Although middle and high school teachers rightfully view the teaching of subject-area content as their primary responsibility, there is an increasing recognition that they must also play an active role in ensuring that students are not left behind because of reading problems. This report emphasizes that middle and high school teachers do not need…

Noting that comprehension instruction is widely recognized as an essential component of developing students' pleasure and profit from reading, this book presents 25 essays on comprehension instruction that summarize current research and provide best-practice guidelines for teachers and teacher educators. Each chapter in the book presents key…

This document is an update of Focus on Research: A Guide to Developing Students' Research Skills (Alberta Education, 1990). Focus on Research was developed in response to suggestions from Alberta teachers during the implementation of Focus on Learning: an Integrated Program Model for Alberta School Libraries (Alberta Education, 1985). …

This action research project report described a program for enhancing thinking skills to improve the problem-solving and decision making of primary school students. Participating were 25 second and 22 third graders in regular education classrooms, but including students with special needs, located in two small middle class communities in central…

This paper presents a comparative case study of two students learning in an urban environment but characterized by high motivation, effective discipline, small classes, generous academic support, counseling, and educational equipment. The primary question driving the study relates to the challenges to meaningful learning in a special science high…

This study sought to generate a grounded theory of the role of metacognitive self-regulation in the completion of daily academic tasks by college students. Thirteen female students in an upper-division education class completed qualitative interviews concerning studying for exams, writing papers, and taking notes. Twelve different metacognitive…

In fall 1993, Coffeyville Community College (CCC) in Kansas announced the implementation of a new program known as Quantifying Learning Outcomes (QLO), one component of the college's Student Outcomes Assessment Plan. QLO calls for a clear articulation of CCC's goals regarding instructional support materials within the next 6 to 12 months; the…

The hypothesis that task-specific criterion-referenced self-assessment can have a positive effect on students' metacognitive engagement and learning was tested. Seventh graders (n=47) were asked to invent, apply, and explain a classification system for a group of animals. Treatment subjects periodically assessed their performance in terms of a…

This article focuses on the cognitive development of community college students. According to the article, a student can develop higher levels of cognitive reasoning through curricular activities that include problem solving, analytic thinking, and synthesizing exercises. In problem solving, students first identify and define a problem, then…

Videotapes of four teachers tutoring first graders in a reading intervention program were analyzed for instances of metacognition and scaffolding (interactional talk structured by teachers to maximize learning). The most frequent category of scaffolding was coaching, which frequently preceded children's self-corrections and served to reinforce…

Reiterates the appropriateness and validity of using student journals in social studies instruction. Differentiates between personal and content area journals, the latter focusing on responses to issues raised in the classroom and readings. Maintains that journal writing increases critical and metacognitive thinking. (MJP)

Reviews Bialystok's (1990a) analysis of communication strategy work and describes two studies in which products are interpreted within frameworks illuminating underlying processes of second language (L2) learning. Concludes that products, appropriately analyzed, can provide important insights into the processes of L2 learners. (73 references)…

This article discusses preparing able learners for the technologically dynamic future by teaching High Thinking Processes (HTP). It describes components of HTP and four main elements for developing HTP: well organized and justified curricula with appropriate tasks; metacognitive teaching; learning communities and challenging environments; and…

Analyzes elementary teachers' interactions with students during guided reading of basal reader selections to determine the extent to which the interactions promote students' metacomprehension abilities. Finds that teachers assumed most of the responsibility for students' comprehension themselves rather than conducting the lessons in a manner that…

Meta-analysis was used to assess the effect of metacognitive instruction on reading comprehension. Twenty studies from the reading research literature were compiled and quantitatively synthesized. Results affirm the effectiveness of metacognitive strategies, especially for junior high school students. Textual inconsistency awareness,…