Attempts to establish the centrality of self-regulation as a theoretical assumption and a fundamental psychological construct. Asserts that students bring their own goals to the classroom and that these goals are key to their adaptation system. (SLD)

Explores perspectives on assessment suggested by different interpretations of L. Vygotsky's concept of the zone of proximal development (ZPD). One approach considers it possible to measure ZPD as an individual trait with some stability across instructional settings. A second approach suggests that assessment intervenes in the ZPD created by a…

Studied general and differential effects of an experimental mathematics program on student achievement in secondary education. Participants were Dutch seventh graders, 222 in the experimental program and 222 in a control group. Results suggest that lower-achieving students can benefit from strategy instruction as long as the instruction is not too…

The conception of knowledge was studied for 213 14- and 15-year-old students in Singapore and their 37 teachers and 96 students in the United States, with their 10 teachers. Cultural differences, including those in epistemological frameworks, are discussed, and their implications for education considered. (SLD)

The implications of three concepts from cognitive science for understanding of cognitive development are reviewed. These are (1) learning (and induction), (2) analogy, and (3) capacity. A model of analogical reasoning is discussed that specifies changes in representations over age that explain phenomena previously thought to be stage-related. (SLD)

This document summarizes the proceedings of the Third ACCLAIM Research Symposium, which took place over three days from May 18 through May 20, 2006. The Center's doctoral students took prominent roles, especially the entire second cohort of doctoral students. Three members of the first cohort also participated in events. Overall, the symposium…

The development of reflective processes and the role of self-reflection in learning are examined. It is suggested that analysis of levels of conceptions or psychological processes through the phenomenographic method may clarify the development of metacognitive beliefs. Learning to use metacognitive knowledge and training reflective skills are…

The eight articles and two commentaries of this theme issue indicate the main lines of thinking represented at a symposium on the comprehension of graphics in text. The common assumption is that graphics per se do not have a direct effect on learning results but are effective only when processed adequately. (SLD)

The U.S. research on cognition that has set a framework for educational practice is discussed; attention is given to trends in the design of instructional innovation. Research considered includes analyses of textbook structure, content, and problem exercises, teacher explanations, and structured classroom interactions. (SLD)

A significant difference in phonological awareness (PA) skills was found between 35 students measured in grades 1 and 3 who had received PA training in kindergarten and 35 who had not. The PA tasks of initial phonological isolation and sound deletion were highly predictive of success in first-grade reading. (SLD)