The effectiveness of 3 early teaching interventions (applied behavior analysis [ABA], special nursery placement, and portage) for children with autism spectrum disorder was studied in a community-based sample over 10 months. Measures of autism severity as well as intellectual, educational, and adaptive behavioral function were administered. In…

This paper reports on one secondary social studies teacher's efforts to engage students in learning about self, others, and the world. Modes of presentation and learning activities are the specific focus. Observations occurred during 160 class periods in four different social studies classrooms, tenth-grade world geography, eleventh-grade U.S.…

Research has shown that teacher involvement can stimulate and enrich children's play, with positive developmental consequences. This study examined teachers' thinking and practices in relation to the role of the teacher in children's outdoor play. Data were collected from eight preschools through teacher interviews and observations of children's…

Differentiation practices are defined by the Scottish Office Education Department as the identification of, and effective provision for, a range of abilities in one classroom, such that pupils in a particular class need not study the same things at the same pace and in the same way at all times. This issue of the "Interchange" describes…

The purpose of this study was to use three public school action research teams to identify the most desirable, feasible, and effective system-centered strategies, peer-centered strategies, personnel-centered strategies, and child-centered strategies for promoting a sense of belonging. One hundred and sixty four strategies were examined. Eight…

A study examined whether expected behavior from teachers coincides with how women and men really teach their magazine-writing classes. Subjects, 120 of 198 members of the Magazine Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, responded to a 25-item questionnaire concerning their teaching techniques. Results…

Findings of a study that examined whether individual teacher attributes or organizational conditions influence classroom pedagogical practices in southern Africa are presented in this document. Methodology involved observation and administration of a questionnaire to 244 secondary teachers in Botswana. Findings indicate that teacher behaviors in…

Writing teachers are constantly confronted with the problem of forming effective responding strategies to help student writing improve. Even though the way writing is taught has shifted from a product- to a process-oriented approach, teachers' responding practices seem particularly resistant to modification. "Practitioner lore" suggests…

The instruction of six teachers in a private school (Benchmark) for bright underachievers that is characterized by a strategic teaching initiative, strong instructional leadership, and collegiality was examined to characterize the nature of instructional dialogue. Lesson transcripts were coded for the presence and organization of eight…

A 2-day training session on interventions for use with secondary students who have behavior problems is presented. The first section is a participant's workbook, which contains 23 training activities. For each activity, the workbook indicates the relevant section of a companion guide "Ecole et Comportement: Un Guide d'Intervention au…

A 1991 survey questioned 61 teachers on the ways they were using collaborative learning to teach composition. Comparisons with a 1988 survey showed that the biggest increase was in the use of collaborative drafting strategies. Increases also occurred in focusing, prewriting, and editing, and there were slight decreases in revision and…

While a number of feature films can be used in group-process instruction, "Twelve Angry Men" and "The Breakfast Club" are particularly valuable for analyzing group communication patterns and strategies. "Twelve Angry Men" demonstrates that persuasion in groups can take place through a variety of methods. Exercises…

Intended to assist educators at all levels to teach students who are quiet, the first part of this book (The Quiet Ones: Why Are They So Quiet?) presents a summary of current theory and research concerning quiet children and their low willingness to communicate. The second part of the book (Working with Quiet Children) includes specific…

The use of science fiction in the classroom to clarify environmental or ecological values is discussed in this article. Science fiction was chosen due to its universal appeal and application. Students read and analyzed a story and were then required to take a position and to defend it. (MA)

Two methods of teaching interaction and communication skills were compared. One method was lecturing while a second involved lecturing plus modeling and practice. Results showed that although both groups of 24 subjects made progress, only the second group's learning of communication skills was statistically significant compared to the pretest…