The purpose of this essay is to present some principles, assumptions, and techniques that might be useful for inservice teacher educators or prospective teachers. Teacher educators should try first of all to focus on teachers' understandings of situations in order to help make those understandings more appropriate, more accurate, deeper, and more…

This digest reviews the literature related to learning styles of American Indian and Alaskan Native students. Several studies show that in some tribes, observation, self-testing in private, and then demonstration of a task for approval are essential steps in learning. Indian children often hesitate to participate in large and small-group…

This paper gives an overview of 10 directions language teachers might take in the future. After providing background on the history of language teaching, language teaching methodology is defined and a distinction is made between methodologies and approaches. Next, the 10 scenarios are briefly described. They include the following: teacher/learner…

This casebook provides candid descriptions of teachers who enter the profession with no previous teacher preparation. The cases describe how a group of novice teachers faced the problems of transforming content knowledge into accessable units of instruction for teenagers in inner-city schools. The vignettes are grouped according to specific kinds…

Classroom observation and evaluation of teachers by supervisors or principals is a delicate process. Most teachers would welcome feedback from their supervisors about improving teaching, but they rarely receive it. Many times the role of the principal is unclear in the observation process. Standardized observation formats sometimes fail to…

Cognitive style is a psychological construct concerning the manner in which individuals differ from one another in intellectual functioning. Researchers in the area have amassed evidence suggesting that cognitive style affects the way students learn, the way teachers teach, and the way students and teachers interact. Focusing on cognitive style…

The literature on college instruction reached a peak in 1996, one reason being that this topic relates to the larger discussion about the changing role of higher education and to faculty members' changing priorities. Trends identified include the integration of technology into instruction; an emphasis on interdisciplinary teaching and learning;…

This report reviews the literature on high-risk students at the higher education level in terms of the following questions: are high-risk students and nontraditional students the same? what is the impact of high-risk students on institutions of higher education? are high-risk students treated differently in elementary and secondary schools? do…

Teaching styles reflect the beliefs and values that teachers hold about the learners' role in learning; learning styles provide insight into the ways learners perceive, interact with and respond to the environment in which learning occurs. Many teachers teach in the way they were taught which usually can be characterized as field independent…

Cultural differences, including the personal cultures of learners and educators and the culture of the larger social-political environment, are relevant to adult learning. Culture includes those values, beliefs, and practices shared by a group of people. Cultures tend to vary along a number of dimensions, and the following dimensions are among…