The definition of education and learning has been changing in recent years, as the field experienced, and is still experiencing, many changes. One of those changes is a rise in adult learners in higher education. In order to cope with this particular change and set their classrooms up for success, it is vital for educators to be aware of and…

"Teachers and Teaching in Vocational and Professional Education" introduces a critical understanding of how teachers deliver occupational or vocational courses at various academic levels. Including wider coverage of work-related programmes and based on empirical research, this book uses the term occupation-related to refer to programmes…

Kindergarten has changed significantly in the last two decades: children now spend more time being taught and tested on literacy and math skills than they do learning through play and exploration, exercising their bodies, and using their imaginations. Many kindergartens use highly prescriptive curricula geared to new state standards and linked to…

This pilot project was designed to provide professional development to teaching assistants (TAs) and improve undergraduate instruction in an intensive Spanish course through the use of collaboration and experiential instruction. TAs improved their teaching strategies, learned techniques to solve classroom problems, and reported satisfaction from…

This study compared 2 naturalistic language intervention methods--milieu teaching and responsive interaction--in 6 preschool classrooms that included 36 children with moderate to severe language disabilities. Although no main effects for treatment were found, milieu teaching was more effective with children having the lowest language levels and…

Reports on a study of 200 lesson plans developed by student teachers. Found that lessons based on the Teach-Practice-Apply Model had fewer objectives and more fully developed lessons than those based on a conventional model of lesson development. Calls for additional research to examine the effects of lesson planning on student achievement. (CFR)

The final report describes activities of the Improving Community-Based Instruction Project, which conducted research to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of training in community settings with individuals with severe disabilities. Three areas of research were undertaken: (1) studies of the influence of the location of instruction on the…

Reports on a comparative study of two fifth-grade classes (Louisville, Kentucky) whose members learned economic principles through the establishment of a classroom grocery store. Provides a review of the literature relating to economic education and simulations, discusses the actual classroom instruction, and describes the instrument used to…

Definitions for the terms open-ended, problem solving, and investigations are considered. The interaction between these terms and teaching styles are discussed. Student influences over the learning process in this type of investigation are examined. (CW)

Describes a study in which elementary school children received different types of instruction about terminology used in explaining the water cycle. Results indicated that the group of students receiving hands-on instruction demonstrated a better understanding of the terms than did the other groups involved in the study. (TW)

Discussed are the ways that misconceptions about chemistry are acquired by presecondary children. Several recommendations for teaching chemistry to children are presented including the use of variety, hands-on experiences, critical thinking skills, and appropriate timing of concepts. (CW)

This article takes a critical look at practical work in school science and the often extravagant claims that are made for it. A case is made for a more rigorous, theory-driven approach to practical methods. (Author/CW)

This report presents detailed summaries of the responses of seven exemplary elementary teachers to a series of open-ended questions about effective social studies curriculum and instruction. The questions addressed the teachers' opinions about elementary social studies purposes and goals, content selection, and representation modes; forms and…

The National History Day Program (NHDP) is designed to promote student competency and interest in carrying out original research while improving student achievement and critical thinking skills. Students select a topic, conduct research, and prepare a presentation for regional, state, and national competitions. The present research focused on…

The ue of hands-on models in teaching protein synthesis, in comparison to traditional expository methods, has been shown to improve the content achievement of biology students. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a set of models and the accompanying laboratory exercises in terms of content achievement and attitude toward biology and…