Current state policies, school district practices, and higher education traditions hinder teacher professionalism. To use recent research findings on learning, teachers must have more varied opportunities and responsibilities. The science of teaching is explored. (DF)

This commentary on C. Addison's Stone's paper on the scaffolding metaphor for the learning disabilities field suggests: (1) repositioning the metaphor in its theoretical frame; (2) considering the ways in which contexts and activities, as well as individuals, scaffold learning; and (3) examining the relationship between scaffolding and effective…

The instructional process has four major components: stimulation, orientation, transformation, and instrumental activity. Concerning stimulation, the instructor should highlight either the novelty or the complexity of the learning materials. Varying such factors as teaching style and mode of presentation, duration of instruction, and the learner's…

Findings of experimental and qualitative research on construction of science knowledge by students with mild disabilities are reported. Both lines of research indicate these students are able to construct scientific knowledge using scientific methods, positive outcomes are associated with implementation of teacher effectiveness variables, and…

This paper proposed to apply the perspective of constructivism to the classroom setting. Secondary science teachers and university personnel jointly developed and experimented with a variety of constructivist teaching strategies. Data were collected in the form of teacher anecdotes, audio and videotapes of lessons and student interviews, teacher…

Designed to provide a concise description of traditional instructional techniques, as well as more recent technology-based techniques, this 11-part guidebook includes the following sections: (1) "The Value of Planning"; (2) "Aids to Effective Instruction," reviewing the reasons for employing learning objectives, Bloom's taxonomy of objectives for…