Two studies illustrate the concern that the connection between teachers' beliefs and their instructional practices can be a troublesome one if beliefs are informed by formalist thinking related to truth and caring in the teaching conversation. Subjects, 21 middle school language arts teachers and 216 eighth-grade students were asked what they…

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…

This interim guide, a component of the Northwest Territories (Canada) School Health Program, contains instructional strategies, lesson plans, reproducibles, and teacher background materials for eighth grade classes. The material is organized around the three curriculum units: mental and emotional well-being, growth and development, and family…

A study was conducted using 292 sixth-graders (aged 12) and 301 eighth-graders (aged 14) from nine comprehensive schools in Joensuu, Finland to examine the effective properties of closed and open English vocabulary tasks in individualistic and cooperative learning situations. The report is based on a larger study "Situation- and Task-Specific…

Recent studies have revealed an appalling lack of knowledge on the part of our nation's youth about government and economics and the important relationship between the two. This guide offers the teacher of grades 7, 8, and 9 ideas on how to teach economics. Teaching units of any length as well as daily lesson plans can be constructed from the…

This resource unit, developed by the University of Minnesota's Project Social Studies, introduces eighth graders to an overview of the American political system. The unit analyzes political conflict, compromise, and the need for government and law. It examines American political ideals and contrasts them briefly with other political ideologies and…

Discusses (1) activities that encourage students to use formal vocabulary; (2) the use of computers to motivate remedial readers to write; and (3) a pilot study in which sustained silent reading and writing was used to improve the literacy of seventh and eighth grade remedial students.

Contrasts two approaches to achieving depth in an 8th grade U.S. history class. One presents a detailed and chronological approach, the other a discipline-based matrix structure with chronological and regional evolutions as a backdrop. Favors stressing major principles and generalizations while focusing in depth on prototypical examples. (MJP)

Introduces the Parent Writing Folder Review assessment strategy for eighth-grade children's writing, whereby parents discuss the student's writing with them and complete a written evaluation. Describes how evaluation of parents' reflections about children's writing found that they indicated growth in children's writing, identified areas for…

An eighth-grade teacher implemented several Total Quality Management methods in his social studies (civics) class in the middle of the academic school year. Using diagrams, he taught students ways to organize their work, generate ideas, and solve problems. Using student involvement, he developed ways to help students solve their homework problem.…

The re-birth of South Africa in 1994 has brought the implementation of effective educational policies. Simultaneously, the Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) approach has been introduced to advance the teaching and learning of the Learning areas in schools in South Africa. This article focuses on the learning of English as a Second Language (ESL) in…

Embedded in the contemporary issue of gifted education is the contentious notion of ability grouping. The debate surrounding appropriate educational provision for gifted students continues to argue the cognitive and affective influences of ability grouping on gifted students. While recognising the various forms of intellectual giftedness, analysis…

Alum Rock Elementary Union School District had an interest in a middle school program being introduced by Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI) called "History Alive!" Supplementary materials from TCI were already in use in many of the classrooms and several of the district administrators were interested in whether the full middle school…

Data from the 1990 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) Trial State Assessment (TSA) in mathematics were analyzed to determine what educational factors influence student learning, how these factors influence learning, and how important these factors are to student achievement. NAEP TSA data were collected from more than 100,000…

This study examined the effect of formal instruction on the acquisition of three grammatical structures (simple past tense, present perfect, and passive construction) by Chinese adolescent learners of English. Comparison focused on the effects of two methods: explicit formal and implicit formal instruction. In the explicit method, students are…