Research recommendations concerning learning and development that are appropriate for research and development centers supported by the National Institute of Education (NIE) are offered to the director of NIE. Mission statements are presented on the following areas: literacy (reading, writing, and English skill development); learning and…

Many teachers struggle with motivating students to learn. This is especially prevalent in social studies classrooms in which students perceive social studies as boring (Schug, Todd, & Berry, 1984; Shaughnessy & Haladyana, 1985). This article advocates the use of technology in social studies as a means to motivate students by engaging…

This paper reviews the hallmark studies of field dependence-independence and considers the evidence for sex and ethnic differences in cognitive style. Research has traditionally linked females' early verbal superiority with field dependence and males' superior visuospatial skills with field independence. Studies challenging this picture cite…

This document explains various approaches to diagnosing learning disabilities in adults learning to read and approaches to teaching these adults. Following an introduction, the first three sections answer the questions What are learning disabilities? How do learning disabilities affect reading? and How is a learning disability diagnosed? A section…

Focusing on the relationship between learning oral language and learning about written language, this book discusses the emergent literacy (EL) of children growing up in a Western, print-oriented society, as well as findings of research conducted during the past 15 years on how children make sense of the way in which literacy works in their…

A study investigated the literacy development of bilingual children as they interacted in the social context of their preschool classrooms. Subjects were 12 native Spanish speaking preschoolers in a headstart classroom. It was hypothesized that what bilingual children bring to the classroom in terms of experience, values, language, culture, and…

The use of mass media as a means of learning a foreign language from the beginning of language study is discussed. Using the media enables many of the features of the natural language acquisition process to be brought into play in a way that much current language teaching material does not. This position is supported by recent research into the…

This paper outlines the current state of knowledge about how intellectual competence is acquired. Implications resulting from recent changes in the psychology of learning and development are beginning to revitalize the science of learning and instruction. Four broad topics illustrate the links between instructional experiments, fundamental…

Help-seeking has become a topic of growing interest in the past 5 years for educators and psychologists concerned with the development and enhancement of children's active learning skills. This paper explains the instrumental role of help-seeking in learning. Major conceptualizations of help-seeking are examined and evaluated for their utility in…

The Program for Research in Teaching and Learning of the National Science Foundation (NSF) supports basic and applied research on what NSF considers to be the most significant factors that underlie effective teaching and learning in science and mathematics at all levels. This document provides descriptions of projects funded during fiscal years…

Addressing subjects ranging from reading readiness to phonics, this book examines several fundamental elements of beginning reading instruction. Divided into 12 chapters, the book begins with a chapter providing a general overview of reading instruction, including the debate between the perception of reading as decoding or comprehension, and other…

This course book provides a broad view of the theoretical aspects of instructional media. It is designed to acquaint students with the variety of instructional media that are available, from the simple to the more complex, and their uses in the educational system. The course's purpose is to develop the knowledge and skills which a curriculum…

This report, addressed to the broad audience of cognitive scientists, examines research on cognitive change. In the introduction, background considerations are made, previous research is reviewed, and the report itself is outlined. The first chapter, "Finding Goals Outside the Laboratory," discusses how laboratory tasks can obscure research goals…

The effectiveness of traditional models of remedial education of students has been called into question. Current research supports models that would merge remedial and regular education and provide all students with broad curriculum access and the opportunity to receive instruction that is adaptive to their needs. Guidelines for addressing…

This monograph presents a compilation and review of selected technology education research literature published from 1980 through 1986. The paper seeks to reflect the breadth and variety of disciplined inquiry during this important period as the profession changed its name and focus from industrial arts to technology education. The review is…