Sociological theory and method have been used to develop a theory of complex instruction (CI). CI enables teachers to teach at a high intellectual level while reaching a wide range of students. Teachers work to create equal-status interaction within small groups as students use each other as resources to complete challenging group tasks. The…

This book is a resource for teachers that contains 28 exercises and planned activities designed by individual authors that can be used to teach about culture, ethnicity, and diversity. The exercises and activities are appropriate for graduate, college, and even advanced high school students in such classes as cross-cultural psychology,…

This digest identifies several common types of nontraditional families and presents a few of their characteristics relevant to their children's education. It also offers some recommendations to help schools provide support for the families to ensure their inclusion in all aspects of schooling. Multiracial families comprise both children whose…

This report analyzes computer usage in the classrooms of teachers who are at least moderately well-prepared in the use of computers for reading instruction. Data from the 1998 National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) database were used to analyze the influence of computers on academic achievement. The NAEP, which is administered in 4th,…

This bulletin is the second in a seres of studies aimed at describing current developments in the secondary school curriculum as they are revealed in recent courses of study and teaching guides. It is the only analysis of the English curriculum in grades 7-12 which has been made by the Office in the past year. This survey includes the four major…

Participants in the IDEA student rating system frequently ask whether or not results differ significantly among disciplines. Do disciplines emphasize different objectives? Do their students report similar levels of progress on objectives selected by the instructor? Do teaching "approaches" differ across disciplines? Do specific…

This article describes some ways counselors can use their skills to help teachers individualize instruction. The author describes the four basic components of most programs of individualized instruction, suggesting tasks counselors could perform relating to each component. The author concludes that the interested counselor is able to contribute…

In a research study, fourth-grade, fifth-grade, and college females performed the Bachman Free-Standing Ladder-Balance task after watching four, eight, and twelve, or no videotaped demonstrations of the task. The videotape modeling seemed to affect form (or strategy) of their performances more than their final scores. (PP)

Examines the shift in the theoretical basis of learning from a behavioral theory to a cognitive theory, exploring implications of the shift for educational practice. Compares behavioral and cognitive theories in relation to educational goals/objectives, individual differences, instructional strategies, learner motivation, and learner…

Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans, and Cubans have had different geographical and cultural experiences. Problems specific to each group, and educational strategies to solve them, are presented to promote cultural pluralism in the schools. (JN)

Three field experiments were conducted to evaluate Individual Learning Expectations (ILE), an alternative grading structure that awards points by comparing students' quiz scores with individual pretest "base scores." Findings of the studies are promising; however, results regarding the effectiveness of ILE in motivating students'…

Describes aspects of Guided Design, a recent instructional strategy designed to teach process skills, in which students engage in the decision-making process to devise solutions for a series of open-ended problems. (CS)

Describes the use of the "cultoon," an informative cartoon depicting some aspect of a culture, to develop cultural understanding. (AM)

Shows how the proposed model (an individualized competency based learning system) can be used effectively to produce a course in accounting principles which adapts to different entering competencies and to different rates and styles of learning. (TA)

Three aspects of foreign students' resistance to learning English are examined: (1) preconceived ideas of learning and teaching; (2) attitudes to the culture and its effects on the student; (3) effect of the teacher and teaching techniques on motivation. (CHK)