Five papers from the International Seminar on Educational Reform, in Chiba and Kyoto, Japan, 14-17 October 1985, are presented. Trends in educational reforms, goal and structure, and curriculum; and content of secondary education, selection and admission in higher education, and undergraduate education are discussed. Educational reform in Japan…

Five papers on the use of computer simulation (CS) in educational research are presented. The impacts of CS on educational research, modeling task performance, use of CS in problem solving in subject-matter domains, an interpretation synthesis model of medical teaching rounds discourse for expert system interaction, and computer-based learning…

A Swedish conception of didactics is proposed; its crucial elements are the what and how of teaching and the common base of values and knowledge that determines the what, the how, and their relation. This base is the rationale of the content and form of teaching, and is the object of didactics as a field within educational research. (SLD)

Educational mobility and opportunities in Reykjavik, Iceland, were analyzed concerning educational reform. Data were studied concerning the educational attainment of 426 adults (aged 32-37 years) from Reykjavik. Upper levels of the system are relatively open to individuals of diverse origin, but the lowest educational strata are more closed. (SLD)

Teacher training is discussed, focusing on the role of knowledge and performance in the training of skills, problems of design, and the effects of training methods. Research on the application and validity of training programs in the classroom and current knowledge of effective program components are reviewed. (TJH)

The development and use of microteaching are discussed briefly. Research on modeling, practice, and feedback is reviewed; and studies of the overall outcomes of microteaching and conceptual models underlying microteaching are discussed. Few conclusions can be drawn about the effectiveness of microteaching. (TJH)

Research on protocol materials (PMs) for teacher preparation is discussed. PMs are audio, visual, and/or written records of some important classroom- and school-related events accompanied by theoretical knowledge that illuminates the event. Incorporation of PMs into teacher education needs to be researched further. (TJH)

The cognitive movement emphasizes perception and memory and deemphasizes learning, retention, and transfer (as in traditional associationism). A general reconceptualization of learning and retention makes these concepts subordinate to the concept of transfer and emphasizes prior knowledge, skills, and attitudes. A general information processing…

Mindfulness is the volitional, metacognitively guided use of nonautomatic, usually effortful processes. The dimension of mindfulness-mindlessness plays various important roles in different kinds of learning and transfer situations. Theoretical, operational, and educational implications of mindfulness are discussed; and relevant research is…

In contrast to the dominant "common elements" knowledge transfer theory, an interpretive perspective is developed, according to which appropriate transfer is socioculturally rather than objectively defined and is selective. Via a synthesis of cognitive research, thinking-skills instruction features effective in promoting transfer are identified.…

The ecological knowledge of university students was analyzed under psychological and educational aspects via a computer simulation, an environmental game consisting of a variant of the Commons Dilemma, and a computerized text base on an actual environmental problem. Conditions impairing acquisition and use of ecological knowledge were discovered.…

Two important aspects of transfer in mathematics learning are the application of mathematical knowledge (MK) to problem solving and the acquisition of more advanced concepts. General assumptions and themes of current cognitive research on mathematics learning in schoolchildren are discussed, focusing on issues facilitating the transfer of MK. (TJH)

Research concerning the transfer of cognitive skills is outlined. Transfer is involved in learning, memory, problem solving, and other cognitive processes; it depends on domain-specific knowledge, general cognitive skills, and goals and values. Meta-cognitive and cognitive strategies facilitate transfer. Research is recommended on the interaction…

Conceptually-based teaching relies on the premise that skills can be acquired through instruction or intervention directed at the acquisition or formation of concepts defining those skills. Research indicates that methods directed at conceptual change result in gains in complex teaching skills and that concepts mediate skills. (TJH)

Several of the most common approaches to the preparation of more reflective teachers during pre-service teacher education are described. Specific strategies include: action research, ethnographic studies, writing exercises, and the Ohio State reflective teaching exercises. Empirical evidence concerning inquiry-oriented strategies is also…