Given the current and widespread practical interest in mathematical understanding, particularly with respect to higher order thinking skills, curriculum reform advocates in many countries cite the need for teaching mathematics with understanding. However, the characterization of understanding in ways that highlight its growth, as well as the…

A study investigated use of the Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA) for relating learner attitude toward engagement in English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) learning behaviors, perceived social support for engagement in those behaviors, and behavioral intention. TRA proposes a sequence of dependencies underlying behavior. The model also relates attitude…

Theories of learning and instruction usually are grounded in psychological and epistemological assumptions. However, these theories ignore the child in relation to his or her cultural and institutional context and ignore the schoolteacher from the social context that regulates the process of transmission and acquisition of knowledge and skills.…

A study involving 97 students (79 females and 18 males) at New York City Technical College was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of desensitization in reducing test anxiety and improving grade point averages (GPAs). The study compared the GPAs of students who completed workshops using the desensitization hierarchy developed by R. Strieby…

The Office of Educational Research and Improvement's new National Center for Research on Teacher Learning expects to include at least four elements: to accommodate public expectations for schools, to incorporate a theory of the teacher as a learner, to incorporate a theory of the teacher's task, and to build on a theory of the unique features of…

A collection of six essays focuses on second language instruction for adult learners. In "Modern Languages and the Adult Student" (David Smith), the motivations of adults taking evening classes are examined and the ways in which language teachers need to adjust to this population are discussed. "Language Learning Theories and Their Implications…

The use of prepositions, past tense verb forms, and subject-verb agreement in the English of a Korean college student of English for foreign students is analyzed in the context of Krashen's Monitor Model theory of language acquisition. The student was interviewed, asked to give a free writing sample, asked to read his own writing, and asked to…

Two experiments were conducted to test the hypotheses that the ability to draw inferences from a text about an unstated agent is based on the quality of information available to the reader, and that the quality of the information is itself based on the unique nature of cues embedded in the text and on the relevance of prior knowledge held by the…

Three-dimensional (3-D) aerial photographs viewed with cardboard filter glasses (anaglyphs) aid elementary and junior high school students in recognizing physical features, offer a realistic vertical perspective, and have motivational values. A review of research on cognition, perception, and the use of anaglyphs reveals that pictures are an…

To lay a foundation for the design and effective use of low-cost, part-task and low-fidelity training devices, this report identifies dimensions of skill performance in terms of modern learning and behavior theory, and analyzes cognitive and motor skills as they relate to information processing. Cognitive processes discussed include task…

A 2-year study of optimal structures for multimedia instruction is being conducted to provide experimentally validated guidelines for the design of computer-based instruction generation systems and for human instruction in a multimedia setting. In order to obtain for analysis a significant range of the possible discourse structures that occur in…

In a test administered to Spanish-speaking students of English as a second language at the elementary and intermediate levels, the results indicated the subjects' reliance on the strategies of overgeneralization and transfer was qualitatively different. Implications of the results are discussed. (Author/RM)

Social constructivist theory has advanced the notion that distance education is inferior, because effective learning is thought to require immersion in a cognitive apprenticeship under the guidance of a mentor. Effective learning is said to be situated in activity, context, and culture as a collaboration in a community of practice. Administrators…

The influence of students' self-efficacy (perceived capabilities) on their motivation and skill acquisition is discussed, focusing on the role of classroom models. Social-cognitive learning theory suggests that observations of peers performing academic tasks may affect the learners' efficacy partly through the intervening influence of perceived…

Ways to help learners of all ages to independently search out and use existing knowledge and new information to solve problems and acquire new skills is examined through 15 papers by leading experts in learning-to-learn theory and application. Papers have the following titles and authors: "The Promise of Learning to Learn" (Robert M. Smith); "How…