Effective teaching is a key factor in educational effectiveness and improvement. To facilitate the knowledge exchange regarding effective teaching in secondary education internationally, there has been a growing interest in using classroom observation measures. However, little is known regarding the comparability of observation measures across…

Designing investigative skills sessions for key stage 5 students based on field research in the Ghanaian savannah prompted reflection on the similarities and differences in the ways farmers and students learned about and applied scientific methodology. Circumstantial constraints mean that farmers' experiments were less controlled than those…

Education in nanotechnology presents major challenges in science literacy. One of these challenges relates to conveying size and scale-related concepts. Because of the potential difficulties in conveying concepts and ideas that are not visible to the naked eye, multimedia for learning could be an appropriate vehicle to deliver curricular materials…

While there are many options available for studying English as a second language (ESL), students and instructors may not be aware of which learning strategy would be most effective. To help them make informed choices about their education, this study compared traditional classroom methods with online technological methods for studying ESL at…

The purpose of this study was to conduct a cross-cultural test of three U.S.-based immediacy--learning models and to compare a proposed integrating model with the existing models in Chinese classrooms. The findings suggested that the affective learning model provided a better fit than the learning model, which had a better fit than the motivation…

Scratch-off immediate feedback assessment technique (IF-AT) forms and classroom response systems (clickers) can increase student engagement and interaction and help students prepare for exams by indicating the type and level of questions they will encounter. We used the IF-AT throughout the semester in three sections of a lower-division biology…

This study examined the effectiveness of embedding children's social goals into routine activities within inclusive preschool classroom settings. An AB (i.e. baseline and intervention) single-subject design was used across three male participants with identified disabilities. Three student-teachers, enrolled in a master's program at a university,…

This article addresses the question, "What organizational conditions foster successful classroom promotion of Learning How to Learn?". Data are reported from the ESRC Learning How to Learn Project's Staff Questionnaire administered in 2002 and 2004. In 2002, 1212 Questionnaire returns were obtained from primary and secondary support staff,…

A comparative study is presented of three types of teaching methods: cooperative, competitive, and individualistic. It is pointed out that while studies related to this topic show that the cooperative method seems to be the most widely used and perceived as the most beneficial for teaching students, competitive and individualistic teaching methods…

The relative influence of cultural insights, first language skills, and purely cognitive or linguistic factors in successful second-language learning is discussed. The teacher is encouraged to reflect on the value of and experiment with providing cultural background to language acquisition. (MSE)

Describes open classrooms and their history. Reviews research on academic and nonacademic outcomes for students in open classrooms. Examines the problems of open classrooms, reasons for their decline, and methods for avoiding some of the problems. (RJC)

Reports the findings of a study investigating the learning preferences of two cohorts: the Baby Boomers and the Generation Xers. Finds that the differences in learning between the two groups profoundly impact the tasks of educators, and asserts that teachers need to be trained regarding the different learning styles and teaching strategies. (NB)

A study examined whether a multisensory approach to spelling instruction would have an impact on spelling achievement. It was hypothesized that there would be no significant difference in the spelling performance os students using a multisensory approach and those using a conventional approach. Subjects were 20 heterogeneously grouped third-grade…

Compares the effects of explicit instruction of the Preread-Read-Organize-Review (PROR) textbook reading strategy in a course-based context (where students apply reading strategies to their own college textbooks) versus a content-based context (where students apply reading strategies only to texts provided in the reading class). Draws no…

A study comparing the use of the Silent Way technique in an experimental setting with its use in a real classroom setting suggests that results of experimental research cannot necessarily be transferred directly to the classroom. Student compositions based on ten Silent Way worksheets and an editing task are appended. (MSE)