Describes a trend in science teaching marked by shifts in philosophies and practices and by a search for science content that draws from the experiences of a culturally diverse student population. (DDR)

Explores the promises that von Glasersfeld's constructivism holds for the reform of science and mathematics education. Argues that a powerful social epistemology is needed to serve as a referent for regenerating the culture of science education. Contains 48 references. (DDR)

Examines the extent to which Western consciousness of the content and process of knowing provide an adequate epistemic foundation for religious education. Places this question in a historical perspective and includes a discussion of contemporary theorists. Outlines various characteristics of religious epistemology and discusses these from a…

Argues that college teachers need special skills and sensitivities to be competent at distance education, including: skills in course planning/organization, verbal/nonverbal presentation skills, collaborative skills, questioning strategies, subject matter expertise, skill at involving students and coordinating field site activities, understanding…

Discussion of dynamic modeling focuses on the development of a new modeling tool called Model-It which provides intentionally designed scaffolding for learners, enabling them to build and test dynamic models of complex systems using object-oriented and qualitative techniques. Classroom testing with high school students is described. (Author/LRW)

Discusses the changing focus of instructional technology research and how it is affected by the constructivist/objectivist debate. Reviews studies in elementary and secondary classrooms that address constructivist questions, and examines problems with these studies. Notes there may be a movement toward a merging of philosophies and a trend toward…

Discusses the Accelerated Reader software program and describes a project conducted with fourth grade students that investigated strategies for teaching reading and writing comprehension. Topics include generative learning theory; higher order thinking skills; generating original reading comprehension questions; and thinking maps and question…

As a classroom level reform effort cooperative learning is recommended as a vehicle for teaching democratic principles in elementary and secondary schools and in preservice teacher education programs. The paper stresses the importance of theory, research, and modeling when making judgements about the application of cooperative learning. (SM)

Explores how research on how people think, learn, and remember can be used as a guide in redesigning higher education, especially science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields. Asserts that such research suggests against lectures, "canned" laboratory work, and frequent testing. (EV)

The following five reasons for failure to use learning strategies are discussed: poor cognitive monitoring, primitive routines that yield a product, a meager knowledge base, attributions and classroom goals that do not support strategy use, and minimal transfer. A theory of settings must be considered to address these issues. (TJH)

A theory for the visual and cognitive processing, which accounts for slower naming of pictures than reading of words, is introduced. Two experiments assessed the differences distinguishing word reading and picture naming, using 58 undergraduates. The coding of the mind is neither intrinsically linguistic nor imagistic; it is abstract. (TJH)

This article describes the methodology of a four-study research program designed to develop a grounded theory of pupil learning in elementary classrooms. Findings illustrate the relationship of instructional contexts, content variables, and pupil behavior and utterances to short-term and long-term learning. (Author/IAH)

Exhorts college teachers to adapt their teaching strategies to the needs of individual groups of students. Discusses the following categories of developmental learning as identified by William Perry: dualism, multiplicity, and relativism. Explains that for each category, a concomitant learning style is needed. Describes each learning style, and…

Rejects sociobiological theories on female academic achievement and bases findings on social structure to explain why undergraduate women at Oxford University (England) achieve fewer first places and more second places in class honors. Bases theory on bipolarity of gender as an organizing principle of society. Claims that the double bind of social…

Research of expert-novice differences is reviewed seeking to show experts possess a large body of domain specific knowledge. It was postulated that experts possess schemas enabling them to classify problems, call up the appropriate automated rules, then apply these to obtain the solution. (DC)