At the middle and elementary school levels, cultivating an interest in science has been considered an important goal. The primary aim should be to foster a desire for participation in science courses and activities. Research results suggest that schools do not provide a curriculum that supports science interests, and student attitudes toward…

Results are reported of an investigation of the relationship between preservice teachers' cognitive developmental level and their ability to teach effectively during student teaching. Other variables, including teacher locus of control, SAT verbal and math scores, and teaching effectiveness, were also examined. Elementary (N=22), middle school…

This paper examines effects of pressure from the community and teachers' organization on interaction patterns or structures within schools, specifically on normative consensus, upward communication, and facilitative dependence. These structures help determine the extent of cooperation and support teachers receive. Questionnaire data from virtually…

Language arts textbooks provide the materials for this curriculum design based on thematic units of literature. Focused on stimulating student motivation, stressing skill practice and offering feedback through discussion and authors' workshops, this design lists sample terminal objectives for developing the following language arts skills for…

A rationale and guidelines are presented for using social science research methodologies to teach elementary school social studies. The goal of using these methodologies is to help children develop independent and self-directed thinking and problem-solving skills. The authors describe four research approaches and give examples of how each…

This paper shares preliminary findings from a study of the development of leadership self-efficacy in the principals of a statewide middle-school network in the Midwest. The study was conceptualized to be carried out in three phases. As this paper was being written, the data collection for the first two phases had been completed, and preliminary…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the dimensions of the university students' perceptions of their science classes and whether or not the students' perceptions differ significantly as regards to the gender and grade level in six main categories namely; (1) pedagogical strategies, (2) faculty interest in teaching, (3) students interest…

A descriptive study surveyed 210 California State University at Northridge graduates who earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business education and wished to teach business courses in California public middle and secondary schools. They were asked to assess intended educational outcomes established by Department of Office Systems and Business…

What are the thoughts of exemplary teachers from high poverty schools on linguistic diversity and cultural responsiveness? What do inner-city children say about their best teachers? In focus groups, faculty and students from high poverty schools were asked about the qualities and characteristics of exemplary urban teachers. One focus group…

This concept paper prepared for a conference on the theme of "2000 and Beyond: Preparing Quality Leaders for the Schools of Tomorrow," offers some suggestions for how future school leaders should prepare in order to develop pre- and in-service programs for current and future elementary and middle school principals. The paper offers a model of…

This paper reports on the results of a grant to disseminate engaged learning strategies in the middle school. Three university instructors at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville worked with eight middle school teachers to integrate Webquests, the Journey North Project, STELLA software, and media literacy into the curriculum. A general…

In attempting to identify causes of the high rates of attrition of beginning teachers and possible solutions to their exodus, this study identified what beginning high school and middle school teachers in the Baltimore County Public School system found were their most urgent concerns and most valuable types of assistance. A questionnaire was sent…

As part of an ongoing study of the content knowledge, instructional beliefs, and instructional practices of middle school, high school, and college science teachers, the hypothesis that there are systematic differences across academic levels in these teachers' conceptual understanding of the same content-specific subjects was studied. Eight middle…

This paper discusses a model of integrated instruction and assessment called SMART (Special Multimedia Arenas for Refining Thinking). SMART involves interactive use of the Internet and multimedia software. The Internet serves three important functions: it acts as a formative assessment tool by providing individualized feedback to students, creates…

The continued implementation of Chapter 1 Schoolwide Projects (SWPs) within the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) School District during the 1989-90 school year is evaluated. A 5-year achievement summary is also presented. Data on attendance, report card grades, and normal curve equivalent (NCE) gains for 37 schools from the first SWP cohort are…