Formative assessment is intended to develop students' capacity to learn and increase the effectiveness of teaching. However, the extent to which formative assessment can meet these aims depends on the relationship between its conception and current conceptions of learning. In recent years concern about sex group differences in achievement has led…

The increased rates of deviations in sexual behavior among young people and the number of divorces among young married families provide evidence of the urgent relevance of valeological/health-promoting sex education for the young people of Russia. This article discusses scientific and practical experience from the implementation of program…

New technologies are slowly making it into the early childhood classroom; however, many families expose their children to these technologies before they encounter them in the formal school setting. Thus, many parents serve as the first teachers of technological literacy to their children. Or, as it is more frequent, parents and children learn…

This paper draws on research into the teaching of "race" and ethnicity in higher education, including interviews with lecturers and students of specialist sociology of "race" options. It focuses particularly on interactional issues: the conversations conducted about "race" and ethnicity within seminar rooms were often…

In this article "teacher as public art" is used as a metaphor to describe and explain the all-too-common perceptions and experiences of professors of color, especially women, within the academy. Highlighted throughout this discussion are: (1) the relevance of locating self within the context of people and place; and (2) the importance of bringing…

The purpose of this study is to analyze items that exhibit gender-related Differential Item Functioning (DIF) in Mathematics in Jordan. Data was taken from the TIMSS 1999 of Jordan, which includes responses of 5, 299 eighth grade students. Mantel-Haenszel (MH) DIF procedure was applied to 124 multiple-choice items. The results showed that 37 items…

This study examines interviews with 46 undergraduates to explore if participants with differing language and cultural backgrounds view plagiarism or textual appropriation primarily as a) a language problem because of a lack of words of one's own, or b) a cultural challenge as a result of either some first language (L1) cultural training to…

This document, the fifth in a series on diversity in the classroom, supports Canadian teachers of First Nations and Metis students. Section 1, "Introduction," provides a history of First Nations and Metis education and introduces the document. Section 2, "People of Many Nations," discusses environmental and linguistic…

"Hands-on" activities play an important, but controversial, role in early science education. In this study we attempt to clarify some of the issues surrounding the controversy by calling attention to distinctions between: (a) type of instruction (direct or discovery); (b) type of knowledge to be acquired (domain-general or domain-specific); and…

In this chapter, critical race and expectancy violation theories are used to deconstruct students' resistance to a female faculty member of color, a Muslim Arab American who wears the traditional Islamic cover. The author provides a narrative of her teaching experience and some techniques she has used to face such resistance.

A study examined a cooperative international education program established between Indiana University and the government of Malaysia entitled the Institut Teknologi MARA/Midwest University Consortium for International Activities (ITM/MUCIA). It further explored the issues to be addressed in turning over the program to Malaysian faculty and…

This descriptive study proposed to use the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) to identify the learning styles of registered nurses who have returned to school, and to recommend teaching strategies based on commonalities of their learning styles. The MBTI was administered to 240 registered nurses who were enrolled in either a leadership course in…

This brief paper summarizes guidelines for adapting instruction for advanced learners in inclusive, mixed-ability middle school classrooms. A rationale for differentiating instruction is followed by consideration of what differentiation is and is not. Characteristics of a differentiated class are enumerated, including: instruction is concept…

This book considers the complex subject of language development and instruction for learners with special needs. The primary purpose of the book is to examine language and its components and to suggest instructional strategies for conquering language difficulties. Some special features of the book are strong core chapters which cover key…

This monograph reviews several approaches for describing learning styles and the instructional implications of an emphasis on learning styles for teachers. Several reasons for the importance of understanding individual learning styles are provided; such understanding leads to: (1) reduction of teacher and student frustration; (2) higher student…