A study investigated the effects of Interactive Television (ITV--a two-way television system of instruction which is a near replication of face-to-face classroom instruction) on learning. Sixty-seven rural, midwestern high school students who were taking classes via ITV were asked to complete a network analysis survey to identify the frequency of…

This paper analyzes current policy and practice relating to the preparation and selection of teachers for rural areas of Australia, and contrasts these to perceptions of rural teachers concerning the adequacy of their preservice preparation. Nine recent Australian national and state reports and policy statements were analyzed. National policy…

This study examined the incentives and obstacles to instructional improvement perceived by 27 rural elementary teachers who participated in a cooperative school district/university language arts staff development project. Participants were almost all female, and averaged 42 years of age and 12 years of teaching experience. Most had lived in the…

Four papers presented at the 1981 World Assembly of the International Council of Education for Teaching dealt with methods of achieving improved education results through application of research findings. In his paper, "Strategies for Getting Practitioners to Utilize the Findings of Research, Evaluation, and Development," Gilbert De…

The impact of instructional television and educational reform in El Salvador was apparent in the 1969 school year. Large gains in learning were recorded for each of the three televised seventh-grade courses--science, mathematics and social studies. Baseline tests administered in four grades of school revealed that urban students developed…

Superintendents, principals, and teachers from a statistical sample of small schools throughout the United States completed a needs assessment questionnaire. Concerns seemed less related to curriculum and academics and more related to teacher and student attitude, motivation, and general well-being. Significant differences were found between the…

This report summarizes the activities and findings of Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) in its external evaluation of Rural Physics Teacher Resource Agents (PTRA) project. The report details HRI's work and findings since June 2002. The project is on schedule for going to scale with the rural centers model, establishing four centers in Year One and…

This report summarizes the activities and findings of Horizon Research, Inc. (HRI) in its external evaluation of the American Association of Physic Teachers (APPT's) Rural Physics Teacher Resource Agents (PTRA) project. The report details HRI's work and findings since June 2004. The report is divided into five main sections. The first provides an…

Reports on the education provided by three rural Australian central schools, as perceived by their administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Emphasizes the importance of the central school as a community focal point, the benefits of small class size, and the desire for a broader curriculum. Contains 10 references. (SV)

Rural school principals and teachers of gifted students from 40 school districts rated gifted teacher competency items. Results showed remarkable congruence between groups on the eight "most essential" teacher competencies, with greatest agreement on items describing direct instructional competencies but significant differences on items…

Interviews with the coordinators of 37 gifted education programs (20 rural and 17 urban) indicated that rural school districts are less likely to use ability grouping or academic acceleration and are more likely to use sporadic extracurricular activities. An earlier survey of 171 teachers also found fewer program options in rural areas. (DB)

Beginning health and physical education (HPE) teachers in rural and urban secondary schools in Australia shared concerns surrounding the status of HPE, HPE teachers' responsibilities, the routine nature of HPE teaching, sexual harassment, and public scrutiny of HPE teachers' lives. Suggests that teacher education programs address the problematic…

A study of 44 rural midwestern teachers participating in three telecollaborative projects examined their experiences with technology use. Results indicate teachers attributed improved student learning to technology use; online communication with peers and experts reduced teacher isolation, enhanced professional practice, and gave access to…

This article reports the findings of a research study that investigated the knowledge base and the perceptions of professional competence of 115 general education teachers as they relate to the inclusion of students with physical disabilities. Members of the sample represented elementary and secondary teachers who were teaching in rural, urban,…

Distance education is a way to provide needed instructional resources to rural schools, and the Internet and other telecommunications networks are the newest addition to the distance education toolkit. However, little is known about rural teachers' technological skills and attitudes in this area. A mail survey of 262 K-12 teachers in West…