The concept of "implementation fidelity" is broadly used to capture the extent to which an intervention is executed as intended by the designers of the intervention (Century, Rudnick, & Freeman, 2010; Huntley, 2005, McNaught, Tarr, & Sears, 2010, Munter, 2010). Though implementation fidelity instruments are often used to assess…

Learning sciences research has been focused primarily on studies of design innovations for schools and on knowledge that develops during brief periods of time (e.g., as a result of the implementation of a science or mathematics unit). This chapter advances the argument that research on learning should also focus on how learners initiate and…

Today's students have grown up surrounded by technology. They use cell phones, word processors, and the Internet with ease, talking with peers in their community and around the world through e-mails, chatrooms, instant messaging, online discussions, and weblogs ("blogs"). In the midst of this technological explosion, adolescents face a…

A think-aloud protocol study examined changes in real-time cognitive, metacognitive, and motivation processing that may have resulted from reading-strategy training. Eighth-grade students participated in 4 weeks of reading-strategy training during social studies class. Students used their own social studies text during the training. Fourteen…

Describes a study of eighth graders that used collaborative action research to examine students' perceptions and use of HyperCard to construct a social studies report on the Renaissance. The action research process is explained; further research is discussed; and action research as a tool for teachers' professional development is considered.…

Expands the parameters of "parental involvement" in educational research regarding its effect on academic achievement. Includes talking with children about school-related activities and helping with homework in the new definition. Integrating these findings challenges the belief that lower-income parents are less involved with their…

Describes a 1979 study of fifth-, eighth-, and eleventh-grade students that was conducted to investigate television viewing behaviors. The study focused on overall viewing activity, content decisions (i.e., loyalty to individual series or to a genre), and program stability (i.e., how often viewers change channels during a program). (14 references)…

Because many school funding studies are seriously flawed, valid conclusions cannot be reached concerning the effects of school funding in the United States. New evidence from the National Assessment of Educational Progress and two international achievement tests shows that differences among U.S. public school districts (and states) in funding and…

Describes study that was conducted to determine whether instruction in computer programing using Logo would be more effective than other activities in decreasing mathematics anxiety scores among eighth grade students. Treatment of experimental and control groups is explained, implications for teachers are discussed, and future research is…

Describes the design of a hypermedia application, "Set on Freedom," on the American civil rights movement and presents preliminary qualitative and quantitative research on its use in a seventh- and eighth-grade classroom. Results suggest that hypermedia applications can be designed to support development of historical thinking. (Contains…

In 1991, the President of Illinois State University encouraged three Distinguished Professors, Drs. Dossey, Fitch, and Loepp (mathematics, science, and technology, respectfully), to establish an organization on campus called the Center for Mathematics, Science, and Technology (CeMaST). The originators of CeMaST immediately conceived a plan to…

Reports on a study of the effectiveness of computer-mediated communication (CMC) in providing African American and female middle school students with scientist role models. Quantitative and qualitative data gathered by analyzing messages students and scientists posted on a shared electronic bulletin board showed that CMC could be an effective…

Describes study that investigated achievement and motivation effects related to locus of control and learner control on seventh and eighth grade Hispanic students completing a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) science lesson. Use of the Intellectual Achievement Responsibility scale is discussed, and a questionnaire that assessed student…

This issue of the quarterly newsletter of the Center for Mental Health in Schools includes the following features and regular segments: (1) Complex Problems, Limited Solutions; (2) Research into Practice: Supporting Successful Transition to Ninth Grade; (3) Schools & MH Research; and (4) Response Form.

Teacher monitoring of seatwork and homework is viewed as an important instructional behavior that influences student learning. The literature suggests that monitoring can be equally successful utilizing other support systems, such as teacher aides and peer coaches. This study examines the effects of monitoring on student learning as provided by…