In a year-long, school-based teacher education project, primary school teachers were given workshop- and classroom-based support, including sustained mentoring, as they appropriated a generative heuristic for teaching technology and science. Dialogs show how a mentor supported one teacher as she aligned her former instructionist teaching methods…

The value of James Gee's (1994) analysis of first-language acquisition as a guide for theories of learning and pedagogy is that it initiates a serious discussion of learning based upon the most effectively studied developmental mastery--language. This commentary argues that this approach underestimates the roles of diverse symbol systems and…

Describes the first component of a four-year, course-integrated library instruction program based on William Perry's developmental model, which was developed at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Results of evaluations comparing pre- and posttest scores show increased student levels of information literacy. An appendix presents a year-by-year outline…

Employed the actor network theory to examine the transformation of a grade-four classroom community as new resources and practices became available. Found that the diffusion and enculturation metaphors are insufficient to model important aspects of learning in a student-centered classroom. (MOK)

An Australian report identifying "generic skills, attributes, and values" as the central achievements of higher education is criticized as vague and inconsistent. A more systematic analysis is offered of higher order generic skills as they manifest themselves in thinking, research, and communication, and of the way in which these skills…

Details the characteristics of the seven multiple intelligences and promotes a systematic approach to teaching that strives to meet individual needs of children. Provides specific teaching tools and strategies, including active learning centers, to support the development of each intelligence area and expose children to varied ways of learning.…

Four major concepts of cognitive theory (the importance of context, students' need for transferable knowledge, importance of balancing depth and breadth of knowledge, and the role of prior knowledge in problem solving) are examined, and possible implications of each concept for the curriculum and teaching of ambulatory health care are explored.…

Examined whether performance on causal influence diagraming activities (CID) influenced performance on traditional assessment while engaging teacher candidates with software that facilitated representation of knowledge in nontraditional ways. Participants demonstrated understanding of complex learning domains through CID, and performance on…

Examines claims that unconscious second language learning under implicit and incidental conditions is insensitive to measures of individual differences in cognitive abilities, in contrast to learning under conscious rule-search and instructed conditions. Findings revealed that only in the incidental condition was the extent of learning and…

Presents an alternative way of developing biochemistry courses for first-year veterinary medicine students. The courses employ a problem-based learning approach that enables students to be responsible for their own learning while enabling teachers to be facilitators. (DDR)

Reports part of a wider study aimed to develop a theoretical understanding of learning in networked courses, where the subject matter is directly related to participants' practical experience. Proposes a taxonomy as a tool for analyzing the learning potential. A phenomenographic perspective on learning underpins the study. (AEF)

Advocated is the use of everyday games and situations instead of the traditional use of textbooks, workbooks, and worksheets. New goals and principles for the beginning arithmetic student are presented. Modifications of activities that promote the constructivist ideal are included. (KR)

A brief annotated bibliography highlights theoretical issues, principal studies, and factors influencing second language retention, including initially attained proficiency levels, supportive environment, exposure to foreign languages, maturity and general self-awareness, literacy and its onset, and the perceived need for the language after…

Explores the problematic social constraints facing teachers who value diversity and who wish to develop their students' ability to think critically and to question dominant cultural values. Classifies these constraints into three areas: social pressures, social rules, and social values operating in the typical composition classroom. (KEH)

Key concepts of the book include the lack of evidence supporting the neurological explanation for "learning disabilities," basic flaws in research based on this theory, and an alternative "interactivity" theory which posits that systemic economic, social, and cultural conditions are the principal influences contributing to learning failure. (DB)