ABSTRACT
Mastery learning is distinguished from other approaches by focusing attention on the organization of time and resources to ensure that students are able to master instructional objectives. Mastery learning, as Benjamin Bloom defined it, is a micro level process. One implements it at the classroom level, and it is generally considered a part of the teaching and learning process. Everyone from Pestalozzi to Skinner is claimed as a developer of the deep structure. Among the innovations examined in this text, only the cooperative learning research base compares favorably with that of mastery learning in both quality and volume. The earliest synthesis of mastery learning research was conducted by Block and Burns. They found consistently positive results for mastery learning. They also reported that mastery learning improved affective outcomes. The research literature on mastery learning is largely positive. Some of the best known names in educational research circles have weighed in as supporters of this approach to teaching and learning.
