The purpose of this study, conducted at Mohawk Alternative Middle School (Columbus, Ohio) was: (1) to identify student attitudes about dance and the place of dance in education; (2) to determine the effects of specific cooperative learning structures on the ability of individual students to create their own movement studies; (3) to identify…

Law-related education (LRE) has been shown to produce positive changes in student attitudes toward school, parents, the police, and deviant behavior. Project NEXUS, a rural Appalachian program designed to address dropout prevention and predelinquent factors, was implemented in Ellijay (Georgia) Middle School. A group of 25 students, chosen because…

This guidebook reports the results of a three-year study involving the use of paraprofessionals with mathematics students in the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District (California), and outlines a program for initiating a mathematics paraprofessional program. Over 1200 students in grades 4-7 participated in this project to determine the effects of…

As part of an educational reform in the Netherlands, teachers were required to implement models of adaptive instruction, including group-based mastery learning. It was expected that mastery learning would raise achievement and reduce differences in achievement among children of different social classes and between girls and boys. In 1987, students…

This study investigates the effect of cooperative learning on students' self-perceptions. Areas explored include students' perceptions concerning their: (1) achievement, regardless of present achievement level; (2) personal worth; (3) friendship formation with different ethnic groups and sexes; and (4) enjoyment of school. Interviews were…

This practicum addresses the need to organize a structured problem solving program for fifth and seventh grade students. The improvement of the students' problem solving skills and the enhancement of students' attitudes toward problem solving in mathematics were the main goals. The program implemented consisted of a structured problem solving…

Formative evaluation of program implementation and student performance was used to assess a new writing program used in 11 elementary schools in Hillsborough County (Florida). Twenty-one teachers and 600 students in grades 4 and 5 participated. Teachers were interviewed, and students completed an attitude survey. In addition, 4 writing samples…

This project evaluated a program for enhancing student motivation as evidenced by improved academic growth and increased work completion. The targeted population consisted of fifth graders in a small school in a medium-sized rural community in the Midwest. The problem of lack of achievement motivation and lack of student concern about academic…

This paper reports on part of a qualitative study that enlisted a small number of students in fifth and eighth grades (n=19), all with a background of domestic computer ownership and use, for intensive work with texts in different media (i.e., books, videos, and CD-ROMs). The following questions were examined: (1) What are the consequences of…

The effect of a listening-to-literature program on the attitudes toward reading of 1,712 middle school (grades 6 through 8) students was studied. Selected teachers read aloud to students four or five days a week for six months. An experimental group pretest/posttest design indicated a positive difference in student attitudes. (SLD)

Reports on a content analysis of all pictures of music-related figures appearing in grades six, seven, and eight music textbooks published in 1988. Finds females underrepresented and stereotypes common. Calls for more research on equity in curriculum materials and gender-related issues in music education. (CFR)

Asserts that middle school education is a conceptually unique process requiring changed teacher roles, a curriculum of exploration rather than skill development, and student grouping based on developmental factors rather than by age or subject matter. (CFR)

The teacher's pet (TP) phenomenon was investigated in 80 Israeli fifth grade classrooms (23 religious and 57 secular). Questionnaires were administered to 2,079 students (49 percent female) and 80 female teachers. TPs were identified in 80 percent of the classrooms, female more often than male, and good students. (SLD)

A survey measured the attitudes of sixth-graders in one school district concerning the school's elementary foreign language program, with the intent of improving the program's design and content. Students identified these program strengths: organized and prepared teachers; respectful teachers; interesting lessons; positive student attitudes toward…

This study describes two years of research with the Arts Integration Program (AIP) of the Tucson Pima Arts Council, Tucson, AZ. AIP supports teachers in integrating fine arts activities into their classrooms. AIP provides lesson outlines and demonstration lessons by arts specialists in music, dance, theater arts, and visual arts. The initial phase…