Reviews the literature on classroom structure and student and teacher behavior. Argues that genuine invitations for students to think what they want and to share what they think about classroom content will soon lead to individual and small group inquiries that enrich unit themes and subject matter. (RS)

This digest examines the basic tenets of Self-Directed Learning (SDL) and discusses the findings of recently conducted research which are germane to SDL's application in K-12 classrooms. Self-directed learning has its roots in adult education and has been investigated and discussed for many years. The digest surveys the literature to identify…

Peer tutoring refers to the process of having learners help each other on a one-to-one basis. Two types of peer tutoring are found in adult literacy and basic education: "near peer" tutoring in which one learner is more advanced than the other and "co-peer" tutoring in which the learners are fairly well matched in skill level.…

This digest looks at the communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages. It is intended as an introduction to the communicative approach for teachers and teachers-in-training who want to provide opportunities in the classroom for their students to engage in real-life communication in the target language. Questions to be dealt with…

Summarizes the Big6 Skills information problem-solving approach: (1) Task Definition; (2) Information Seeking Strategies; (3) Location and Access; (4) Use of Information; (5) Synthesis; and (6) Evaluation. Discusses parent and student roles in information problem solving, the value of assignments, and technology and the Big Six. (PEN)

This ERIC Digest describes how experiential education can help in designing a curriculum that young people find significant. It also describes ways experiential education can help educators make the transition from a traditional program to an activity-based program. Experiential education differs from traditional education in that teachers first…

Jack Mezirow's theory of transformative learning has evolved into a description of how learners learn by integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirow's theory, which is based on psychoanalytic theory and…

This collection of articles addresses major questions of community college governance and highlights some of the changes that have taken place in governance over the past decade. The issue contains: (1) "State Power in a New Era: Threats to Local Authority," by Dale Tillery and James L. Wattenbarger; (2) "Power on the Periphery: Faculty and…

Presents an annotated bibliography of ERIC documents and journals discussing issues related to implementing total quality management (TQM) principles in middle level education. Topics include guidelines for implementation, profiles of schools demonstrating TQM principles, and efforts in other fields. Journal article topics include TQM in school…

The Japanese success story has made W. Edwards Deming's Total Quality Management (TQM) theory increasingly popular among American managers, from car manufacturers to educational leaders. TQM is based on two tenets: the primacy of customer satisfaction and the necessity of tapping nontraditional sources (especially employee ideas) to institute…

Important features of eight second language teaching methods--grammar-translation, direct, audiolingual, the Silent Way, Suggestopedia, community language learning, Total Physical Response, and the communicative approach--are summarized . A chart outlines characteristics of these aspects of the methods: goals, teacher and student roles, the…

Curriculum integration has long been proposed as a way of organizing the "common learnings" or life skills considered essential for all citizens in a democracy. Curriculum is organized around real-life problems and issues significant to both young people and adults, applying pertinent content and skills from many subject areas or…

This paper reviews recent literature on classroom management, focusing specifically on teachers' techniques for organizing students, space, time and materials in order to keep a class running smoothly so that learning can take place. Four main areas of classroom management research which are relevant to elementary school teachers are identified…

This digest identifies some of the cultural factors that can influence learner and teacher behavior during classroom English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instruction. Four topic areas are discussed: roles of learners and teachers, gender-related issues; appropriate topics for instruction, and behavior at the site of instruction. Given the diversity…

This digest defines the concepts of "whole language,""learner-centered," and "participatory," and discusses their application to adult learning in ESL literacy programs. All three approaches advocate that the learner should inform literacy instruction with his or her own particular input, that learners and their…