This study develops a prescriptive theory of learner control for educators to support the learner's decision making in the learning process and to manage more efficiently their instructional processes. The theoretical framework of learner control in conjunction with the self-regulation of learning, learner characteristics, and learner motivation…

A literature review was conducted to determine the nature and extent of the transfer of literacy learned in one situation to other situations and to identify ways of facilitating literacy transfer. The literature review focused on studies and analyses dealing with three areas: the definition and scope of intelligence, differences between experts…

This paper has two goals. The first is to present a model of the acquisition of a concept image of function. Theories describing the objectification of function are outlined through two different but related paths, and both stem from the conception of function as a process. The first path to objectification involves the generalization of the…

The development of cognitive representation is the main theme of three classic theories (Piaget, Bruner, Vygotsky) on how children learn concepts. Piaget considered structural change as a necessary condition for development; Bruner emphasized both internal and external function and the structural changes brought about by function; and Vygotsky…

A study investigated the learning processes of four bilingual teachers, two elementary and two middle school, during a course in creative dramatics taken for professional development. Data were drawn from taped study sessions, participant journals, observation, and individual interviews. Using analysis frameworks produced by the participants, the…

Since risk suffuses human life and trust helps breaks the paralysis of dealing with risk, a philosophy of education must account for the relationship between risk and trust. Keith Lehrer (in progress) has developed a philosophy that seeks to prepare students for knowing as human beings actually know things, suggesting that knowledge is a matter of…

Designed for teachers of kindergarten through grade 6, this book contains practical and innovative ideas on fostering literacy generated from discussions with teachers from the United States and Canada, visits to their classrooms, and observations of their interactions with students. The book addresses all levels of learner-centered literacy…

A study of second language acquisition focuses on the transition from formulaic to creative speech patterns. Subjects were two native Japanese-speaking children, aged 4 and 8, learning English as a Second Language in New York, observed over a period of 2 years. The nature of formulaic speech is discussed, drawing from research on such speech and…

Noting children's natural proclivity to interpret language freely and use that potential to expand and develop as learners, this book offers a new approach to understanding how young children communicate their knowledge of the world and how that understanding can transform the educative process. The book also describes the process of conducting…

Drawing from a review of the literature on feedback in two fields, English education and social psychology, this paper sets forth a set of theoretical conclusions and practical suggestions for developmental English instructors and others to use in providing feedback to composition students. First, the research on written feedback in English…

The "ERIC Review" announces research results, publications, and new programs relevant to each issue's theme topic. This issue focuses on the changing face of K-12 professional development for both preservice and inservice teachers. The opening article by Dennis Sparks, "A Paradigm Shift in Staff Development," describes a…

Learning styles and the creation of effective learning environments are of emerging significance in education as the changing nature of work requires higher-order thinking skills. Although learning style may be simply defined as the way people come to understand and remember information, the literature is filled with more complex definitions of…

This study reports on the historical conceptualization among Finnish 12-13 year-olds who were given a projective task to yield historical thinking. The case study examines expressions the subjects used and which were studied qualitatively, using "chunks of meaning" as units of analysis, in regard to both their meaning- content and their…

This action research project devised and implemented an intervention for increasing student engagement in the learning process. The targeted population consisted of elementary students in an urban area in north central Illinois. The problem of non-engaged learning was documented by means of observation of class participation, a student attitude…

This document contains four papers from a symposium on self-directed workplace learning. "Self-Directed Work Teams: Implementation and Performance" (Marcel van der Klink, Hilde ter Horst) discusses the results of a study examining the implementation and effects of self-directed work teams in a land register office and the role of the…