The paper examines conceptual change in teacher education at Monash University (Australia) discussing approaches to promotion of conceptual change and conceptions of metacognition. At Monash University the student teacher is considered a learner who actively constructs views of teaching and learning based on personal experiences and who is shaped…

This project explored the potential of applying the technologies of computer-assisted instruction and expert systems to implementation of cognitive and metacognitive strategy instruction programs. A prototype program consisting of three computer-assisted instruction modules was developed to teach procedures required for the use of skimming,…

This study integrated three major areas in understanding children's and young adults' metamemory components, self-efficacy, implicit theories, and performance-predictions. These areas were examined in relation to a picture recall task which was performed children at three age levels. Further, empirically-based "start value" information regarding…

Understanding how they learn best is important for beginning and returning college students. This self-awareness can assist students in developing their classroom learning, study skills, and instructional habits throughout their college careers. For this reason, a quick, inexpensive learning style inventory appropriate for college populations was…

Combining the expansion of cultural literacy with the development of process-based writing, this book addresses each stage of the writing process, with emphasis on the recursive and overlapping nature of these stages. Numerous related model activities at the end of each chapter show how to develop the writing process, while expanding the writer's…

A practicum was designed in response to the increasing numbers of at-risk middle school students lacking appropriate academic skills as well as the motivation to learn. A small-group reading intervention program was implemented to help underachieving students increase their success rate on a mastery level. Targeted students were sixth graders, in…

The effects of persistence on students' ability to interact and learn in cooperative learning groups was studied, and the effect of collaboration on students' attitudes toward their partners was assessed. Participants were 138 sixth graders in a midwestern public school. A computer-based lesson and posttest dealt with the advertising concepts of…

This study describes the development of the Learning Center at the School of Business at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The Center was established to provide support for minority students taking pre-business courses required for entrance to the School, such as accounting, economics, and business statistics; to demonstrate positive affective…

To determine students' metacognitive knowledge of the expository writing process, a study analyzed fifth and sixth graders' declarative, procedural, and conditional knowledge by means of group questionnaires and individual interviews at all stages of their participation in one of three year-long writing programs. The programs emphasized social…

To determine the influence of media on learning, a study explored students' preferences, perceived difficulty, and learning in relation to a variety of activities. A randomly selected panel of 611 students, grades three through ten, was drawn from the nine schools (six elementary, two junior high, and one senior high) that make up an entire public…

The Learning Support Center (LSC) at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana, has developed the Three R method--resources, retention, and renewal--of helping high risk students understand the material in their classes and remain in the university. The first method, resources, involves four types of resources--state-of-the-art equipment, qualified…

A study examined the effects of teachers' use of explicit explanation on students' levels of metacognitive awareness of the reading process and on their reading achievement as measured by a standardized test. Subjects, 22 fifth grade teachers from 13 different elementary schools, were observed by researchers who had been trained in using a…

In the past 15 years, educators and education researchers have increasingly emphasized the importance of cognitive processes for effective education in mathematics and science. This may be characterized as a shift away from the epistemology which treats knowledge as a compilation and categorization of facts toward the notion that knowledge is the…

A companion piece to "Improving Students' Abilities To Read and Think: A Source Guide" and to the training manual of the same title, this guide is designed to help middle, junior, and senior high school personnel responsible for reading instruction learn new strategies for improving student comprehension of text and learn new ways to…

This report describes the design of a test of one aspect of critical thinking ability, the ability to correctly appraise observations. Intended for classroom use with senior high school students, the 50 item Test on Appraising Observations is based on a comprehensive set of principles modified from Robert Ennes' conception of good observation…