Five different process-product studies are presented along with a definition of competency. Implications of these attempts to identify relationships between teacher behavior and pupil outcome are summarized. (JMF)

Reports on research by the Television Literacy Project on the effectiveness of courses designed to help viewers learn from television. Subjects were 386 secondary school students. Increases in viewing scores on posttests indicate that major improvements in learning from television are possible. Four tables present results by program type, learning…

Presents the results of a two-page survey asking introductory psychology instructors to rate the effectiveness of 22 teaching techniques that focus on improving student performance. Finds that in-class examples/activities, writing assignments, emphasis on core concepts in lectures and examinations, and providing a copy of the lecture outline were…

Presents a study focusing on the effect of a self-management intervention. Included self-recording and goal setting for the behavior of eight-year-old boys attending a large suburban primary school. Suggests that the intervention was socially valid and cost effective. Includes references. (CMK)

Notes regular use of computers for writing over an extended period of time has a positive impact on the quantity and quality of student writing. Examines how teaching and learning change when three fourth-grade classrooms are equipped with one AlphaSmart (a portable writing device) for each student. Finds increased use of AlphaSmart by students…

Nine teachers in programs serving school-aged children or adults with severe disabilities received training on applying rules in data-based instructional decisions. After one-two years of implementation, the teachers' decision making and the effect of these decisions on student progress were evaluated. Some support was found for the benefit of…

Collected data on 50 Black, 6 Oriental, and 6 White college freshmen participating in summer preparatory program. Data analysis revealed racial differences on Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, but not in study habits or confidence in learning ability. Given equal SAT scores upon entering college, racial differences still existed on cumulative…

Evaluates the effectiveness of multimedia instruction by comparing student performance in two computer science classes at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. One class was taught using multimedia instruction and the other was taught using traditional instruction. Results suggest that multimedia courseware enhances computer science instruction and…

This study found that participants (n=78) in Science, Society and the Future, a problem-based course for gifted high school students, exhibited significant improvement in problem-solving schemes compared to a group of 42 gifted nonparticipants. The pattern of change was not consistent across problem-solving steps. (JDD)

Pupils (N=1,755) in 232 elementary school classes in Tennessee participated in a 3-year longitudinal study of the effects of reduced class size on reading and mathematics performance. The small-class setting increased performance significantly in both mathematics and reading, and it had an especially strong impact in inner-city schools.…

Examines the relationship of feeder patterns, or transition between levels of schooling, students follow from middle to high school with their academic success as freshman. Finds that students who excelled in middle school benefited from attending the same high school as their eighth-grade classmates, while those struggling benefited from…

Examines the effect of self-referencing on recall of material from a child psychology text, comparing the effectiveness of the self-referencing strategy to the SQ4R strategy (a study method consisting of survey, question, read, reflect, recite, and review components). Determines whether both strategies enhance learning/retention compared to…

Examines the impact of teacher consultation on the effectiveness of a pre-school social skills program, called Skillstreaming, that was introduced to two Head Start teachers and their students. Confirms that social skills can be taught to pre-school children within a natural environment, but only when teacher support is provided. Includes…

Presents a study that focused on the patterns of development of ethnic self-awareness in college students of Udmurt and Russian nationality. The first stage explores the structure of ethnic self-awareness under differing levels of development, while the second stage studies the patterns of change in ethnic self-awareness under conditions of…

Compares three methods of teaching keyboard sight-reading to 69 undergraduate music majors enrolled in six piano classes were randomly divided among three conditions: (1) error-detection practice plus "shadowing" (EDS); (2) shadowing only; and (3) unguided independent practice. Indicates that the EDS subjects achieved moderate overall…