Introduces reading research from Great Britain, Sweden, and Australia. Discusses three conclusions from this literature particularly relevant to college reading specialists. (SR)

Drawing on a number of studies of college student learning, this review concludes that students in different disciplines develop characteristic ways of learning based on their perceptions of what is required in their academic work. Within a discipline, effective learning involves an interplay between the characteristics of the student and the…

In a study of 121 elementary school teachers, those with strong beliefs about the importance of student work habits reported that they planned their lessons with greater responsiveness to student performance than teachers with less strong beliefs. Their learning-disabled and average-achieving students also achieved better than those with teachers…

A survey of university freshmen investigated structural gender differences in learning behavior, based on recollections and report of science study in the final year of secondary school. It is concluded that the differences that emerged are only partially interpretable as classic deep or strategic structures and that gender-sensitive sources of…

Results of a discriminant analysis of incoming freshmen (n=576) revealed that behavior problems were best distinguished by goal-directed behavior, self-esteem, previous grade point average, and admission status, in that order. A second discriminant analysis was conducted using end-of-semester grade point average, and the most accurate variables in…

Reports on a study of the personal characteristics, academic habits, high school course of study, and perceptions of student/teacher interaction and academic advising of community college transfer students attending a research university in the midwest. Compares students who achieved satisfactory progress with those who did not. (DMM)

A study compared the effectiveness of 4 study-group methods with 150 law students in a first year course in property law. None of the following methods was found to be superior: having students respond in essays to questions based on material covered in class; instructor-led discussion; weekly quizzes; or the control (informal study groups). (MSE)

Favored explanations for the achievement gap between black and white students reflect experts' positions on the ideological spectrum, while overlooking fundamental problems with the educational delivery system. The situation of black students is not hopeless, thanks to new research that abandons whites' academic performance as the norm and…

A study of 97 adult distance learners introduced and evaluated the effectiveness of an embedded study strategy. Determined less experienced learners embraced the strategy and more experienced learners rejected it if it conflicted with existing study strategies, time constraints, or their need for self-direction. Appendices includes the evaluation…

Investigated whether students report professors are excellent teachers if little studying is required to receive high grades. Evaluations from 1,939 students in 75 first-year classes found that when grades varied markedly across sections of the same course, professors assigning the highest grades for the least studying received the highest…

A study analyzed behavior patterns, conditions under which students learn, and educational achievements of German university students with disabilities. Results indicate students have common coping strategies regardless of disability type. The more the students had learned to accept and understand their disabilities during childhood and early…

Describes a study designed to investigate the extent to which peer relations increased among supplemental instruction program participants at a community college. Students who joined supplemental workshops were compared with those who did not. Regression analysis revealed a strong correlation between supplemental instruction and extracurricular…

Discusses the results of interviews conducted with 20 women distance learners from community nursing disciplines at the University of Wolverhampton (United Kingdom) that investigated relationships between approaches to study, learning styles and strategies, and materials design, and how these impact on the need for support and guidance in distance…

Examined approaches to studying among deaf distance-education students in Britain who preferred either sign language or spoken language. Findings included that deaf students seemed just as capable as hearing students of adopting a meaning orientation, and that there were no differences in approaches to studying related to students' preferred mode…

Examines determinates of student academic success in a Swedish university using estimates of a proportional-odds model. Finds that students studying previously given examinations, engaging in physical activity up to 6 hours per week, and taking courses in natural and technical sciences in high school play an important role in determining academic…