There is a growing interest in conceptualizing, defining, and assessing what are often called 21st century skills or deeper learning competencies. The purpose of this literature review is to explore the conceptualizations, definitions, and understandings in the research literature related to self-directed learning. Key initial questions include:…

Phraseology is one of the basic and most important objects of study in cognitive linguistics. The article deals with verbal fixed phrases in their correlation with the cognitive structure of knowledge--a concept. The used definitional analysis method to identify the basic notions of the conceptual content of the concept of blame and basic…

Executive function is comprised of different behavioral and cognitive elements and is considered to play a significant role in learning and academic achievement. Educational researchers frequently study the construct. However, because of its complexity functionally, the research on executive function can at times be both confusing and…

It is argued in this paper that a significant number of definitions of terms provided in currently available methodological texts are inadequate or positively misleading. Some do not cover the main meaning of the term but focus instead on a non-standard one. Others fail to pick out the distinctive features of what is being defined. There are also…

Purpose in life has emerged as an important notion in positive psychology. It is regarded as a factor that can contribute to any individual's wellbeing. Based on a review of the literature, the authors discuss key issues that pertain to purpose in life, including how the construct is defined and conceptualised, its importance in living a…

The second article in this series on the history of evaluation use has three sections. The first and longest develops a functional definition of the term "use," noting that a thorough definition of evaluation use includes the initial stimulus (i.e., evaluation findings or process), the user, the way people use the information, the aspect…

Character is a developmental system embedded within the self-system. This Relational Developmental Systems (RDS) view is in juxtaposition with virtue theory and accounts of character in terms of moral identity. The character system includes 4 components 3 of which: basic moral cognition (as described within domain theory); other regarding; and…

The definition of instruction and curriculum may take on different meanings based on the purpose or interpretation whether political, social, or educational. Teaching effectively requires the skill of a knowledgeable and experienced educator. Teaching can be convincingly debated as being an art or a science or defined collectively as an art and a…

Two empirical investigations showed that achieved eminence as a creator can sometimes be a curvilinear, inverted-U function of the level of formal education attained by the individual. Typically, the peak falls approximately in the last year of undergraduate education. Because these findings suggest that formal education might not always be…

What is creativity? This chapter explores various definitions of creativity that have been proposed since the inception of creativity research, along with models and measures of the creative process. Classical approaches to creativity focus on what are known as two-criterion and three-criterion models. All models include some variation of novelty…

Dyslexia affects about one in every five individuals, making it the most commonly diagnosed learning disability. For individuals with dyslexia, specific portions of the brain typically associated with important reading processes may not develop or function in the same ways that they do in individuals without dyslexia. Neuroimaging research…

"SEM Core Concepts" is designed to provide busy professionals with an overview of strategic enrollment management (SEM). The guide is organized around the following topics: definitions of SEM and examples of what it is not; the evolution of SEM, including its developmental stages that provided the building blocks for the current best…

The National Assessment Governing Board (the Board) contracted with Pearson to design and implement a review of the achievement level descriptions (ALDs) for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Grade 8 assessments in Science, U.S. History, and Civics. This document describes the procedural and technical aspects and outcomes of the…

Multimedia input can enhance vocabulary learning in the context of learning English as a foreign language (EFL). Drawing upon a mixed method, this study explores the potential of multimedia input in vocabulary learning. EFL vocabulary learning was assessed under four input conditions ("definition + word information + video, definition + word…

Although "trauma-informed education" has gained momentum across the United States in recent years, a question remains neglected by the research community: How can education research inform understandings of "trauma-informed" approaches when education itself is trauma-producing for many students? This article (1) explores…