Sparked by James P. Beckford's article, "Administering the Independent Study Program" (Independent School Bulletin, February 1974, p.57), the author supplemented his comments by addressing two major aspects of independent study. The first is the notion that independent study is an educational vehicle or tool and the second is how it fits in with a…

Uses Marguerite de Angeli's novel "The Door in the Wall" to suggest that effective teaching occurs not when knowledge or skills are passed on to students but rather when teachers see students as eager, capable learners and work to make students independent thinkers. (JC)

Reciprocal teaching, a type of metacognitive strategy, has been found to be an effective method in improving comprehension in school-aged students; however, little research exists on using reciprocal teaching with adult high school students. This study investigated the efficacy of using the reciprocal teaching method to improve reading…

Describes Quest, an independent study program in operation within Northeast Catholic High School in Philadelphia. (MB)

A study of the interactive effects of achievement anxiety, academic achievement, and instructional mode on performance and course attitudes found evidence that for the students with low cumulative point-hour ratios and initially high anxiety, the television lecture-supervised laboratory mode provided a more facilitating learning environment. (LRA)

A study with 40 registered nurses found that individuals labeled as preferring high structure achieved better in low-structure settings and vice versa, a result contrary to outcomes reported in the literature and assumed for years. Findings suggest that student involvement may be a significant component of a successful educational experience. (MSE)

Argues that before autonomous approaches to language learning are implemented, it is necessary to gauge learners' readiness for the behavioral change that autonomy implies. Data collected from a questionnaire on learner beliefs about language learning is presented. Factor analysis of subjects' responses indicated six underlying dimensions. (41…

Interviews with 12 students each from grades 1 through 4 found students' attitudes could be placed in four categories differing on attitudes toward school learning, homework, and personal learning projects. More students with than without learning disabilities fell into the category which saw almost all learning as an imposition. (DB)

A study examined learning through the eyes of 20 high-achieving female secondary students. Learning and success in school was described as the result of taking an active stance toward the material and understanding their own style preferences, including an inclination for learning within contexts and a tendency to study alone. (Author/CR)

Describes an experience of introducing a "Records of Achievement" scheme in university extramural language courses. The article discusses the effectiveness of existing teaching/learning styles and examines the way in which records of achievement could foster autonomous learning. Student reaction to recording progress as a means of sustaining…

For the past eight years the University of Michigan has offered two different styles of biochemistry courses each semester, one a standard lecture-based and discussion-section (SLB) course and one a self-paced, non-lecture Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) course. We tracked student responses to selected exam questions that were used in…

This research developed from the recognition that work-based placement briefing and debriefing sessions need to encourage reflection and student self-directed learning. An action research methodology was used to obtain students views of the value of briefing and debriefing sessions. Changes to session format were introduced and then in response to…

Independent learning and independent learning strategies are at present significant topics in educational research. The bulk of this research deals with independent learning in junior and higher education with little based upon the further education sector. The focus of this article is the interpretation of independent learning by 16- to…

A great deal of value is placed on student research within universities, exemplified by the prominent role of the dissertation or extended written work at the end of many programmes, and the more general benefits of embedding research-based learning into a curriculum in order to develop higher-order learning. This article reports on a…