Discusses the role of school library media specialists as instructional consultants and the gap between theory and practice in the roles of curriculum support and instructional design. A study of school media specialists in DeKalb County (Georgia) Public Schools is described that investigated the theory-practice gap. (23 references) (LRW)

Discussion of school improvement focuses on a study of Ontario educators that examined their use of various sources of information, including conferences, workshops, and inservice training, for improvement purposes. Knowledge utilization is discussed; interactive processes between the information and the setting are considered; and predictor…

Two articles discuss information professions in Africa. Highlights include the training of personnel at the middle level; library schools at the University of Ibadan and the University of Botswana; curriculum recommendations; and a review of 87 articles published between 1985 and 1989 that investigate areas of research in the information…

Reviews the literature for studies conducted in the United States and in Canada on the use of magazines in elementary school libraries, and describes a study of Oklahoma schools that investigated titles most frequently used by children. Results are reported that indicate most use is for pleasure reading. (six references) (LRW)

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of the Maryland School Performance Assessment Program (MSPAP) and the Maryland Learning Outcomes (MLOs) on mathematics classroom instruction and assessment practices, professional development, and student learning. The data sources included questionnaires for principals, mathematics teachers, and…

Misuse of English conjunction related to incoherent writing, according to the literature, comes from learners' first language interference, improper mechanical exercises, and misleading lists of connectors in textbooks demonstrated as if mutually interchangeable without contextual constraints. Form-focused instruction with explicit semantic,…

Purpose: Parent satisfaction with their children's school is an important issue in today's competitive educational environment characterized by school choice and government standards; however, few empirical studies address school satisfaction similarities and differences among parents from different ethnic groups. The purpose of this paper is to…

This paper reports on a study done with Anglos and Hispanics in Texas, focusing on the pending English Only legislation and their awareness of and attitudes towards it and what biases these attitudes were based upon. A 1-page, 2-sided, questionnaire was distributed to 328 Anglo and Hispanic subjects in a predominantly Hispanic city. Forty-seven…

This study analyzed the demographic and scholastic characteristic differences between a nontraditional and traditional student cohort (total n=11,878) at Ferris State University (FSU) in Michigan, identified (through literature reviews) successful recruiting and retention activities for nontraditional students at other postsecondary educational…

Concern about the high percentage of underprepared minority students in American schools and the increasing demand that schools educate them to a level never before attained are discussed, and a study of reading disabled bilingual students is reported. It is noted that continuing to allow a disproportionate number of minority or disadvantaged…

This Systems and Procedures Exchange Center (SPEC) Kit presents the results of a survey on issues and concerns associated with planning for library services for persons with disabilities. The survey was sent to 119 U.S. and Canadian Association of Research Libraries (ARL) and returned by 74. The report is based on the responses of libraries which…

This report summarizes a 1989 update of a 1986 survey on the diffusion and utilization of audiovisual media and equipment in Japan. A comparison of the two reveals the advancements in types of audiovisual equipment available to schools and social education facilities in Japan which have developed in only 3 years. An outline of the equipment…

Because individual teachers have ultimate control over the implementation of educational innovations, their feelings toward innovation are of interest to educational researchers. The Concerns-Based Adoption Model was based on research findings about educational dissemination and change. The model describes adoption of innovation as a growth…

This study was undertaken to provide recent and comprehensive information on the state of Chinese studies in the United States. An extensive questionnaire was completed by 111 American institutions of higher education offering Chinese instruction. Overall enrollments and enrollment trends are discussed, and the degrees awarded in 1978 are…

This book includes: a theoretical summary of the various facets of motivation, an examination of how the theoretical insights can help classroom practitioners in their everyday teaching practice and practical recommendations on how motivation can be researched and assessed. The following chapters are included: "Main Challenges of Motivation…