Twenty-five junior high school mathematics teachers and 25 English teachers who taught in both higher- and lower-ability class sections were observed during the school year in order to examine any differences in instructional behavior which might occur between the two classes. (Author/MP)

Six factors which influence carryover of innovative teaching methods (learned in teacher education programs) to elementary schools were studied. Lack of college instruction in organizing and managing the classroom for small group and individualized mathematics instruction was the main reason for not implementing the innovations learned in college…

Presents the science demonstration assessment as an authentic- assessment technique to assess whether students understand basic science concepts and can use them to solve problems. Uses rubrics to prepare students for the assessment and to assign final grades. Provides examples of science demonstration assessments and the scoring of rubrics in the…

Presented are assessment techniques to help improve instruction. Included are the formative assessment techniques observation and questioning, diagnostic interviews, and problem-solving-based investigations and the summative assessment technique of performance-based tasks. Examples of these methods are provided together with at-home activities…

Investigates effects of tonal harmonic accompaniment on 30 University of Miami (Florida) undergraduate music theory students' sightsinging ability. Finds harmonic accompaniment improved students' sightsinging accuracy especially at lowest training levels. Examines rationale for sightsinging with accompaniment; reviews related research findings;…

Examines influence of classroom environments, measured by the Classroom Environment Scale, Form R (CESR), on vocal and instrumental ensembles' musical achievement at festival contests. Using random sample, reveals subjects with higher scores on CESR scales of involvement, affiliation, teacher support, and organization received better contest…

A September 1991 National Council for Social Studies report urges that social studies instruction for middle school students should focus on developing young adolescents' self-esteem, personal ethics, democratic values, and concern for the larger world. These values are fostered by using experiential learning, interdisciplinary instruction,…

Develops a framework for promoting effective coaching, in the sense of encouraging children's achievement, in community settings for children of different ages. Effective coaches perform the following tasks: (1) teach; (2) assess performance; (3) structure the learning environment; and (4) provide social support. (SLD)

Reviews the history and uses of standardized testing, and suggests alternative methods of assessment. States the belief that testing exerts undue pressure on children, provides no useful information on individual children, and limits educational possibilities. Discusses the Association for Childhood Education International position paper which…

Resource room teachers (n=878) indicated their extent of use of 19 strategies associated with promoting the success of mainstreamed handicapped students and indicated barriers to effective service delivery. Teachers attached a high degree of importance to use of the strategies, but reported only moderate use. (Author/JDD)

Explains that authentic teaching and assessment enable students to utilize their prior knowledge, recent learning, and critical thinking and problem-solving skills in real-world contexts. Describes examples of authentic teaching and assessment that use the "Voluntary National Content Standards in Economics" as a framework for economics…

In this article, the authors explore the ideas that revolve around improving the quality of the teacher workforce through the pursuit of two related goals: (1) teachers who are hired by school districts will have as beginning professionals the acquired knowledge, habits of mind, and skills necessary to meet the needs of the students within the…

As policymakers and education leaders around the country make plans to meet the ambitious goals in the federal No Child Left Behind Act, they would be well advised to take a close look at the distribution of teacher talent. In fact, the act requires exactly that. State and local education leaders must now publicly report data on the number of poor…

By comparing two classes (onsite and remote), this study assesses the influence of interactive video technology on how students learn in one library and information science (LIS) distance learning course. Students in this course participated voluntarily in the study by completing a questionnaire, and some elected to participate in a focus group at…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a powerful instructional design for professional education, which may be used to guide the design of interactive multimedia (IMM). An IMM package incorporating PBL principles has been developed to assist teachers in learning to integrate information and communications technologies (ICT) into their teaching. The…