Student achievement does not depend solely on teacher competence. Students' own behavior, their motivation to achieve, and their attitudes toward others around them all contribute. These variables create conditions--an environment--that either favors or disfavors achievement. They can dictate the amount of time a teacher has to devote to…

Novice teachers encounter a variety of challenges and uncertainties, not limited to classroom management, cultural diversity, subject matter expertise, integrating technology, and instructional design. The act of planning, both physically and mentally, is a way to diminish these uncertainties. The purpose of this article is to suggest a design…

Elaborates on the nature of the new paradigm of instructional theories (May-June 1996 issue) by summarizing 21 theories that are described in "Instructional-Design Theories and Models: A New Paradigm of Instructional Theory." Divides theories into seven broad categories: understanding, problem-based learning, community of learners,…