This article provides an overview of current knowledge about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) from medical, educational, social, and psychological perspectives. The article covers essential features and diagnostic criteria, frequency of overlap with other conditions, guidelines for assessment and classroom intervention, and…

A definition of mental retardation is presented to clarify perceptions of what should happen to persons with mental retardation after identification and program placement. The definition refers to the need for specific skill training and the development of independence. A rationale and six corollaries to the definition are discussed. (JDD)

The relationship between state definitions of behavior disorders and the number of children being served was examined for one year prior to implementation of Public Law 94-142 and a year following full implementation. Definitional components accounted for less than a third of the variance in prevalence rates. Influences contributing to the…

Two studies demonstrated the usefulness of single-subject research in providing a teacher with empirical support for using one method of instruction rather than another for a particular special-needs child. Drill-and-practice software helped older hearing impaired students learn to spell and define new words. (RH)

Reviews past definitions of distance education and offers a new five-part definition of the concept. Topics discussed include the roles of the teachers and students; physical separation of teachers and learners; the influence of an educational organization; communication between teachers and students; and the use of technical media. (22…

Bilingualism has been defined predominantly in linguistic dimensions despite the fact that bilingualism is correlated with a number of nonlinguistic social parameters; the linguistic handle is inadequate as the single focus of educational intervention. Suggests directions for future research. (Author/BJV)

Surveys the successive changes in the terminology and concept of "pedagogy" and "pedagogical research" and their subsequent marginalization. Examines the differences between"pedagogy" and "knowledge," concluding that despite varying definitions, "pedagogy" and "pedagogical research" still…

Follows the development of the conceptual boundaries used in defining a case study through the stages of a research project about the development of teacher knowledge. Compares the process with the Hermeneutical Circle. (FMW)

Adult education must become popular education in both communal and personal terms to survive funding agencies' special power-interest hegemonies, traditional higher education models, and rampant economic materialism. This article discusses six modernist constructions of adult education, highlighting professionalization and specialization, and…

Examines the need to reconsider spatial conceptualizations and categories such as urban-rural and core-periphery in light of two recent trends: migration out of cities and the geographic redistribution of economic activities. Suggests that these trends and related policy issues would be better articulated in a regional or local economy framework.…

The history of performance indicators for evaluation of institutions of higher education in the United States and Europe is chronicled to provide a context for understanding the definitions and methods used to develop them. Performance indicators are defined and described in relation to other measures used for assessment of institutions, drawing…

Outlines a CRADLE (Collections, Reflections, Assessment, Documentation, Linkages, and Evaluation) approach to portfolio development and use in English-as-a-Second-Language classrooms. This approach focuses on a long-term commitment to portfolio usage by teachers, students, parents, and administrators. (MDM)

Past, present, and future concerns regarding the definition of learning disabilities (LD) are documented. Research on efforts to clarify the LD label is discussed, including the questionable utility of the discrepancy model. An approach is presented for operationalizing the definition of LD of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities.…

Discusses the evolution of what is meant by "good" English in the classroom, arguing that the overall model of English that is presented to students, and by which their English is evaluated, ought to be considered in pragmatic rather than a priori terms. (19 references) (MDM)

Surveys of 267 newcomers to 6 rural parishes in Lancaster and Mid Devon (England) and interviews with 113 survey respondents revealed definitions of "the rural" as abstract social representations. Respondents' representations of the rural focused on the physical environment, contained many aspects of the "rural idyll," but also…