Examines the mastery learning model as proposed by Carroll and Bloom in the context of science instruction, addressing issues related to classroom application. Discusses expected results of implementing mastery learning and its impact on students and teachers, recognizing the additional burden on teacher time required by mastery learning…

National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) members (N=101) responded to a 1979 survey, listing 398 statements of needed research. Three categories of needed research emerged as the greatest concern of these NARST members: instructional strategy, learning, and student/teacher attitudes. (Author/JN)

Reviews various factors of articulation within and between middle and secondary schools and suggests three approaches to solve articulation problems: (1) early and frequent evaluation; (2) establishing a positive social climate; and (3) extending science content using, for example, an interdisciplinary approach. (SK)

Educators working to improve dropout prevention programs should closely examine the development of defensive overlays in children's world views. Efforts to neutralize defensive world views within existing dropout prevention initiatives should refocus efforts to be more holistic. Such neutralization may best succeed in small schools. (SM)

A survey of 1,015 fifth and sixth graders in a southern Plains state compared American Indian, African American, Hispanic, and White students' perceptions of mathematics, own ability to "learn" mathematics, role models, teacher treatment of different racial or ethnic groups, teaching practices, and academic goals. Contains 25 references.…

Identifies strengths and weaknesses of peer mediation, suggesting flexible guidelines for locally developed, comprehensive approaches to managing complex conflict in schools. The paper examines the background of school conflict programs (providing examples) and outlines approaches that expand the scope of problems concerned educators can manage.…

Measures of beliefs and reading performance were collected from 350 Moroccan students over a 5-year period beginning with grade 1 and 464 students over a 3-year period beginning with grade 5. Belief measures covered metacognition of reading skills and strategies, causal attributions, and conceptions of the good reader. (TJH)

The effects of a school's age organization (age-segregated versus age-mixed) were examined within a quasi-experimental design with 702 sixth-, seventh-, and eighth-grade students. Factors measured include popularity, perceived competence, and mixed-age and cross-sex friendships. (TJH)

Describes study of Israeli elementary school students that examined student attitudes toward computer-assisted instruction (CAI) designed to provide drill and practice in arithmetic. Attitudes are compared in relation to students' aptitude, gender, grade level, and socioeconomic status, and implications for the design of CAI systems are discussed.…

Three student feedback instruments--a group associative inventory and semantic differential and Likert-type rating scales--assessed 229 sixth-grade and 174 junior high school Israeli students' perspectives concerning classroom testing. The instruments assessed salient meaning components of tests, group differences via evaluation of semantic…

Describes research-supported positive action strategies for teachers that will help foster resiliency in their classrooms and promote the healthy development and social competence of all students. Strategies include brainstorming, creative problem solving, goal setting, critical thinking and reflection, sensitivity to social learning, and…

Describes results of a survey of student teachers in the United Kingdom who described their experiences with information technology (IT) during their final primary teaching practice. Data are related to an earlier survey of the same students during their first teaching practice to explore changes in their practices and beliefs about IT. (14…

Procedures to overcome four major factors that cause many middle-school-aged students to lose interest in, and start having trouble with, learning mathematics are discussed. The factors are identified as consisting of more difficult mathematical content, students' orientation toward concrete learning, peer influence, and students' rapid physical…

Presents the fifth chapter ("Learning Activity in the Younger School-age Period") of V. V. Davydov's "Problems of Developmental Teaching," published in 1986. Covers the history of learning activity issues and the content and structuring of learning activity. Argues elementary level developmental teaching should promote a…

Points out the difficulties in helping students understand the importance of history. Presents the educational benefits of using television, cartoons, newspaper comics, pop music, local architecture, and personal archival material in history classes. Suggests classroom activities for incorporating these materials into the curriculum. (RW)