This study examines, from an organizational perspective, decision rules guiding program discontinuance, testing the framework of decision rule rationality versus action rationality. A multi-site case study method was used; interviews were conducted with 11-16 individuals at each of four research I or II universities that had discontinued at least…

Based on Inglehart's (1997) idea that the importance of modern values is challenged by a growing importance of postmodern values in postindustrialised societies, we analyse the consequences of students' attempts to integrate (modern) achievement values and (postmodern) well-being values. Since opportunities for value integration are limited,…

This document describes a practicum that was designed to incorporate student mastery of eight critical thinking skills, their definitions and nature of applicability, with the regular class material, and within the normal scope and sequence of ninth grade world history by introducing each skill concurrent with subject matter, thereby improving…

Comparison was made of the results of three analyses of teacher judgments concerning the selection of curriculum materials for the teaching of writing in elementary school. Twenty-five male and female fourth and fifth grade teachers, with teaching experience ranging from 4 to 33 years, responded to questions on their judgments of the value of…

Describes an approach to problem solving based on real-world problems. Discusses problem analysis and definitions, preparation of briefing documents, solution finding techniques (brainstorming and synectics), solution evaluation and judgment, and implementation. (JM)

Reviews the concept of reflective practice within the framework of experiential learning theory. Discusses ways in which reflective practice advances professional practice for teachers and administrators. Explores the implications of these ideas for professional education and for school reform. (JS)

Suggests that attempts to segregate social-conventional reasoning from the moral domain may represent an artificial division ignoring major philosophic and psychological traditions. Discusses the individual, social, and relational dimensions of morality and the cultural context of moral development. Calls for continuing narrative and…

Objective: The authors describe a course of instruction for psychiatry residents that attempts to provide the cognitive and informational tools necessary to make scientifically grounded decision making a routine part of clinical practice. Methods: In weekly meetings over two academic years, the course covers the psychopharmacology of various…

An administrator's daily life is full of decisions that often involve an "on the spot" solution. This paper discusses some of the principles involved in drawing inferences in research and decision making, and describes how a knowledge of decision-making errors can help administrators. The paper also describes a case study that…

This paper is a review of the research literature related to theories of reasoning and teacher thinking. Judgment theory, decision theory, and problem-solving theory are discussed. Reviews are provided for studies from three major research projects on teacher thinking: The Institute for Research on Teaching, Special Study C of the Beginning…

The primary objective of this study was to describe those mental processes involved in teacher planning decisions made prior to teaching. One elementary teacher's planning decisions were studied during five months of classroom instruction. Both ethnographic and information processing approaches were used to describe distinctive features of the…

Factors influencing teachers' decision making in the classroom were studied. Fourteen elementary school teachers in five schools were observed and interviewed. Observations focused on formal, organized classroom activities, and interviews centered on what basis, or for what reason, a particular procedure or curriculum material was employed. Types…

The manual contains over eighty career education lesson plans which are aimed at instilling readiness for decision making in first and fifth grade students. The lessons are intended to go beyond the provision of occupational information and to focus on teaching students how to gather, evaluate, and integrate information. Lesson plans are keyed to…

A first attempt to investigate effects of viewing videotapes of one's teaching behavior is reported. Thirty-eight teaching interns at a California State College viewed videotapes of their practice teaching without the presence of a supervisor or guidelines. No control group was used. Pre- and post-viewing questionnaires and interviews were…

This on-going study explores the hypothesis that stock fund managers who underperform do so because they make bad decisions, and examines whether their choices can be improved by using a decision model that invokes principles of brain hemispheric consensus. The study, begun in fall 1999, involves two groups of business students: the control group…