According to a recent survey, school superintendents in Illinois generally favor the kinds of educational reforms being urged by national commissions on educational excellence. Over 100 superintendents from randomly selected elementary, secondary, and combined school districts in Illinois responded to the 104-item questionnaire. The survey sought…

This study investigated the effects of two sequences of instruction--theory-to-application and application-to-theory--on medical students' cognitive preferences in preclinical science teaching. Results indicate that presenting an example of the clinical application of biochemical theory before presenting the theory itself increased students'…

A national survey of 172 colleges and universities was conducted to determine the topical content of exceptional children curriculum for preservice regular education teachers. Of 15 content areas, the most heavily emphasized were characteristics of exceptional children, mainstreaming, facilitating positive attitudes toward exceptional children,…

Transcript data were analyzed to determine changes in course taking among graduates of high schools including mostly lower achieving students in California, Florida, Missouri, and Pennsylvania, which adopted high graduation requirements in the 1980s. Average credits per student increased in all academic subjects, as did the courses' difficulty…

This study examined whether concept-based or experience-based training designs and their subsequent execution would create different training effects in teachers (depending on whether trainers took into account diagnostic information on existing teacher beliefs and preconceptions). Pretraining and posttraining data indicated that teachers' beliefs…

The recent focus on the effects of early childhood education on future academic success has caused many early childhood teacher educators to examine the relevance of the instruction they give to early childhood professionals for meeting the educational goals for the 21 st century. This study examined the effects of a set of core courses in an…

Many colleges and universities require incoming students to demonstrate a prescribed level of computer proficiency. Currently, many educational institutions offer introductory computer courses to assist students in meeting this requirement. Other institutions are considering eliminating introductory computer courses with the expectation that…

Mandatory introductory level college courses, or "service courses," tend to be taught in lecture format, in a linear order from the instructor's point of view, and to classes of anywhere from 50 to 600 or more students. Students have individual differences and diverse learning styles which are difficult to address in a large class.…

One hundred forty-three Eastern Kentucky University college students majoring in education and enrolled in an introductory education course were surveyed to determine their understanding of and knowledge about multicultural education and to discern the extent to which these students appreciated and valued multicultural education. The study also…

The free appropriate public education (FAPE) of handicapped learners in the least restrictive environment as well as the Regular Education Initiative (REI) have resulted in many states requiring introductory level special education coursework for all preservice teacher education. This study was conducted to determine if minimally required…

Oral history has not been widely used in required high school history courses. Time, money, transcribing interviews, lack of teaching manuals, and the difficulties in evaluating students were cited as problems associated with using oral history as an instructional tool. Yet oral history projects do not have to be major productions to be…

In the fall of 1977, the College of Education of the University of Washington (Seattle) instituted a socio-ethnic course requirement for teacher certification candidates. To satisfy the requirement, candidates must successfully complete a course from each of two categories: Category A courses provide the student with a broad look at socio-ethnic…

This monograph reports on a study which examined how 92 colleges participating in a multiproject initiative, "American Commitments: Diversity, Democracy and Liberal Learning," are addressing issues of diversity in their general education curricula, policies, and practices. Chapter 1 focuses on emerging trends and promising practices, and…

Surveys of all U.S. state teacher certification bureaus examined whether they required educational law courses or the study of legal issues affecting teachers. Researchers also examined Louisiana teachers' perceptions of educational law content in their teacher preparation programs. Results indicated there was a paucity of preparation in…

Preservice teachers were led in a subtly biased class discussion on sex bias, then asked to rate the discussion's gender equity. Students also discussed videos about equity, calculated class opinions about biased situations, and heard lectures. Most students considered the class discussion equitable. The intervention increased their awareness of…