Examines implications of IEA international educational research for educational policies in three areas: overall quality of the national educational system, including success in achieving social and economic objectives; structure of the formal system and its influence on student achievement; and influence of school resources and instructional…

This study compares the abilities of urban, suburban, and rural students to think critically in the social studies. The specific purpose was to determine if differences existed among the three categories of elementary students. Eight hundred and twenty five 4th, 5th, and 6th grade students from urban, suburban, and rural schools in Washington D.…

This book assembles a series of related studies, articles, and commentaries to demonstrate man's need for continuous learning. Included in the design of the book is a continuous built-in challenge involving the search for optimum conditions of balance between theory and practice which cause adult behavioral change. Part One covers the definition…

Researcher Howard Gardner discusses the extent of students' application of learned concepts to real life; Project Zero research on alternative educational assessments; evaluation of children's multiple intelligences and aptitudes in the Spectrum classroom (combining free play and structured activities); teacher's role in providing each child an…

THE PURPOSE OF THE STUDY WAS TO DISCOVER IF THE SUPERIOR PERFORMANCE OF STUDENT TEACHERS, WHO HAD SEEN DOCUMENTARY FILMS OF CERTAIN TECHNIQUES OF TEACHING IN THEIR UNDERGRADUATE METHODS COURSES, WOULD CARRY OVER AND COULD BE MEASURED IN THEIR FIRST YEAR OF TEACHING. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS COURSES WERE TAUGHT FOR SECONDARY LEVEL COURSES IN ENGLISH,…

This investigation is concerned with evaluating an instructional method based on Ausubel's description of expository teaching using advance organizers (AO) lessons. AO lessons are a method used to increase retention and transfer by identifying the general ideas that form the structure of a subject matter area. This study distinguishes between AO…

This project report outlines a continuing investigation (1965-73) into the teaching of German in Swedish public schools and steps taken toward the compilation and construction of teaching materials for use in introductory courses. The work is reviewed following four principal phases of completed project research and development: (1) analysis of…

This document is an English-language abstract (approximately 1,500 words) of a summary of the contents of a decree covering the education objectives, theories, research, and future legislation as envisioned by the Soviet Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. Although the decree praises the outstanding past achievements of the Soviet education system,…

Current research on direct instruction is reviewed with a particular emphasis on studies of instructional design and technology and research on effective staff development. Among conclusions was that the same instructional variables affecting learner performance with traditional materials affect learning with computer-assisted instruction and…

The Gary, Indiana, public schools, under the supervision of William A. Wirt (1907-1938), were the most written about, analyzed, and praised of any "progressive" school system in the 1920's. Although the system was criticized in a survey made by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1918, Gary, Indiana, schools continued in their progressive mold…

Develops an initial theory of teachers' conceptions of classroom discussion using in-depth interviews and grounded theory's constant-comparative technique. Identifies six generally held conceptions of discussion and five factors that influenced teachers' use of discussion. Examines implications for teachers, teacher educators, and researchers…

Thirty-seven leading educators participated in a Delphi technique survey regarding future directions in education of students with disabilities, focusing on inclusion and integration, labeling and classification, personnel preparation, instruction and services, and research. Respondents predicted that increasing inclusion will occur, and teachers…

Argues that understanding teachers' conceptions of discussion is a neglected and important issue. Reviews new insights from literacy research on text discussion; suggests how that literature provides a broader context for understanding social studies teachers' conceptions of classroom talk. Reflects on the relationship of open-forum discussion to…

Considers issues related to teachers' conceptions, the nature of classroom discussion, and future research on these topics. Addresses the role of discussion as a method of instruction and a goal of instruction. Argues that classroom discussion promotes civic competence and integration of knowledge and skills across disciplines. (DSK)

At a time when college degrees are increasingly a prerequisite for middle-class wages, less than 40 percent of college students are able to demonstrate proficiency on literacy tests, barely half of college students graduate on time, and many do not graduate at all. At the same time. the price of college continues to increase quickly and…