Evidence for suggested basic differences in the abstract reasoning capacity of Negro and Caucasian children includes consistent findings of significantly poorer performance by Negroes on Raven's Progressive Matrices (PM). This study investigated the PM performance of Negro children taught algebra via a discovery method of instruction. It was…

Two major factors in updating the skills of professional personnel--motivation and organizational climate--are integral parts of the concept of lifelong education for updating. A principal determinant of motivation is said to be achievement motivation; a professional must be highly motivated in order to maintain competence throughout his career.…

The program outlined in this publication is designed to develop paraprofessional workers as competent helpers and aides to the educational staff. It is designed specifically to assist directors of occupational- and adult education and supervisors and teachers of home economics. The publication is organized in three sections, an appendix, and a…

This research contrasts the learning effects of an affective dimension of meaningfulness with the word-quality of consonant-vowel-consonant trigrams. Subject rated trigrams for both "association value"--having word-quality versus lacking word-quality--and "reinforcement value"--liking versus disliking the trigram regardless of word quality. Paired…

Examines the relationship between (1) use of and reliance upon particular media, (2) participation in activities linked to a conflictive public issue (South Africa) and (3) knowledge about that issue among black college students in Washington, DC. Concludes reliance on a particular medium is less important than interest and motivation in…

Isolation, sparsity, smallness, and differentness hamper pursuit of quality rural education. Necessary basic conditions for quality education are attractive buildings with positive school climate; strong teacher/administrator leadership; core curricula reflecting rural values/culture; high academic expectations for all students; and use of…

Drawing on the experience of Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom, this document identifies effective adult education policies and practices. The following are among the topics discussed: (1) issues in adult learning and why adult learning is important; (2) patterns of participation and…

A study identified the structural conditions for workers' perceptions of the need for qualifications and education. It defined qualification requirements based on evaluations of work organization in three workplaces in two companies. Evaluations were used to develop a reference framework for understanding workers' subjective value criteria linked…

A questionnaire asked citizens their views on lifelong learning, including participation in, experiences of, and motivations for learning. Findings indicated 9 in 10 European citizens think lifelong learning is important to some extent; lifelong learning is important for social and economic reasons; the majority think lifelong learning is for…

Denmark has a long tradition of adult learning with roots that go back to the 19th century folk high school movement. Since the late 1950s, an independent adult vocational education and training (VET) system has developed. In the last decades, attempts have been made to link adult VET systems with adult liberal education. More recently,…

This action research project implemented and evaluated a program for addressing the motivation of kindergarten, first-, and second-grade students by increasing parent participation in their children's schools and education. The problem of low motivation was documented through parent, teacher and student surveys, and analysis of student performance…

This essay considers the interaction between teacher and learner as one which involves providing opportunities for "learning moments," a concept found in the literature on organizational leadership. Learning moments are seen as dynamic events that occur when four complex elements intersect: teacher, learner, environment, and chance. One…

The paper explores the nature of learning, focusing particularly on the theories of Biggs and Teffler (1989) and their research finding that the quality of learning is the result of the motivation for learning, and that this affects the learners' performance. An alternative theory of learning is offered and ideas for improving the teachers' role…

This paper describes a learner centered, cooperative learning group project in a post-secondary English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom in Japan. The objectives of the cooperative learning project were fivefold: students would learn to work enthusiastically toward activating target language learning acquired in the past; do research on a…

The factors contributing to organizational learning in police units in Finland and elsewhere were examined to find strategies to improve the prerequisites of learning and compare linear and nonlinear methods of modeling organizational learning prerequisites. A questionnaire was used to collect data from the 281 staff members of five police…