A study is reported that describes ways in which nonnative speakers assess, plan, and execute speech acts in certain situations. The subjects, 15 advanced English foreign-language learners, were given 6 speech act situations (two apologies, two complaints, and two requests) in which they were to role play along with a native speaker. The…

Advocacy among primary students and lack of classroom participation was the identified problem area for this action research project report. There were 19 student participants in an afternoon kindergarten at Site A, and 20 student participants in a first grade classroom at Site B. The research team consisted of three teacher researchers. Two of…

One of the current approaches to teaching second languages is the communicative approach. To improve the use of this approach in Shimane, Japan, it is necessary to discover the extent to which it is being used and what is hindering its use. This study examined the situation by asking native and non-native English postsecondary instructors to…

Twenty-two junior, senior, and graduate students from an introductory counseling class for nonmajors were introduced to the verbal psychotherapies, and randomly divided into treatment and control groups. The groups were treated identically and received the usual instructional program except for the treatment group receiving 30 minutes of…

This report delineates a series of interventions aimed at minimizing incidences of bullying in a suburban elementary school. The social services staff was scheduled to initiate an anti-bullying incentive in fall 2001 due to the increased occurrences of bullying during the prior year. The target population consisted of third- and fourth-grade…

The purpose of this action research project is to improve student social skills through the use of cooperative learning, in order to develop a positive classroom environment that is conducive to learning. The action research project will involve approximately 95 students, 95 parents, and 200 teachers. It is the intent of the teacher researchers to…

Redesigned to reflect a more standards-driven as opposed to course-driven approach, the Applied Literature and Composition courses (I and II) described in this paper not only prepare the two-year college/technical school students for entering the real world of work, but also for post-secondary and college level work. It notes that the course is…

Participation in "Culture Day" was a requirement for students taking the course, "Career and Personal Counseling in Diverse Cultural Settings." Scheduled during a regular class session, students took on the persona of an individual of another culture, gender or other group. Students were expected to remain "in character" throughout the class…

A study at Hawaii Pacific University investigated the use of collaborative peer feedback to improve student performance in an intermediate English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) writing course. Subjects were 53 students of widely varying language backgrounds in three class sections. Each section received differential preparation for peer feedback: (1)…

Over an 8-month period, a preschool teacher's aide designed and implemented a practicum study intended to improve the social skills of preschoolers in a private day care center. Lesson plans for teaching seven social skills through problem solving were created. Skills were related to entering and exiting activities without disrupting them;…

The relative effectiveness of four instructional methods for increasing the interpersonal vocational skills of 122 mildly retarded high school students was investigated. Curriculum packages featured (1) verbal presentation of problematic social situations, (2) verbal presentation coupled with behavior rehearsal, (3) videotape vignettes of problem…

Research has shown that although university instructors of English as a Second Language are aware of the benefits that active learning can bring the student, teacher-centered, traditional lecture method classes are still the norm. Resistance to change is due in part to large class sizes, limited instruction hours, and the perception that proactive…

This action research project examined the impact of a social skills intervention to reduce the amount of inappropriate, rude, and disruptive behavior from elementary and secondary students. Targeted for this study were elementary and secondary students in three schools in rural western Illinois. The problems of lack of preparation for class,…

The Scottish Road Safety Campaign and the Road Safety Council of Wales have made a large investment in theater tours as a method of providing road safety education. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a road safety message delivered by a theater group, Road Safety Officers (RSOs), or, teachers for pupils in upper secondary classes.…

This study investigated the utility and feasibility of administering achievement tests to adults in a continuing education course in French, in Scotland, in which student progress is not usually formal assessed. Subjects were 18 adults in elementary-level classes, aged 18 to over 60 years. Students were tested three times, at 3-4 week intervals,…