In this article, we examine the construct and criteria validity of student and teacher ratings as indicators of instructional features. As parsimonious measures, student and teacher reports are frequently used to assess aspects of the learning environment. From a methodological perspective, however, both approaches have been questioned. Whereas…

This study addresses changes in student perceptions when team leaders are incentivized. Although the benefits of groupwork have been thoroughly studied and documented, minimizing dysfunctional teamwork may prove difficult because of leadership incentives, social loafing, and organizational justice implications. Using an innovative pedagogical…

In this article, the author examines successful schools with high concentrations of poor and minority children--those in which students were doing as well as or better than those in affluent schools on statewide standardized tests--to see what they were doing to improve the level of instruction in their classrooms. These high-performing,…

This newsletter reports on the activities of Equipped for the Future (EFF), which is a National Institute for Literacy (NIFL) initiative that develops content standards to ensure that every adult can gain the knowledge and skills needed to fulfill real-world responsibilities as workers, parents, and citizens. A message from the NIFL…

This document (which is to be the last in its series) indexes business education articles and research studies compiled from a selected list of 38 periodicals published in 2000. Priority is given to journals essential to research and teaching across the broad business education spectrum. Articles are indexed by subject and author. The following…

For the past five years, Vermont has been developing an innovative statewide assessment system in which portfolios of student work in mathematics and writing are a key element. The use of mathematics portfolios, particularly in elementary school, is a novel aspect of the assessment system. This study examines the elementary school mathematics…

This report describes a series of curricular modifications made in an effort to increase students' ability to self-assess and set goals. The targeted population consisted of grade school students in kindergarten and grades one and five in one parochial and one public school in northern Illinois with populations of 288 and 367 students,…

The GALAXY Language Arts Demonstration Program is a package of integrated curricular and instructional approaches that features the organization of instruction around themes presented through television broadcasts, children's literature, classroom activities, and the use of interactive technology. During the GALAXY Project demonstration phase for…

Teaching prosocial behavioral alternatives at an early age may enhance a child's personal development and help prevent more serious difficulties in later childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood. This book provides classroom teachers and others working with young children with a guiding strategy and concrete techniques for instruction in…

In April 1991, members of the Kentucky Educational Research Association (KERA), held a conference to discuss performance assessment and its use in Kentucky schools. The following papers from the conference are included: (1) "Our Conference and the Performance Assessment Committee" (S. Kifer); (2) "Performance Assessment: A National…

This paper reports on two research studies. The first study investigates teachers monitoring strategies during computer-assisted composition instruction. The findings reveal four principles underlying a strategic, proximal instruction process. The four principles are collaborative assessment, guided practice, instructional branching, and learner…

Designed to provide a forum for faculty and staff in the Maricopa Community College District to exchange information about effective teaching methods for practical application and intellectual stimulation, this journal publishes articles on teaching, learning, and classroom research activities. The two issues in this volume contain the following…

Information on teaching at the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison is presented for both new and established teachers. Course and lecture organization, presentation techniques, and teaching aids are covered, along with exams, grading, and teacher evaluation. Class size and composition and classroom…

Reflective thinking is important to young adolescents as they develop their thinking skills. Various instructional methods have been recommended to support reflective thinking, yet the nature of the underlying factors in these methods is unclear. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the factors prompting reflective thinking. Results…

Recent explosion of online teaching has brought unique challenges for libraries as they strive to provide access to necessary resources and services for distance learners. These challenges are increased by the desire to provide the same level of library services to distance learners as to their on-campus counterparts. In response, many libraries…