Observations are offered regarding differences between the academic persistence, academic achievement, and general learning behaviors of male and female students in job skills classes for physical plant and security employees at a state university. Greater numbers of women tended to enroll in and continue attending classes. The men tended to…

Characteristics of critical thinking and creative thinking are described along with methods by which educators can encourage students in the development of these cognitive strategies. Intellectual standards applied to the critical thought process include accuracy, precision, depth, breadth, logic, and significance. Effective educators adhere to…

A study investigated the relationships among trait argumentativeness (one's disposition to either approach or avoid an argument), argumentative flexibility (one's disposition to argue in either a flexible or collaborative manner, or an inflexible manner), and self-reported perception of critical thinking dispositions and their impact on critical…

A study reanalyzed the 1977 original form of the Self-Directed Learning Readiness Scale (SDLRS) developed by Guglielmino. It questioned whether there is an intracultural and intercultural factorial consistency, whether raters would reconfirm the eight-factor solution, and whether raters would reconfirm the main characteristics of a "highly…

Since "adult learning" is not a well-defined field, the content of any graduate course called "Adult Learning" could be fairly arbitrary. Moreover, when such a course is aimed at applied psychology and education students, learning outcomes such as problem-solving and applications are of utmost importance. Two major curricular topics--course…

The question of how teachers can mediate self-regulated learning in college students is discussed. For the purposes of this study, self-regulated learning is defined as the ongoing process in which the learner makes sense of the learning task, creates goals and strategies, and implements actions designed to meet goals for the given learning…

The brain's architecture serves as the basic model for theorizing about how the brain works. Current brain research confirms earlier suspicions that thoughtfulness has a great deal more complexity than the simplistic left/right distinctions of earlier research. This paper draws on the work of Carl Jung to propose the brain-psyche model as an…

Instructional librarians in academic libraries continue to think critically about their function, methodology, and teaching effectiveness as they assist students in their quests for knowledge. While several factors identify effective teaching, one important component is teaching to the diversity of learning styles of the students. This paper…

This study investigated students' conceptual and procedural understanding of calculus within the context of an engineering mechanics course. Four traditional calculus students were compared with three students from one of the calculus reform projects, Calculus & Mathematica. Task-based interviews were conducted with each participant throughout…

A study investigated the relationship of communication style and cognitive style in the secondary school context. Eighty-seven secondary teachers from 4 high schools in suburban Denver (Colorado) and 86 of their students completed cognitive and communication style instruments as well as evaluations of one another. Results found: (1) an association…

This study investigated differences in learning styles, anxiety levels, and coping techniques in traditional (under age 25 years) versus nontraditional (age 25 years or older) community college students. In the fall of 1997, traditional and nontraditional students completed tests on their learning styles, general anxiety levels, and coping…

The Personal Preferences Self-Description Questionnaire (PPSDQ) (B. Thompson) was developed to measure personal preferences with regard to Jungian psychological types. Instruments in this area are among the most popular measures used in education and psychology; the measures are used in matching teaching and learning styles, in individual…

A study compared the literary response and character attribution processes of 40 undergraduate students on the basis of differences in their interpersonal construct repertoire, or "interpersonal cognitive complexity." No studies to date have explored the ways in which cognitive complexity influences readers' overall responses to…

Noting that the existence of learning disabilities after high school is considered problematical, a study determined the presence of learning disabilities among freshmen at Kean College of New Jersey and whether a specific set of learning characteristics exist which interfere with the successful completion of the college curricula. Subjects, 404…

Educators who neglect to adapt teaching strategies to different cognitive styles may be placing some students at risk. A literature review suggests that elements of African American culture heavily influence African American students' communicative and cognitive styles. Research indicates that African American cultural values are organized around…