Reports two studies comparing responses of Filipino and Nepalese students to learning process questionnaires to those for Australian and Hong Kong students. Presents evidence for a similar structure of learning processes in each culture. Concludes that little evidence supports the contention that Asian learners are more prone to rote learning than…

Although rote learning is a heretical notion to many educators, memorizing, reciting, and drilling may be what is needed to improve test scores and provide students with the necessary skills for solving problems and developing complex thinking skills. Sidebars summarize direct-teaching methods for mathematics and a Core Knowledge curriculum…

Study measured how differences in working memory capacity related to differences in comprehension and following directions in first, third, and sixth graders. The number of words recalled in word- and reading-span tests predicted comprehension for all grades. Results indicate working memory's role in following directions increases with age. (SM)

Supports Linda Darling-Hammond's contention that many adolescent difficulties are not intrinsic, but stem from mismatches between teens' developmental needs and experiences provided by most secondary schools. A depersonalized, punitive, rote-learning ambience cannot meet adolescents' needs for affiliation, autonomy, and cognitive challenges.…

Examines a five year period of the perceptions of University of Durban-Westville (South Africa) student teachers who wrote narratives portraying a significant experience in their schooling. Explains that five themes emerged in the stories: (1) violence; (2) authoritarianism; (3) passive ways of learning; (4) poverty; and (5) language-medium…

Reports the results of a questionnaire on teaching and facilities completed by teachers (N=214) and students (N=630) in Uganda. Indicates that teachers hold a view of science as problem solving, whereas students see science as heavy with memorization. Contains 17 references. (DDR)

Recommends using mnemonics as an introduction to the study of human memory and cognitive processes. Students generally have some familiarity with mnemonics and the device lends itself to a number of interesting games and experiments. Includes suggested activities using mnemonics and the Monopoly board game. (MJP)

Presents an interview with the flutist, James Galway, in which he discusses issues such as the musical culture of Ireland, his technical mastery as a musician, and the importance of music education in the lives of young people. (CMK)

The "Net Generation" refers to children born after 1977 who are growing up as intimate computer users and enthusiastic Internet surfers. Technoliterate youngsters will challenge educators to accommodate their learning needs in imaginative ways. The Internet has democratized information and demolished geographical borders. Memorization is…

Twenty primary-aged students with learning disabilities were tutored by nondisabled students in grades 3-6. Tutored students' performance on single-digit addition facts improved compared to a no-treatment control group. There were no significant differences between two tutoring procedures: a counting-on approach and a rote-memorization approach.…

Six intermediate/advanced learners of English, studying in the United Kingdom, identified messages that they wanted to convey in specific future conversations and memorized native-like versions of them. Their ability to use them in practice and in the real conversation was analyzed. Propensity to attempt using memorized material correlated with…

Although research over the past 20 years has examined the dynamics of student learning, most initial studies focused on how scholastic aptitude tests and teacher rating scales predicted academic success. This study attempts to determine the relationship between scholastic aptitude and three approaches to learning: (1) presage; (2) process; and (3)…

This study examined whether mnemonics or lecture was a more effective teaching technique in the instruction of world geography facts to eight gifted minority students (grades 2-5) in a pull-out program. An alternating treatment design was used. The inquiry was divided into two phases, mnemonics and lecture. A total of eight sessions were…

The applicability of a programmed methodology to a non-programmed text can result in a new approach to and definition of programmed learning. In seeking to resolve the present conflict between grammar and foreign language instruction by making the grammatical elements implicit to both student and teacher through a logically ordered program of…

Navy and Coast Guard enlisted men were the subjects of a study to determine the effectiveness of various instructional materials and methods in symbol learning. A repeated measures design was used to determine the differential effects of aptitude, type of instructional material, and amount of study time on acquisition of the International Morse…