In an attempt to address the need for substantive comparisons in the minority university faculty population, this monograph examines the relative differences in minority groups in the faculty population when the data permit comparisons. The report also examines research on the status of women faculty members. The discussion assembles a large…

Teaching styles reflect the beliefs and values that teachers hold about the learners' role in learning; learning styles provide insight into the ways learners perceive, interact with and respond to the environment in which learning occurs. Many teachers teach in the way they were taught which usually can be characterized as field independent…

Early childhood teachers can help young children develop an awareness of and appreciation for the many kinds of family structures in today's society. This Digest provides suggestions for teachers who may have children in their classroom who were adopted. Strategies include: (1) select curriculum activities and materials that represent diverse…

This digest deals with within-class reading ability grouping. The digest discusses limitations of grouping; teacher attitudes; student recollections of ability grouping experiences; and grouping for specific purposes (focusing on cooperative learning and its benefits). The digest suggests that good teachers who provide supportive environments for…

This digest describes a selection of environmental education research studies that were included in the ERIC system in 1985. It is noted that much of the reported research in environmental education continues to deal with the affective domain, but that there are stronger efforts toward relating affective components with knowledge gain,…

Research by Darkenwald and by James and Day supports the contention that instructor behavior is a critical factor in shaping the kind of classroom environment desired by adult learners. Darkenwald developed the Actual and Ideal Adult Classroom Environmental Scale (ACES), which measures seven dimensions: involvement, affiliation, teacher support,…

After a brief introduction identifying current issues and trends in research on class size, this brochure reviews five recent studies bearing on the relationship of class size to educational effectiveness. Part 1 is a review of two interrelated and highly controversial "meta-analyses" or statistical integrations of research findings on…

Confronted by overcrowded schools and tight budgets, school districts in about 30 states are keeping schools open year round. This is not extending the school year; year-round students attend the same number of days as those on the traditional calendar, but the year-round students have several short breaks. More students can fit into existing…

School facilities directly affect teaching and learning. Poor conditions make it more difficult for teachers to deliver an adequate education to their students, adversely affect teachers' health, and increase the likelihood that teachers will leave their school. This study documented how teachers in Chicago and Washington, DC rated their working…

This digest summarizes research in the affective and social realms that overwhelmingly affirms the superiority of small schools. Findings on the affective and social effects of school size are extensive and highly consistent, while the research base on outcomes of schools-within-a-school arrangements is smaller and less conclusive. While many…

Given the impending shortage of prospective college faculty that will exist by the year 2000, the topics of faculty job satisfaction, recruitment, and retention must be given priority attention. Moreover, the faculty of the future must reflect the diversity of the population to be served; consequently, immediate actions must be taken to ensure…

Abstracts and abstractors' critiques are presented for 11 articles related to instruction, attitudes, and teacher education. The research studies examined: (1) an instructional strategy incorporating process and conceptual knowledge to promote transfer of learning; (2) effects of instruction using a Visual Response System on achievement of male…

"Looping" is an essentially simple concept: a teacher moves with his or her students to the next grade level, rather than sending them to another teacher at the end of the school year. This Digest explores the practitioners' perspectives on looping, the experience of European school systems, and research on looping. Practitioners report…

Institutional vitality in higher education and measures of vitality are considered. Vitality may be viewed as the capacity of a college or university to incorporate organizational strategies that support the continuing investment of energy by faculty and staff both in their own careers and in the realization of the institution's mission.…

Culturally responsive teaching cannot be approached as a recipe or series of steps that teachers can follow to become effective with American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) students. Instead, it relies on the development of certain dispositions toward learners and a holistic approach to curriculum and instruction. This digest draws on a…