved making, displaying, and examining posters about women in psychology. Students (a)…

According to cognitive load theory, instruction needs to be designed in a manner that facilitates the acquisition of knowledge in long-term memory while reducing unnecessary demands on working memory. When technology is used to deliver instruction, the sequence in which students learn to use the technology and learn the relevant subject matter may…

The culturally diverse classroom would seem to be the ideal resource that educators can tap to develop their students' cross-cultural competence and bridge different cultures. However, evidence from the education literature suggests that students typically do not benefit from classroom diversity and that, in general, there is a lack of…