Courses using a Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) have proliferated in the past decade. Researchers have explored various factors related to PSI, but rarely, if ever, have students' study habits or preferences been considered. A questionnaire examining the study habits, exam preferences and attitudes toward various instructional formats was…

Presented are examples of student differences in thought forms derived from interviews of students entering the natural science line and technology line of the integrated upper secondary schools in Sweden. Methods are outlined for the symbolic description, analysis and interpretation of "thought forms," and ways are described in which dialogue…

In the social learning perspective the anticipation of rewarding consequences serves as one source of motivation. A second results from the perception of a negative discrepancy between present capabilities and desired performance. To foster motlvation it is necessary that persons accurately appraise their capabilities. Techniques for fostering…

Pertinent findings from the combined analyses of results of the United States Office of Education First-Grade Reading Studies are presented. Suggestions for incorporating diagnostic findings into the classroom teaching of reading are presented. The first-grade studies demonstrate that the reading achievement of first- and second-grade children is…

This research focuses on a major characteristic of mass-education: the requirement that each child in the classroom perform the same learning tasks at the same time. Little is known about consequences of such instructional uniformity on learning, emotional growth and interpersonal relations. Three basic experiments were conducted. The first study…

Seven articles concerning individualized science education are compiled in this publication which begins with a brief introduction to the concept of individual differences. Representative projects on both elementary and secondary school levels are included to illustrate different degrees of structure and styles of individualization. Discussions of…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a monograph summarizing the theoretical and experimental psychological research done to determine the mathematical aptitudes of schoolchildren. The author constructs a general picture of the mathematical aptitudes of students; he identifies nine components, to be…

A description of four research strategies which are different from the commonly used between-groups design: the sub-group method, the regression or correlation method, the case study method and the ethnography method. Two studies carried out in Montreal using the regression method are discussed. (AMH)

Experienced teachers had 90 minutes to think aloud and plan the lesson before an experimental teaching session. Most planning decisions concerned lesson content rather than objective-setting, student diagnosis, or instructional strategy. Planning differences were related to teachers' cognitive styles and abilities. Relationships between planning,…

This joint statement expresses concerns about present practices in pre-first grade reading instruction and makes recommendations for improvement. The statement was prepared by seven organizations concerned with preschool education and/or reading instruction. (BD)

This digest discusses the need for differentiating language arts instruction for gifted students in grades K-8. It begins by describing differentiation approaches, including acceleration, depth, complexity, challenges, and creativity. It then explains how teachers can differentiate the language arts curriculum in the following five areas: (1)…

This bulletin is the second in a seres of studies aimed at describing current developments in the secondary school curriculum as they are revealed in recent courses of study and teaching guides. It is the only analysis of the English curriculum in grades 7-12 which has been made by the Office in the past year. This survey includes the four major…

This article describes some ways counselors can use their skills to help teachers individualize instruction. The author describes the four basic components of most programs of individualized instruction, suggesting tasks counselors could perform relating to each component. The author concludes that the interested counselor is able to contribute…

Examines the shift in the theoretical basis of learning from a behavioral theory to a cognitive theory, exploring implications of the shift for educational practice. Compares behavioral and cognitive theories in relation to educational goals/objectives, individual differences, instructional strategies, learner motivation, and learner…

Describes aspects of Guided Design, a recent instructional strategy designed to teach process skills, in which students engage in the decision-making process to devise solutions for a series of open-ended problems. (CS)