This directory contains information about schools that are working to improve student performance through the school-based management process "Onward to Excellence." Over 600 schools were sent questionnaires asking for detailed information about activities using "Onward to Excellence" and about results of that work. Data…

This paper describes the Primary Science Project in Norway whose goals were to describe the primary (grades 1-6) science classroom and to make recommendations on improvements for primary science teaching. The purpose of this study was to study the classroom climate, specifically focusing on the social interactions between teachers and students.…

This monograph presents activities and guidelines for developing leadership training programs for gifted and talented students. Three theories of leadership are discussed: trait theory which assumes that one is either born with leadership talent or one does not have it; leadership style theory in which the patterns of leadership are categorized as…

The peer evaluation model of university teaching is composed of three domains of behavioral and cognitive skills which, in combination, represent the elements expected of professionally competent teachers. These domains are: (1) the conception of the professional role for which students are being prepared; (2) instructional design; and (3) the…

Using a case study approach, this study focuses on a physical science teacher's method of pacing instruction and the use of target students. This report includes an examination of: (1) the teacher's perceptions of the target students in the science class; (2) possible reasons for certain students being target students; and (3) types of questions…

This paper reviews research on school effects and teacher effects on student achievement. In general, academic learning is influenced by the amount of time that students spend engaged in appropriate academic activities. Students learn more efficiently when their teachers instruct them actively by structuring new information and helping them relate…

There is a group of terrestrial crustaceans, the isopods or sowbugs, that spend their lives in the cool, damp and dark microhabitats beneath rocks, decaying logs, and leaf litter. Although these animals are well adapted to exploit these moist niches, they are obligated to live where they do because of their need for moisture and high humidity to…

For several years, the University of Massachusetts has been developing a series of introductory-level mathematics courses which place primary emphasis on the development of problem solving and conceptual skills. As the need arose for more instructors for this course, an instructor-training program was developed. This report describes the…

A model for foreign language teacher education is suggested. The model is based on the premise that multiple activities in a teaching curriculum provide opportunities for foreign language student teachers to explore and change their teaching behaviors. The following six activities are discussed: (1) practice teaching, (2) observing teaching, (3)…

A qualitative study examined teachers' classroom practices and reasons behind observed practices. Subjects, four fifth grade teachers of reading who taught in different elementary schools in a large metropolitan school district, were observed during reading class time for 10 consecutive days. A profile of each participant and her teaching style…

This special journal section contains five major articles concerned with the education of children with disabilities, especially with emotional or behavioral disorders. The lead article by Ramon M. Rocha and Susan McCue, discusses the education of emotionally disturbed (ED) students in New York State as directed by the Commissioner of Education's…

The study examines the extent to which categorical differences exist in the qualitative nature of instruction for mildly handicapped students. Interviews and observations were conducted of 30 learning disabled (LD), 32 emotionally-behaviorally disturbed (EBD), and 30 educable mentally retarded (EMR) students in grades 2-4. Instruction was…

Results of a 3-year evaluation of a national law-related education (LRE) project involving five organizations (the American Bar Association, the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Law in a Free Society, the National Institute for Citizen Education in the Law, and the Phi Alpha Delta Public Service Center) are presented. Beginning in 1981,…

This study explored the interaction between teacher style and student achievement. A secondary aim of the study was to develop an instrument to rate teacher knowledge and understanding of instructional theory and practice as they affect student achievement. The Student Perception of Teacher Style (SPOTS) scale was administered to 504 sixth-grade…

In recent years, Web-based distance learning (WBDL) systems have become a popular learning environment for many western learners. While it has been established as an effective learning alternative, WBDL is not flourishing in Hong Kong as expected. This paper proposes that this is because Hong Kong students are not trained to learn independently…