This volume is designed to provide a comprehensive picture of the range of verified educational practices which derive from psychologist B. F. Skinner's pursuit of the science of learning and behavior. The book begins with a challenge to the American system of education in the form of an article by Skinner, "The Shame of American…

A 12-week practicum was developed to improve school climate by using conflict resolution in grades K-6. Staff and students completed a poll designed to assess their concerns about the daily functioning of the school. The school's climate was discussed in light of how the student body reacted to the school setting, with emphasis on areas where…

This report describes the implementation of a child safety-abduction awareness curriculum. The targeted population consisted of primary grade students in a growing, middle class, rural community located in northern Illinois. Assessment of students' skills revealed a lack of strategies to avoid child abduction. Analysis of probable cause data…

This publication, designed for those entering or new to the field of teaching, offers a fresh perspective and practical guidance on how to avoid and deal with a variety of problems common to middle and high school classrooms. The issues of management, routines and procedures, behavioral approaches, and instructional strategies are discussed in the…

Today's social and demographic changes demand that elementary and secondary education incorporate social skills and affective education in the curriculum. One way for this to be accomplished is through an interdisciplinary approach. Numerous curriculum resources which use an interdisciplinary approach and address affective skills are available for…

The "Thinking Mathematics" approach to teaching is guided by two ideas: (1) that learning requires knowledge upon which new problems and situations are interpreted and (2) that mathematics skills are applied in context. This paper reports research that examined whether teaching mathematics students in high school remedial classes can be…

To prevent the high-risk populations of learning disabled/behavior disordered (LD/BD) and educable mentally handicapped (EMH) students from developing substance abuse problems, these students must be educated with materials that are directed specifically at their social and mental levels. Project Oz, a social service agency in McLean County,…

This document consists of the first 39 consecutive issues of the newsletter, "E.C.E. Connection," published monthly (except August) to offer information and support to early childhood practitioners. Articles from the 1994 issues include: "Some 'Affordable' Ideas To Brighten Your Classroom"; "A Notice Board: A Way To Keep…

In this study, a questionnaire was designed to assess Montessori teachers' reported likelihood of intervention in some 25 common situations in Montessori classrooms for 3-6 year olds, as well as to obtain limited background information on the teachers. Subjects were 422 Montessori teachers including 30 from Trinidad (where the questionnaire was…

This study investigated whether the criterion-related validity coefficient of the Instructional Strategy Usage (ISU) instrument was statistically significant, and investigated factors related to general education teachers' use of instructional strategies that facilitate inclusion of students with moderate and severe impairments in general…

This paper posits that metaphor, in addition to embellishing language, promotes a comprehensive understanding of complex concepts and phenomena and provides teachers with a powerful way to talk about their work. The main body of this document, which includes an extensive review of the literature, considers the use of metaphors for mentoring in the…

More than 150 research studies were reviewed to develop this set of suggestions for teachers interested in effective history instruction. The suggestions are organized into four categories: (1) Teacher perceptions and behavior; (2) Student activities and cooperative learning; (3) Homework; and (4) Effective use of textbooks. A brief bibliography…

To what degree do teacher participants in one science enhancement institute intend to use the information in the classroom the next fall? What factors assist this extension of learning? What factors detract from teachers applying new knowledge in the classroom? Sixteen second- to eighth-grade science teachers from a physical and life science…

Teaching is an applied science derived from research in human learning and behavior. The science of teaching is based on cause-effect relationships existing in three categories of teacher decisionmaking (content, learner behavior, and teaching behaviors). Several "templates" can be used to describe, interpret, and evaluate either…

This book describes the Missouri Mathematics Effectiveness Project, a major systematic research program supported by the National Institute for Education. The report is based on a decade of naturalistic and experimental study of mathematics classrooms in intermediate elementary grades and junior high school classrooms. A rationale for the…