A study investigated influences on attrition in Japanese second language instruction in one U.S. university. Subjects were students enrolled in the fall semester of beginning (n=134 students) and intermediate (n=79) levels of Japanese courses. In the fifth week of classes, students were administered a series of questionnaires to gather data on…

This document contains 22 brief summaries of the progress made by Pennsylvania Adult Education Section 353 Special Demonstration projects in meeting their goals and objectives. For each project, the following information is included: project director and number; purpose; impact; outcomes; conclusions and recommendations; project continuation and…

This book reports research on the question, "Why do mature women return to education?" Chapter 1 describes 49 women/participants (all of whom were attending colleges or universities in northern England) and their interviews. Chapter 2 discusses reasons women gave at the start of the interview for returning to education and different…

To address the findings of the Kirby Review (that early school leaving is motivated by a desire for work and lack of interest in school), a new qualification, the Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) was introduced on a trial basis in 2002. The Northern Metropolitan Institute of TAFE (NMIT) Youth Unit offers programs at three northern…

This publication consists of the complete set of 23 monographs developed by the Pennsylvania Action Research Network to supplement the 67 monographs produced over the past 3 years. The specific audience are literacy, General Educational Development (GED), and English-as-a Second Language (ESL) practitioners. The titles are: "Use of…

On the assumption that students are more successful if their parents participate at school and encourage education and learning at home, the Los Angeles Metropolitan Project granted funds to 29 Los Angeles schools for the Parents as Learning Partners (PLP) Project. This initiative focuses on three primary areas in which parents and teachers can…

This study examined the relationship of home and family, school behavior, peer relations, and self-concept with reading achievement among Head Start graduates. Participating in the study were 43 girls and 37 boys ranging in age from 8 to 17 at the time of the study. Two groups were selected. The first group, identified as resilient, had average…

This book includes practical scripts, games, activities, pictures, and circle time role plays and plans that teachers can use with children age 4-8 years to promote their social and emotional competence. Activities are based on the empirically validated Dinosaur Social Skills, Problem-solving and Anger Management Curriculum. The book features an…

Vocational education teachers in the areas of trade and industry, health occupations, and vocational business education can be hired without a bachelor's degree in Florida, provided they have at least 6 years of experience in their occupational field. However, these teachers must become certified by taking a prescribed number of courses within 2…

This report details findings of a national questionnaire survey of the attitudes and plans of American adolescents. Participating were 1,327 students between 14 and 18 years of age in a nationally representative sample. To permit regional comparisons, the questionnaires were mailed to representative households within each of the nine United States…

Six of the first vocational education (VE) programs to adopt new voluntary national skill standards were studied to identify the opportunities and challenges faced by VE programs adopting the new standards. The VE programs studied were located in high schools in seven cities: Chalmette and Walker, Louisiana; Chicago, Illinois; L'Anse Creuse,…

This study is part of a regional study in industrial South Wales on the determinants of participation and non-participation in post-compulsory education and training, with special reference to processes of change in the patterns of these determinants over time and to variations between geographical areas. The study combines contextual analysis of…

This handbook presents the anecdotes of exemplary facilitative teachers representing a broad range of grade levels and disciplines. Teachers share how their philosophical paradigms evolved; how these emerge in daily teaching practice; what happens intrinsically and extrinsically in their classroom learning environment; and how students benefit…

In recent years, issues affecting children and youth have received increased attention at the national and local levels, with numerous reports detailing challenges and offering solutions. Targeted toward policymakers, practitioners, scholars, and those seeking understanding of ideas for social and educational reform, this book focuses on promising…

Instructional design (ID) case studies that pose authentic ill-defined design problems in realistic environments can help instructional design students bridge the gap between novice and expert practice. Over the past 3 years, the authors have explored aspects of this educational approach through the development of World Wide Web-based…