Abstract

Variable time allowance has been viewed as playing a central role in mastery learning (Block, 1971; Bloom, 1973). When each student is allowed as much time as he needs to learn, 80 or 90 per cent of students attain a level of achievement previously attained by only about 25 per cent of those enrolled (Bloom, 1968) . Such results are most often seen in subject areas in which few prerequisites are required, such a secondary school geometry and graduate level educational measurement. A comparable level of success has not been consistently reported in such courses as secondary school English or social studies which seem to build on a reservoir of prior learning.