The education field favors innovations, but innovative schools tend to fade after an initial 'golden age.' According to the new institutional theory, this happens due to the innovative school's need to achieve institutional legitimacy, which encounters several difficulties. This study aims to explore the journey to attaining legitimacy in one…

In a program on creative thinking and technology, 56 low-achieving Israeli 10th graders constructed portfolios of project work. The Creative Thinking Assessment Scale was developed to evaluate awareness of thinking, observation of thinking, strategy, and reflection. (SK)

Friendships between individuals can be found throughout lifespans. This study examined an interaction between adolescents who consider themselves close friends. Inspection of friends' interaction when working on a joint task may allow the classification of close friendships in adolescence. In addition friends were asked about their joint daily…

This paper illustrates one cycle of research development, implementation, and evaluation in an ongoing long-term improvement activity for the 10th-grade chemistry curriculum in Israel. The incorporation of student modes of thinking (correct and incorrect) about central chemistry concepts into the curriculum and an evaluation of new curriculum are…

Investigated relationships between test anxiety and test performance among 431 10th graders from 15 classes of 2 Arab high schools in Israel. Findings revealed two types of test-anxious students: those who lack test-taking skills and those who lack study skills. Findings suggest that deficit and interference models of test anxiety complement each…

Studies the use of a computer-assisted learning simulation episode during a unit on the growth curve of microorganisms in grade ten. Finds no significant gender differences in either the experimental or control groups. Contains 25 references. (DDR)

Changes in adolescents' perceptions of the family as they adapt to residential schooling were studied for 51 residential and 57 nonresidential tenth graders in a school in Israel. No differences in the perception of family climate were found between the groups, suggesting no change with the individual's act of leaving. (SLD)

The agreement of diagnostic classifications from two parallel subtests assessing a mathematics skill with three levels of scoring was studied with 431 Arab Israeli 10th graders. Results indicate that, even when parallel form reliability is high, less agreement is apparent when performance is evaluated at the micro level. (SLD)

Describes support given to Israeli teachers and several students who could not keep up in an advanced English-as-a-Second Language classroom. A special program allowed the teacher to meet with them two extra hours per week immediately before class. As students' motivation to learn increased, they began completing their homework, improving…

Presents research on the scientific question-posing capabilities of 10th-grade students (n=127) who were studying air quality in a cooperative way using the jigsaw method. Finds that the difference between students at high and low academic levels to the extent of increase in both number and complexity of posed questions was significant. Contains…

This study examined development of three types of vocabulary knowledge (passive, controlled active, and free active) over one year of second-language instruction and the relationship of the three types at different stages of vocabulary learning. Subjects were 48 Israeli high school students of English as a Second Language. Results raise questions…

The 21st Century Schoolhouse Project is an international project involving six high schools from Israel, Japan, Australia, South Africa, Brazil, and the United States. The project includes English language, history, geography, and environmental science teachers and students working on environmental issues over the Internet while using English and…

An investigation of biology matriculation tests in Israel was undertaken to assess the use of justifications with multiple-choice items and to compare the effect of three item formats on students' performance. More specifically, the study was designed to determine the: (1) extent to which justifications will differ if the correct answer is made…