This dissertation consists of two chapters on topics in economics of education. In the first chapter, I develop and estimate an equilibrium model of endogenous instruction and student effort in order to empirically investigate the relationship between instructional choices, classroom composition, and student achievement in elementary school. The…

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships among preservice teachers' personality traits, their own engagement in creative activities, and their beliefs about the teaching practices that have been shown to support children's creativity. A total of 302 early childhood and elementary preservice teachers participated in this study. The…

This research highlights a K-5 dance artist-in-residence as a form of democratic and exemplary dance education that ignited collaboration, promoted equity, fostered student autonomy, and demonstrated rigor in school curriculum. Through examining observation, interview, and performance-based data and calling upon critical, democratic education…

A key stimulus of learning efficacy for students in the classroom is active participation and engagement in the learning process. This study examines the nature of teacher-student and student-student discourse when leveraged by an interactive technology--Group Scribbles (GS) in a Primary 5 Science classroom in Singapore which supports rapid…

The importance of including parents and teachers in the process of therapy for children who stutter is addressed, and viewing intervention along a therapy continuum incorporating both fluency-shaping and stuttering modification philosophies is recommended. Other topics presented include student attitudes and feelings, grouping and scheduling,…

This study examined the ability of a theoretical model to predict types and levels of parental involvement during the elementary and middle school years. Predictor variables included parents' motivational beliefs about involvement, perceptions of invitations to involvement from others, and perceived life context variables. Analyses of responses…

The article describes and compares four models of parental involvement that reflect aspects of current professional practices in planning individualized programs for disabled children: (1) uninformed consent, (2) uninformed participation, (3) informed consent, and (4) informed participation. Positive effects of and ways to achieve informed…

The author maintains that the future direction of primary education is in the hands of primary school headteachers because of the development of professionalism in a bureaucracy. A decision making model is presented to aid in understanding the complex processes of control and decision making. (KC)

Explores how a community of learners maintains itself through the inclusion of new generations, using the example of new parent volunteers at an innovative public elementary school. Describes four models of community maintenance defining the relationship between the community and newcomers. (Author/SLD)

Describes an innovative approach to building a school community taking hold at a Winston-Salem, North Carolina, elementary school. Called Parents in Partnership, the program uses a Big Brother/Big Sister model to link parents of incoming kindergarten children with more experienced parents at the school. The parents form informal, personal networks…

A study evaluated the effects of an innovative parent involvement model. Nine school systems in Indiana were selected by the funding agency to use the Transparent School Model, which uses computer-based voice messaging technology to allow teachers and parents to exchange information with the efficiency and convenience of time displacement. At the…

Presents a critique of an article by Chuck Chamberlin arguing for a political action model of social studies instruction in elementary schools. Suggests 10 reasons why this approach may not be advisable. Argues that Chamberlin's suggestions lean heavily on a U.S. study that may not be relevant to Canadian society. (DK)

Students participating in the technology-rich Schools for Thought program learn to acquire, evaluate, organize, and interpret information and communicate findings to their peers and to an adult, questioning audience. Evolving from three research-based programs, Schools For Thought features a rigorous, standards-based curriculum; careful…

A model is presented for planning the transition of handicapped children from early childhood special education (ECSE) programs into kindergarten/elementary school mainstream classrooms. The model, developed through Project TEEM (Transitioning into the Elementary Education Mainstream), enables parents, ECSE, and elementary school program staff to…

The purpose of this paper is to carefully examine the evolution of students' theory building and modeling, critical components of scientific epistemologies, over a unit of study on sinking and floating in one third/fourth grade classroom. The study described in this paper follows in the tradition of Design Experiments (Brown 1992, Collins 1990)…