Multiple regression was used to examine the relationship between the serial position and the rated importance of a proposition in a text and the probability of its appearance in free recall protocols. Eight passages were used in the study--four from a standard social studies textbook and four written for the study. Each passage was divided into…

Much recent cognitive and artificial intelligence research has focused on the development of "schema theory." This theory supposes the existence of knowledge and memory structures that encode prototypical descriptions of familiar concepts. Schema theory has developed in a scientific environment that stresses interdisciplinary approaches…

Administrators spend most of their time on noninstructional matters. Because they excuse this by claiming that nothing is known of the learning process, they need a systematic ordering of the basic, verified knowledge on learning. For instance, findings in learning research show that the capacity to learn school subjects is far more widely…

This paper argues that the information processing model provides a promising basis on which to build a comprehensive theory of instruction. Characteristics of the major information processing constructs are outlined including attention, encoding and rehearsal, working memory, long term memory, retrieval, and metacognitive processes, and a unifying…

Two studies were performed to investigate the effects of material and task variations in the acquisition of cognitive learning strategies. Groups of undergraduate students were taught to use mental imagery, meaningful elaboration, and grouping. The type of training task or the order of training and test materials differed for each of the…

Several concepts detailed in Gestalt psychology/therapy appear to have a close relationship with many concepts being applied in bilingual education. The primary contribution of Gestalt psychology to learning theory in the U.S. is an emphasis on perception and reintegration of relationships within an organized whole. To the teacher this means that…

The purpose of this document is to survey at least some of the important research literature on solving linear equations in order to identify information that might suggest ways to improve teaching effectiveness. The studies that are examined employ a wide range of research techniques, are based often on quite different perspectives, and span over…

The two main objectives of the present study were to get a better understanding of sixth-graders' solution processes with respect to arithmetic word problems and to investigate the possibility of improving children's problem-solving ability through instruction. As background for the study, a hypothetical model of the problem-solving process was…

This paper reviews recent research to determine why children encounter problems understanding what they read. Four points are discussed as especially relevant to children's problems in reading comprehension: (1) reading differs from early language experiences, and an analysis of these differences can indicate likely sources of reading difficulty;…

This paper, intended to show some misgivings about the potential of the Piagetian research orientation for improving science education practice, was presented at the 1978 meeting of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST). The research orientation discussed is that derived from the developmental theory of Jean Piaget. The…

This document reports data from a study designed to identify student behaviors related to academic success and involving 303 students enrolled in natural science classes at Kansas State University. Results of student responses to the Inventory of Study Practices are presented and implications for students, advisors, and teachers are identified.…

In this report, three theories of transitive inference are compared as they apply to the solution of linear syllogisms: a spatial theory, a linguistic theory, and a new mixed linguistic-spatial theory. Each theory is expressed in terms of an information-processing (flow chart) model and a mathematical model that quantifies the…

Student team techniques, involving two conceptually distinct components--a cooperative reward structure, in which students are evaluated and rewarded based on the performance of the group as a whole, and a cooperative task structure, in which students are encouraged to peer tutor--have had positive effects compared to control methods on academic…

Current teacher education is criticized, and suggestions are made for improvement. It is pointed out that an essential factor is missing from teacher education curriculum. This factor is the systematic translation of what is now known about human learning into teacher and learner behavior in the classroom. While the results of abundant research in…

Three scholarly efforts, in addition to kindergarten through grade 12 research, are necessary before research and development is likely to improve teacher education. First, systematic development efforts must be undertaken to reexamine and translate elementary-secondary research findings into articulate sets of curricula for teachers. Second,…