One way to elicit good writing from students is to expose them to great literature and have them write about the attributes they share with a character, or about the experiences they have had that parallel those in a work of fiction, or about how a work of fiction compares with real "life." Using James Joyce's "Dubliners" as a…

This research investigated college students' attitudes toward allegations of sexual harassment involving college instructors and students. A procedure was developed that could be administered in a single class session, aimed at increasing students' understanding of the conditions under which causal inferences are appropriate, sensitizing them to…

Since the entire fabric of one's historical knowledge is based on inferences drawn by historians in their readings of primary sources, a study of their reading habits, and a comparison of those habits with the habits of others who read for the purposes of discovery and interpretation may lead to areas of mutual interest or benefit. Although the…

Two groups of high risk students that deserve more attention from school reformists are: (1) disconnected youth who are alienated from basic American values, economic opportunities, and educational opportunities; and (2) semi-skilled students who are able to succeed in the basic programs assigned to them, but who cannot read, write, or solve…

This paper examines the historian's method of handling evidence and explores some approaches to the improvement of college students' reasoning skills through the analysis of historical documents. The starting point in the development of the reasoning skills should be an exploration of the historian's task and the nature of the evidence, preferably…

Theoretical frameworks are useful to developmental educators investigating the areas of grammar, critical reading, and the introductory physical science course. Of all available approaches to grammar, sector analysis proves the most powerful as a tool for developmental educators. It is designed to show how a few possible grammatical constructions,…

The computer controlled visual media, particularly television, are becoming an increasingly powerful instrument for the manipulation of thought. Powerful visual images increasingly reflect and shape personal and external reality--politics being one such example--and it is crucial that the viewing public understand the nature of these media…

Two studies were conducted to clarify some problems in aptitude treatment interaction research, by concentrating on the macroprocesses in reading required by different instructional methods and the macroprocesses available to students. In the first experiment, three reading groups were used, the first receiving adjunct questions, the second also…

This paper develops a comprehensive and coordinated strategy for teaching critical reading and rational decision-making skills to college students. Five skills are identified as essential for developing sound reasoning processes: (1) developing an objective viewpoint, (2) identifying and clarifying an evaluative statement--the difference between…

Analysis of 24 sets of journal entries, drafts, and revisions of papers written by college students in literature/composition courses suggested three stages in the process of reading and writing about literature. In the progressive stage, which is based on theories of transactional literary analysis, brief writing exercises, such as journal…

The school seeks to enable its students to understand and cope with the maladies of the times, to define and clarify the values and principles that should guide action, and to develop personal behavior consistent with these values and principles. These goals can best be attained through systematic instruction in critical thinking, for these skills…

THE BEHAVIORAL PATTERNS, BACKGROUNDS, AND THEMES OF CHILDREN'S REALISTIC TRADE BOOKS WERE IDENTIFIED. NINE CATEGORIES OF INTERPERSONAL BEHAVIOR WERE DEVELOPED AND DEFINED IN THIS INVESTIGATION OF CHANGES IN CONTENT OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS PUBLISHED WITHIN A PERIOD OF 40 YEARS, FROM 1920-60. FROM 780 SAMPLES REVIEWED BY THE EXAMINER, THREE JUDGES…

A STUDY WAS MADE TO DESCRIBE, AND TO DISCOVER POSSIBLE WAYS OF INFLUENCING INTELLECTUAL AND PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT IN NINTH-GRADE, GIFTED YOUTH. THIS REPORT, PART TWO OF A THREE-PART STUDY, REVIEWED THE RESULTS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM DESIGNED ESPECIALLY TO PRODUCE CHANGES IN ATTITUDES, INTERESTS, AND VALUES TOWARD CREATIVE INTELLECTUAL NORMS.…

College students were compared to adults for their reading comprehension of news items on two critical issues of national concern. The subjects were 109 adults and 97 college students who read ten short magazine articles on the Iran-United States hostage crisis and the U.S. energy problem. After reading the articles, the subjects' comprehension…

The importance of metacognition to the process of critical reading is discussed in this report. Specifically, the report covers two areas of research: (1) reading for meaning, which involves the metacognitive activity of comprehension monitoring, and (2) reading for remembering, which includes identifying important ideas, testing one's mastery of…