In a study of whether more student control and responsibility in the classroom would cause them to feel more positive about a task and to like their co-workers better, 57 undergraduates were asked to complete an 8 statement questionnaire on how much control they would be willing to allow others working with them. They were placed in pairs with…

The role of student societies in higher education in the nineteenth century is reviewed. Among writings on the topic, a myth has been preserved that the student groups played a significant part in augmenting a fixed curriculum, were open forums for the discussion of controversial issues, and provided wider library holdings. Two Ohio colleges,…

Forty-three percent of California school districts with one or more high schools have some sort of student representation on the board of education. Some observers have said that students act like adult board members, but that their interests at the beginning of each year make everyone keenly aware that they are students. In California, student…

Contrary to the usual design of curriculum materials, those of the Hawaii English Program (H.E.P.) are not handbooks for teachers. The H.E.P. materials--literature, in this case--consist of booklets for students who thus bear the responsibility for setting their own pace according to their interests, needs, and abilities. The total classroom…

The last few decades saw a dramatic progress in computer technology, which challenged many taken-for-granted assumptions about human communication. In terms of language classroom settings, integrating computers into teaching and learning brings certain communication patterns and, at the same time, poses the question about adaptation of classroom…

This study considered the problem of evaluation--"how do we know when a student is ready to move into the regular college writing classroom." The subjects were culturally diverse students in a basic writing course at San Juan College in Farmington, New Mexico. Findings suggest that: (1) students in the course do not fit neatly into any…

In a speech to University of Chicago (Illinois) students, an educator encourages students to challenge intellectual authority, allow their own assumptions to be challenged, become involved, be open to traditional curriculum content, and generally, keep an open mind. (MSE)

Examines the use of computers in classroom research, particularly for second-language acquisition. Highlights include the research cycle; understanding second-language learning; the use of computers; learner research on developing language awareness; teacher research on understanding second-language classrooms; and the roles of learners and…

This paper explores the ways in which inner-city students' social, cultural, and political relationships and their thinking and behavior patterns that stem from the range of different situations outside the classroom can shape the classroom roles that they develop with their peers as thinkers and learners of English and writing. It presents a case…

This paper analyzes the stages of educational development beginning in the 1950s and 1960s, when mass economies began to emerge, immediately after World War II. This essay covers the last 40 years that have been characterized by rapid change and the most fascinating acceleration in the history of humanity. During those four decades, education…

This paper reviews the application of Total Quality Management (TQM) to learning and suggests where continuous quality improvement in education may lead in the future. Several issues in the application of TQM are discussed, including: the need for active participation and full support of faculty and staff, active and creative involvement of…

A teacher of English as a second language in a Japanese university found that despite large classes and time limitations, by changing four aspects of classroom instruction, the students increased their language capabilities and confidence. The four aspects are the teacher's role, the student's role, classroom materials, and student evaluation. The…

The Maryland Education Microcomputer Network and Marynet are electronic systems that focus on informal resource exchanges for individuals interested in curriculum applications of microcomputers in pre-school through twelfth grade and in teacher education. The network is free to all Maryland citizens involved with the mission of the schools. Others…

The social implications of evaluating the writing of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students are discussed in the context of the Hegemony Theory, a radical critical view of schooling, which identifies schools as an agency of socialization. This theory, based on ethnographic research that suggests students receive different kinds of education…

With respect to the high school student, there has been: (1) a decline over the past 10-15 years in high school student averages in aptitude for learning, in achievement from learning, and in motivation for further learning; (2) an increase in the need for remedial mathematics and reading and writing skill courses for college students; and (3) an…