2. Mastery Learning: Defined
Mastery Learning is an instructional strategy based on
the principle that all students can attain lesson and
unit objectives with the appropriate instruction and
sufficient time to learn.
Combines techniques of tutoring and individualized
instruction placed in a group-learning format to bring
learning strategies of successful students to nearly all
the students of a given group
3. Mastery Learning: Roots
John B. Carroll introduced concepts on which mastery
learning is based determining two factors that affect
the rate of learning:
1) Student perseverance (student controlled)
2) Opportunities to learn (controlled by the teacher)
4. Mastery Learning: Roots
Benjamin Bloom fully developed the concepts
concluding:
1) Nearly all students are able to learn given sufficient
time and quality of instruction
2) Bloom’s expansion: 95% of all students are capable
of learning the same amount of material to the same
level of difficulty at the same rate and with the same
attitude toward learning.
6. Planning for Mastery Learning
Clearly state the objectives of the unit
Divide each unit objective into lessons, each
including an objective and assessment
Identify the most effective combination of learning
materials and instructional strategies for each lesson
7. Teaching for Mastery
Learning
Begin the unit or lesson with a brief diagnostic test or formative
assessment of what students do and do not know about a topic
Use the results of the diagnostic test to provide instruction and
corrective activities in an order of review, present
content, practice, and provide feedback that can also be
individualized with the use of curriculum-related computer
software
Use this cycle first with the whole class and then repeat as
needed with the whole class or individuals. No student should
proceed to new material until basic material has been mastered.
8. Bloom’s Quality Instruction
Cues about what is to be learned
Encouragement of student participation
Reinforcement of learning
Feedback about correct and incorrect responses
9. Use this cycle first with the whole class and then repeat
as needed with the whole class or individuals.
Nostudent should proceed to new material until basic
material has been mastered!
Mastery Learning: A Cycle
11. Assessment’s Role
The success of Mastery Learning in the classroom is strongly
related to formative assessment. Teacher’s must:
Provide effective feedback to students
Adjust teaching to take into account the results of
assessment
Ensure students assess themselves and understand how to
improve
Assessment in the mastery learning is not used as a
measure of accountability but rather as a source of evidence
to guide future instruction
12. Mastery Learning:
Approach to individual differences
Students enter school with different skills, and that there
exist great differences in achievement between different
school systems, schools, and classes.
Children may need to learn in different ways, but that does
not have to result in different levels, rates, or attitudes
toward learning.
What looks like a difference among students in rate of
learning is usually really a difference in proportion of time
spent on task.
People have different personalities, preferences, values,
perspectives, strengths, and problems, and that these are
healthful differences
13. Mastery Learning: Findings
Properly implemented, mastery learning strategies have
been useful in increasing the level of achievement of
students who meet the minimum standards of
participation.
Using mastery learning techniques, the learner tends to
become more interested in the content being learned and
feels more competent as a learner.
The student tends to have more control over his/her
learning and becomes more self-reliant in the processing of
instruction.
14. References
The Mastery Learning Handbook. Retrieved from
http://www.jhsph.edu/research/centers-and-
institutes/johns-hopkins-center-for-prevention-
and-early-intervention/Publications/mlm.pdf
Mastery Learning Printout. Retrieved from:
http://learn.midsouthcc.edu/learningObjects/ma
steryLearning/printout.pdf
Borich, Gary D.,2011. Effective Teaching Methods
Research- Based Practice. Pearson Education.
