The adoption of active learning instructional practices in college science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) courses has been shown to result in improvements in student learning, contribute to increased retention rates, and reduce the achievement gap among different student populations. Descriptions of active learning strategies…

Numerous parallels exist between two instructional approaches sometimes thought to be incompatible: whole language and Madeline Hunter's "Essential Elements of Effective Instruction." The biggest parallel between whole language and the Hunter model is in the area of meaning: true whole language instruction depends on making learning…

This document addresses issues raised during the Research on Teaching Mathematics Conference, examining them in view of the central tenets of the Institute for Research on Teaching at Michigan State University. It explains why teacher judgment is the focus of IRT research and discusses the concept of "the wisdom of the practitioner,"…

Trends and issues in research into effective teaching are examined in this report. The status of the teaching profession is discussed in the first chapter, and developments in teacher evaluation, unionization, and effective schools research are traced. In the second chapter, research findings on the effects of teaching styles and of teacher…