This paper discusses ways that teachers have found to integrate curriculum and make it more meaningful to students. A review of the literature reveals that teachers are exploring ways to provide developmentally appropriate curriculum and opportunities for children to learn in a more natural setting. Three approaches are examined: whole language,…

This document presents a synthesis of research on the assessment and identification of children with attention deficit disorder (ADD) based on literature published between 1980 and 1992. After an introduction and a section providing background information, individual sections review the literature on: the instruments used to assess ADD; the…

This paper reviews the literature on educational reform, especially in relation to special education and students with disabilities. It reviews 10 reports published since 1983 that identified issues in educational reform. Observations include: regular education reformers have not adequately addressed the issues of students with disabilities;…

This study examined the attitudes of fifth and sixth grade students from Chicago (Illinois) toward classroom climate in an effort to better understand factors that would encourage greater self-concept, higher achievement, and student and teacher behaviors. The study population included 185 fifth and sixth grade students attending the Philip…

Major efforts are underway to identify and define a science of science education which will reverse the relationship between research and program development. This trend is toward using research on how learners grow and develop prior to program development and the organization of instructional techniques. Clear scientific explanations of how…

Studies of causal attributions among elementary school children and their mothers in Japan and in the United States indicate that the Japanese are more likely to cite effort as the primary cause of school achievement. In the United States, ability is more frequently selected as a key factor. The characteristics of Japanese mother-child interaction…

Results of 11 investigations of various problems facing Mexican American and other linguistic minority children in the classroom are summarized. Conducted between 1972 and 1978, the studies are divided into studies dealing with teacher attitudes toward speech variation, elementary and secondary school pupil attitudes toward speech variation and…

In four parts, this discussion describes characteristics of the thought of infants, preschool children, primary school students, and adolescents. Topics briefly addressed in part I, on the thought processes/capabilities of babies, concern sensorimotor thought without abstraction, the importance of physical exploration, the development of…

The public's reasons for encouraging the competency testing of teachers are discussed, as well as arguments against teacher testing. Testing activities or considered legislation in Florida, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Louisiana, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Virginia, Iowa, Oklahoma, Arizona, Wisconsin, and New York are briefly…

Provides reviews of modular materials that contain a Science, Technology, Society (STS) theme. Specifies the criteria and distinguishing features of STS materials. Includes reviews of programs which address the topics of energy, genetics, human reproduction, and recombinant DNA research. (ML)

This research brief provides a profile of America's teachers, using data from the 1987-88 and 1990-91 "Schools and Staffing Survey" and from Bureau of Labor Statistics employment projections for 1992 through 2005. The research brief lists demographic characteristics of elementary and secondary teachers in public and private schools, examines…

Drawing on British publications, three general issues related to girls and science education are discussed: demands of state and industry, equality of opportunity, and the nature of science and the scientific enterprise. (JN)

Develops a framework for understanding gender issues in the education of boys. Summarizes new masculinity research, examines educational research for evidence on the making of masculinities in schools, explores the logic of educational work with boys, examines public controversies about boys' education, and notes the prospects of changing gender…

Reviewed are 11 studies reported in Dissertation Abstracts International for Social Sciences in 1989. Topics include problem solving, mathematics education, LOGO computer language, implementation of instructional computing, algebra, effects of differential grouping on learning science skills, simulations, and graphing as they relate to the use of…

Describes the history and current issues of curriculum, instruction, and evaluation in elementary social studies. Emphasizes teaching for understanding and higher-order applications. Concludes that higher-order goals of social studies instruction are comparable to those in other subjects. (BB)