Summarizes results of a cooperative international analysis of social studies texts by the United States/Japan Study Group. The project found books from each country tended to justify their own country's actions while consistently oversimplifying conditions in the other. Teaching strategies to counteract textbook biases are included. (AM)

Evaluated the effectiveness of a structured educational program to train premarital couples in communication and mutual problem-solving skills. Couples (N=26) participated in a problem-solving training program, while similar couples (N=28) participated in a relationship discussion group. The problem-solving group showed a greater increase in…

A study of the interactive effects of achievement anxiety, academic achievement, and instructional mode on performance and course attitudes found evidence that for the students with low cumulative point-hour ratios and initially high anxiety, the television lecture-supervised laboratory mode provided a more facilitating learning environment. (LRA)

Eighty-four sixth-grade students were assigned to three conditions, and studied two controversial issues with materials representing both pro and con views. Controversy, compared with concurrence seeking and individualistic study, promoted higher achievement and retention, greater search for information, more cognitive rehearsal, and positive…

A 15-month follow-up study found that anxiety management training and self-control desensitization groups continued to report significantly less debilitating test anxiety than the control group. Anxiety management training and self-control desensitization groups also reported significantly less nontargeted anxiety than controls on both measures of…

Compared the effects of memory and growth training groups on memory complaints, memory performance, and affective status in the community elderly. Results indicated that both training groups significantly reduced concerns about memory and resulted in improved memory performance. (Author)

Identifies 22 Canadian high school English teachers' attitudes toward three categories of literature instruction (traditional, elective, and individualized). Concludes that teachers make use of all types of approaches, but that they should spend more time on individualized reading. (RL)

Various aspects of the institutional evaluation process are discussed including: pitfalls to avoid, choice of indicators, audience, accountability, futures research, technological change, program termination, data sources, longitudinal data, political aspects, advertising, marketing, and internal v external evaluators. (Author/SF)

The segmented treatment was more effective than the control group treatment regarding three skills while the combined modeling treatment was only significantly better on the listening variable. (Author)

Twenty-four underassertive adults were randomly assigned to two treatment orders that included covert modeling and behavior rehearsal. No measurable difference in treatments was found, but participants preferred and had greater expectations of behavior rehearsal. Skill generalization to untrained situations occurred on 8 of 11 behavioral measures.…

Undergraduate students (N=40) were classified as either judgers or perceivers based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and enrolled in six study skills classes characterized by more or less structure. Results indicated groups were equivalent prior to the course but afterwards judgers used study skills and attitudes more than perceivers. (Author)

A college level psychology course is described in which students were trained by both traditional and experimental methods to administer individual intelligence tests. Comparative analysis of performance by each group indicates that student motivation and performance is not greatly influenced by teaching method and that videotape demonstrations…

Describes a study that was conducted to establish empirically a set of instructional design project success indicators and to determine whether stakeholder perspective influences the importance attached to those indicators. Seven project success indicators were identified, suggesting that the common evaluation models are incomplete. (Author/LRW)

Investigates English-as-a-Second-Language classes in Auckland, New Zealand to compare the frequency and characteristics of incidental focus on form episodes occurring in these classes. (Author/VWL)

Defends the metaphor of "deep" and "surface" learning as being valid in describing differences in ways students learn, and on the basis of its success in encouraging academic staff to teach in more effective and imaginative ways. Views post-modern theories that endorse extreme relativism as not helpful to the main concerns of…