Tested a proposed developmental pathway for toddlers' mastery of skills in generating non-ritualized forms of cooperative coordinated action with peers. Studied nonverbal imitative acts among U.S. toddlers and toddlers of the Seltaman people of Papua New Guinea. Found that ready imitation of one another emerged during the same developmental period…

This study used Brookfield's Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) to assess the learning environment and student nurses' perceptions of hospital staff modeling behaviors. CIQs were distributed to Associate Degree female nursing students at United Medical Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A large majority (80%) of the 117 respondents identified…

Visual learning has long been recognized as an integral process in educating biology undergraduates, who must develop specific visual skills and knowledge in order to communicate and work in the extensive visual culture shared by practicing biologists. Student experiences with field observations and the development and application of verbal/visual…

In 1979, Delta College, in Michigan, established a bioethics requirement for all nursing students. This paper describes a project to teach one of the required ethics course to local hospitals to observe students while they work and discuss ethical dilemmas as they arose. Introductory sections discuss project rationale and procedures, indicating…

This study examined whether infants with Down syndrome (N=32) undergoing early motor training would benefit from their parents observing a clinician implement an intervention program with their child. Parents of half the children remained in the room while the clinician implemented motor stimulation techniques, while parents of the other half were…

The application of cultural materialism, a Darwinistic approach to social forces, reveals that human learning is ultimately governed by the required process of human energy procurement. This "ethno-logic" interpretation of the correlation between techno-environmental levels and human learning stands in contrast to the conventional but…

Cooperative education is a learning strategy that fits very well with basic laws of learning. In fact, several basic important learning processes are far better adapted to the cooperative education strategy than to methods that lean entirely on classroom instruction. For instance, cooperative education affords more opportunities for reinforcement,…

This paper reports research on interactional patterns associated with teaching and learning among Polynesian-Hawaiian children. Earlier ethnographic studies indicate that Hawaiian people may employ sets of learning and teaching behaviors which differ widely from those usually used in public schools. Comparison of videotaped mother and child…

The paper defines and assesses a concept acquisition model for describing the behavior processes through which conceptual-observational instruction influences teaching behavior. This model is contrasted with two other views of the relationship between this mode of instruction and performance: an imitative behavior model and a behavior labeling…

Four experiments were designed to identify socioeconomic differences in preschool locus of control, develop a measurement technique for differentiating between internal and external locus of control in preschoolers, and study the effect of four kinds of preschool programs on locus of control. During the first experiment, the Stephens-Delys…

Using simulations developed by the High School Geography Project and films recording the use of the simulations, teachers learn to: (1) use simulation exercises in class; (2) provide a classroom atmosphere conducive to free interaction and expression among students; (3) analyze simulation in terms of problems considered, alternative choices,…

Analyzes current teacher education practices, and groups them under the labels of "preparation approach,""imitation approach," and "clinical approach." Describes a "reflective approach" of teacher preparation as being consistent with John Dewey's views toward education and presents quotations taken directly…

Clinical feedback is a planned process of exploring collected data through nonjudgemental observation. Two programs are described which reflect faculty judgement that student teachers need training in systematic observation and analysis of the stimulus-response characteristics of teaching and learning. (JN)

Science activities with soap bubbles for primary school children are described in this article. Another activity involves children in determining the whereabouts of sugar as it dissolves in water. (SA)

Reports a study to investigate the extent to which research experience of designing and conducting their own study could enhance five preservice teachers' understanding of children's knowledge of the mathematical concept of fractions. Results indicated that research experience is fruitful in developing an inquisitive disposition in preservice…