The main idea skill presents a structure that is the basis of all kinds of understanding and narration activities. In this respect, while it covers all language skills, it also lays the groundwork for all learning levels and lessons because people communicate through meaning transfer. Therefore, the importance of main idea teaching is not limited…

The aim of education should be the development of morally and intellectually autonomous individuals. The opposite of heteronomy, which means being governed by someone else, autonomy means being governed by oneself. Moral autonomy results from the application of "sanctions by reciprocity" in the context of mutual respect between adults…

Criticizing a conventional view on the subject, this essay distinguishes the concept of educating an individual--that is, transmitting knowledge of any kind--from that of developing an "educated person," and discusses the implications of this distinction for schools' purposes and curricula. (MCG)

The purposes of contemporary affairs education are to (1) provide for full intellectual development of students, (2) make school experiences relevant to real life, and (3) extend democratic institutions by developing an informed, curious citizenry. (Author/AV)

The assertion that American schools serve the political structure by ignoring the core part of their mission, the nurture of intellect, forms the basis of this critique. An analysis of the educational mission, the effect of teacher characteristics on student outcomes, and academically gifted student programs leads to the conclusion that education…

Teachers' beliefs and the effects of these beliefs on instructional practices have become significant areas of research on teaching. The purpose of this study was to compare the beliefs of elementary and secondary teachers with respect to testing and grading and to identify factors that discriminate between the two groups of teachers. The sample…

Explores motivation as a requisite to the educational goal of maximum development of all children's intellectual potential. Considers (1) causal attributions of success and failure and (2) attribution for task choice and involvement, in relation to, respectively, (1) inequality and (2) equality of optimum motivation in schools. (Author/GC)

The Piagetian conceptualization of autonomy as the ability to decide between right and wrong in the moral sense and between truth and falsehood in the intellectual sense is considered as the aim of education. The implications of the goal of autonomy are discussed for school psychologists. (SLD)

The development of critical thinking skills in students is seen in this presentation as a significant and worthy objective of education, though the realization of this objective will be dependent upon many important factors. Among the factors cited here are, first, that recent major reform efforts have created no barriers to including critical…

Addresses the question of how to infuse an artistic aesthetic into classroom music performance. Recommends using material that offers students an aesthetic opportunity yet remains within their intellectual and artistic grasp. Discusses types of compositions that meet these requirements and suggests some creative rehearsal techniques. (MJP)

Responds to Charles Fowler's article, "Arts Education and the NEA: Does the National Science Foundation Point the Way?" Notes differences between art and science, and the educational efforts of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). Recommends several actions to prove NEA's commitment to…

Before jumping on another corporate bandwagon, educators should recall the primary difference between business and education. Workers produce consumer goods, whereas students should be concerned with constructing meaning. The marketplace model, even correctly applied, does not belong in the classroom. Total Quality Management is a content-free,…

This three-part report discusses the concept of intelligence and its importance for educators. Part 1 considers the basic question of what intelligence is. Part 2 discusses the implications of notions of intelligence for schooling, dealing with both the training of content knowledge and the training of intellectual skills. Each of these first two…

This Ministry of Education report describes the effectiveness of the British Columbian school system in educating learners. A picture of the school system as seen in the performance of students and schools in 1990-1991 is presented. The report focuses on results that are representative of the province-wide performance of students and schools and…