New information and communications technologies and research in cognitive science have led to new ways to think about and implement learning environments. Among these new approaches to instruction and new methods to support learning and performance is an interest in and emphasis on complex subject matter (e.g., complex and dynamic systems…

The authors explored test-preparation and test-taking strategies that high school students used in algebra tests. From a pool of high school students (N = 156), 61 students participated in interviews, and of those interviewed, 26 represented those who were high achieving as well as highly interested in mathematics (n = 15) vs. those who were low…

Based on the criteria of Ramsden (1992) of contextual factors that encourage a deep approach to learning, an independent, open-ended field-based activity for students of behavioural ecology was designed and implemented. The project was designed to create an authentic learning activity that allowed responsible choice in the method and content…

Few of the English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) participants in adult education classes move on to academic ESL programs that prepare them for content area study or general educational development (GED) or high school equivalency instruction. The ESL literacy curriculum is currently mismatched with GED and academic ESL curricula in purpose, content,…

This booklet is designed to help middle school students and their parents analyze student study habits, plan a study schedule, organize a place to study, and actually study their subjects. Students and parents should analyze a typical day's activities to see how the student spends his or her time, using a chart to see how each hourly (or…

A study tested the effects of activity-based phonological instruction (rhyming, blending, segmenting) on the phonological skill development and reading and writing outcomes of kindergarten children, 31 with and 57 without disabilities, and 19 children repeating kindergarten in regular and self-contained classes in a large urban school district.…

This publication is the third volume in the "Advanced in Research on Teaching" series, which has been established to provide state-of-the-art conceptualization and analysis of the processes involved in functioning as a classroom teacher. This volume focuses on the planning and managing of learning tasks and activities, in particular,…

This study addressed changes in teachers' perceptions of their teaching skills after completing the portfolio requirements in the first field test for the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification and their reactions to the certification requirements. Background information on the National Board, descriptions of the…

The resource constraints and increasing demands mandated by state and federal programs have made it difficult for rural and small schools to provide a developmentally appropriate education for all their students, but especially for middle level students, many of whom have been identified as "at risk." This paper focuses on recent research in the…

Outdoor education, a general term describing the use of resources outside the classroom, has long been considered a method to improve student learning. This book aims to create a bridge between current school reform efforts and the field of outdoor education. Chapter 1 introduces the idea of outdoor education and relates several recent educational…

Educational research has shown that technology can enhance student acquisition of discrete skills through drill and practice. This document describes the research design of a study that examined whether technology could provide significant support for constructivist, project-based teaching and learning approaches. The study also identified the…

This study describes the use of VaxNotes, an electronic conferencing software, in a 16-week graduate distance learning course at a large Midwestern university. The seminar was taught at two campuses, by two instructors, connected by video and audio distance learning technologies. Discussions held outside class were conducted initially by…

This document reports on a study to determine if there is a pattern between specific learning styles and Myers-Briggs Type Indicator preferences. The learning style inventory used for the study, "The Teaching and Learning Styles Survey for Adolescents (TLC)," is based on Jungian style preferences--thinker, feeler, sensor, and…

Personal writing is not only valid in such places as the academy, it is vital--even though Daniel Horowitz, in his essay "Process, Not Product: Less Than Meets the Eye," said that "teaching students to write intelligently on topics they do not care about seems to be a more useful goal than having them pick topics which interest them." But…

This paper discusses ways that teachers have found to integrate curriculum and make it more meaningful to students. A review of the literature reveals that teachers are exploring ways to provide developmentally appropriate curriculum and opportunities for children to learn in a more natural setting. Three approaches are examined: whole language,…