Ten groups (2-5 members each) of tenth-grade Israeli English-as-a-Second-Language students took first a group quiz and then individual quizzes on the same material. Comparison of the results showed that, especially for weaker students, group work and group grades offered some advantages over individual work and assessment. (CNP)

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…

Examined is the effectiveness of a smoking-prevention program in modifying high school students' attitudes and values in such categories as health, peer pressure, and social image as related to smoking. The intervention lasted four to six weeks within the framework of ninth- and tenth-grade biology classes. (Author/YP)

A project initiated by the Instructional Television Centre in Tel-Aviv explored the potential of teletext for use in preschool education, for teaching sixth grade arithmetic and tenth grade English as a second language, and as an electronic magazine. Teacher and student attitudes toward and acceptance of teletext were also investigated. (MBR)

Describes a study in Israel that was conducted to examine the attitudes of dropout adolescents to electronic learning and to compare these to the attitudes of normative 10th graders. Considers demographic differences, including parents' education and computer ownership; motivation; enjoyment; cognition; and accessibility of computers. (LRW)

Survey responses from a stratified sample, across school type, of Israeli tenth graders (n=544) indicate that informal and nonformal science activities are associated with a distinctive commitment to science and science learning. Further, school conditions, home influences, and career aspirations appear to mediate the decision to participate in…

Describes a study to diagnose grade 8 (n=185) and grade 10 (n=170) Israeli students' difficulties in causal thinking while studying biology. The two main difficulties found are (1) inability to organize events according to their correct temporal sequence and (2) inability to identify an event that had been caused by another event. (MDH)

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…

The Learning Environment Inventory (LEI) was administered to tenth-grade biology classes (N=572) in urban and kibbutz district schools in Israel. Findings indicated that seven out of nine scales of the LEI yield significant differences in scores for urban and kibbutz samples indicating a more positive learning climate in the kibbutz. (Author/DS)

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…

Using an Israeli case study of an innovative secondary program to make female students more employable after graduation, this article explores barriers to and benefits of teacher/specialist teams in school reform, arguing that the team approach makes sense only if it is accompanied by a shift in thinking about teaching and school practice. (SM)