Educational research studies conducted in recent years are distilled into 41 significant findings or conclusions that can be used as a practical guide for parents and teachers seeking those educational practices found to be most effective in helping children to learn. The 41 findings are displayed one to a page. Each page is organized into three…

This document outlines a comprehensive plan developed by the Minnesota State Department of Education for improving school effectiveness throughout the state. The first four sections of the paper present prefatory material, including a general introduction, current comparative statistics on Minnesota schools, need statements (state legislation…

Research into student experience in Higher Education has largely focused on students' role as learners. However, the student experience encompasses a much wider range of behaviours and beliefs than can be captured through a focus on teaching and learning alone. I report the findings of a research project which explored student experience in the…

Previous research on online discussions has focused on university students learning higher level subjects. The purpose of the current study was to examine whether online discussions could be used effectively by secondary school students attempting to learn introductory level topics. Forty-­five male students, ranging in age from 13 to 15 years…

Although student evaluation of instruction has been shown to produce reliable results over class averages, considerable within-class variability exists that has not been investigated. This study looked at examples of student evaluations in which students diametrically differed in their evaluation of the same instructor. Patterns were noted. A…

In this article, the author describes the current state of research on web-based instruction and posits new directions to expand the current paradigm. Issues of faculty attitude and support toward distance education, instructional immediacy, and the Seven Principles of Good Practice in Undergraduate Education (Chickering and Gamson, 1986) relative…

Compulsory province-wide grade 12 examinations, administered in Alberta since 1906, were dropped in 1973; teachers were given the responsibility of assigning final grades. To assess the quality of education since then, a 1976 survey examined: (1) current grade 12 evaluation policies and practices; (2) whether or not grading has changed in the past…

Recognizing the lack of public confidence in the schools, public officials and educators should discuss the proper use and limitations of competency testing and the implementation of national tests. Competency tests should be used for diagnosis, for certifying that students possess basic skills, and for public awareness. They should not be the…

This report presents data gathered during the 1973-74 school year on the Austin Independent School District (Austin, Texas) implementation of the Individually Guided Education Program (IGE). Classroom observation indicates on the whole that the 11 schools identified as IGE exhibit greater degrees of implementation of characteristics associated…

To analyze income inequality in 32 nations, the research tested hypotheses based upon eight socioeconomic variables. The first seven variables, often tested in income research, were: political participation, industrial development, population growth, educational level, inflation rate, economic growth, and technological complexity. The eighth…

Findings from the Student Attribute Study, a two-year investigation designed to identify student characteristics and behaviors related to teacher expectations and attitudes are reported. Children in grades two through five who received consistent teacher rankings over a two-year period on one or more of 13 bi-polar scales describing student…

Grade inflation is discussed, and some solutions are offered for the grade inflation problem which exists in the Faculty of Education at the University of Victoria, British Columbia. Examples illustrate the existence of grade inflation at several colleges and universities, as well as at the high school level. Various reactions--involving college…

A field test of the Automated Instruction Shorthand System (Random House) was conducted at the University of Northern Colorado Laboratory School to determine its suitability for future implementation in Colorado schools. The multisensory instructional program conditions the rapid recall of Gregg symbols through use of animated sound color films…

A comprehensive course of study for natural resources was developed and offered to eleventh and twelfth grade students as an elective, to determine whether such a program was feasible in a high school vocational setting. An area-wide survey of environmental occupations was conducted and an advisory committee made recommendations as to course…

The purpose of this study was to develop and test the effectiveness of a program in which activity-based science was used as a conceptual basis for language instruction. A series of four instructional units were adapted for bilingual use. Students' written and oral observations were used in experience charts and other language development…