LEARNING AND TEACHING : THEORIES, APPROACHES AND MODELS 100 CHAPTER 8: MASTERY LEARNING MODEL Assoc. Prof. Dr. Durmus Kılıç Atatürk University, Faculty of Education Assoc. Prof. Dr. Kerim Gündoğdu Adnan Menderes University, Faculty of Education Assist. Prof. Dr. Yücel Kayabaşı Gazi University,Gazi Faculty of Education (Translated by Seda Dural) INTRODUCTION The models of Tyler, Bloom and Carroll that made an echo in the world of education from 1949 to 1964¹ heavily influenced mastery learning model. Naming this theory as “school learning”, Benjamin Bloom investigated the reasons of individual differences that were seen in the schools where mass learning took place and tried to explain the necessary measures needed to be taken in order to minimize these individual differences for the benefit of student, school and society ²,³. In other words, school learning or mastery learning theory claims that when all the students are provided with additional time and learning opportunities, they can get the new behaviors that are desired to be taught at schools 4 . According to Bloom, there are hereditary crucial differences in terms of mental capacities among people. However, these differences remain as a tiny detail besides the inequalities and injustices that emerged during the education process. The quality of the teaching activities that take place at schools is among the most important variables that determine the level of learning. Bloom’s model depends on the assumption that “if they are provided with an equal, fair and adequate learning opportunity, all of the students can learn”. Bloom’s views focuses on the quality of teaching activities at schools, the reasons of the individual differences among the students, and how to iron these reasons out through effective teaching methods 5 . Although there are crucial factors like other students, printed materials 6 , the physical features of the classes, family, counseling, peer groups, the features of teachers and the education opportunities 7 provided by the teacher besides “inner conditions” like the general health status of the individuals, prior knowledge, level of intelligence, motivation and self-confidence while implementing the basic objective of education, that is, acquiring behavior, it is possible to see the varieties of mastery learning in the existing applications. The same ideas underlies at the bottom of all of these applications: These ideas are: to help those who are suffering from learning difficulties by providing a sensitive and planned teaching service, to determine a “mastery learning” criteria for them and to be able to develop a high level learning power, 8,9 . Walberg and his friends 10 , in general, investigated the eight-instruction model, which they described as “school learning models”, in terms of variables that are forming these models. These models spring from the theories in the learning psychology 11 , 12 . School learning model has been highly affected by the ideas lying underneath the mastery learning approach, which is widely implemented in many ways in many schools. According to this model, if positive learning conditions are provided, everyone can learn everything. Although there are some exceptions, this model offers an optimistic view about what education can provide people with. Briefly this model asserts that whatever the purpose is, the schools can give an effective education service anytime and anywhere. About his model, Bloom speaks out the following statements: