Australian researchers surveyed secondary school girls to determine reasons for enrollment in physical education (PE). Girls selecting PE enjoyed the break, activity, sports, fitness, and skills. Those not enrolling believed other subjects were more important, PE did not fit their schedules, they exercised enough already, and PE was too…

The study found that the actual coursework of 19 medical students following an individual study program deviated considerably from both the requirements of the traditional curriculum and the actual coursework followed by 302 students in the traditional program. Independent study students most commonly eliminated selected formal clerkship or…

Investigated reasons for student choice in foreign-language study when moving from 8th to 9th grade. Eighth graders from districts that varied in how and when they offered foreign languages completed surveys after registering for ninth grade. Their main reasons for language selection were utilitarian, including the desire to satisfy future college…

This report summarizes the results of a study conducted to provide a complete and documented picture of public secondary education in Massachusetts. The study involved an analysis of questionnaire data and transcripts from about 3,000 graduates in the 1984 school year. Specifically, the study addressed the following questions: (1) How do student…

Prior Subject Interest (PSI) predicted student ratings of teaching effectiveness better than any of 15 other student/course/instructor characteristics considered. Instructor self-evaluations of their own teaching effectiveness were also positively correlated with PSI. (Author/RL)

Researchers examined the status of general health education courses in 248 colleges and universities. Survey results indicated the number of institutions offering and requiring a general health education course increased since 1981. Slightly less than 3.9 percent of the student population at the institutions completed a general health education…

Discusses the history and role of differentiated secondary education in the former Soviet Union. Outlines the responsibilities of differentiated instruction. Offers suggestions for continuing this type of education in the future. (SG)

The report describes a special program at the University of Rochester (New York) which annually offers up to 20 students a tuition-free fifth year of education. The program is intended to allow students to study subjects distant from the requirements of their concentrations. Students present their intellectual ambitions in an application process…

After examining major concerns that have been developing in many schools and communities with regard to elective English programs, this paper notes the need for a "second generation" of English programs that will incorporate the successful features of electives yet will seek solutions to the obvious problems. It outlines a model curriculum based…

A report by the Educational Resources Information Center at the National Council of Teachers of English; ERIC abstracts of documents pertinent to this topic are included. (RD)

A survey of U.S. medical schools (104 responses) found a significant association between required family practice clerkships or preceptorships and those institutions ranking in the highest quartile for percent of graduates entering family practice. A similar significant association was found between student selection of family practice options and…

Observes that there is little research on Australian students' motivations to enroll in particular college courses. Reports the results of an investigation of the motivations of students to undertake an introductory elective marketing course. Argues that this has implications for the areas of curriculum design, streaming procedures, and teaching…

Attitudes of journalism faculty members regarding liberal arts in the journalism curriculum are described, based on the results of a 1976 survey of 5,948 faculty members in nine professional program areas. Comparisons are also made to 1958 survey findings. As a group, the journalism faculty were more favorable in general toward liberal studies…

Attempting to overcome the problems of traditional classroom approaches and the tendency of teachers untrained in new phases of English instruction to simply "do their own thing," the Shawnee Mission Northwest High School has designed a Creative English Curriculum for the 1970-71 school year. In the proposed program, teachers with different…