Contends that no single definition of critical thinking is widely accepted. Describes issues related to critical thinking and offers suggestions for demystifying the concept. Presents a framework for a psychology curriculum using performance-based assessment practices. (CFR)

A tutorial program in English as a Second Language, in which the tutors were prospective teachers, is described and evaluated for general procedure, scheduling, teacher-student contact, use of instructional materials, oral practice, error correction strategy, and student attitudes and performance. (MSE)

The testing practices and tests described in the preceding articles are reviewed and compared. This cross-cultural examination identifies some issues that are common to the United States and Europe: (1) the emphasis on performance tasks, (2) the accommodation of language minorities, and (3) concerns about gender differences. (SLD)

Recent immigrants to Australia from non-English-speaking countries have experienced difficulties in mathematics methods courses. Reports survey results on how these students perceive their problems and how they think courses could be adapted to meet their needs. (MDH)

Describes a project at a large, suburban, state university that focuses on providing students who are training to become teachers with exposure to students of limited English proficiency (LEP). To overcome geographic limitations on available LEP students, preservice teachers corresponded with LEP pen pals from elementary and secondary schools.…

This article describes the successful implementation of a technology portfolio process to evaluate the success of teacher candidates in fulfilling International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)/National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) guidelines. It suggests activities to include in such a portfolio. (IAH)

The shift in policy from market driven behaviour towards a more cooperative tertiary sector is having an effect on New Zealand academic libraries and their relationships. Despite this, there has been no investigation of collaboration specifically targeting New Zealand tertiary libraries. This research project examine the state of collaboration…

A model illustrating the relationship between mentoring and job competency was developed and tested in a sample of 82 members of a local chapter of a national association for training and development professionals. Human capital was conceptualized in terms of job competency attainment and social capital in terms of mentoring and protege…

Many research studies support using students' opinions to improve schools (Bechtel & Reed, 1998; Campbell, Edgar, & Halstead, 1994; Corbet & Wilson, 1995; & SooHoo, 1993). In these studies, Klingner & Vaughn (1999), noted researchers in the area of student inclusion, demonstrated that using student feedback to evaluate teachers…

In an extensive review of research on teacher preparation, Wilson, Floden, and Ferrini-Mundy (2001) pointed out that "study after study show that experienced and newly certified teachers alike see clinical experiences (including student teaching) as a powerful--sometimes the single most powerful--component of teacher preparation". They go on to…

The study reported here is intended to address both the concerns regarding the lack of successful administrator preparation programs and the need for additional research which can be used to evaluate administrator preparation programs. This study used student-created exit portfolios as the database for a qualitative document analysis of two forms…

An apparently simple self-study that consisted of a longitudinal review of Grade 12 students' self-reflections from the past five years triggered a personally profound struggle about past classroom practices and surfaced a host of assumptions about teaching and learning. This research challenged the author to enact personal and professional values…

The new emphasis on performance-based assessment holds much promise for assessment in physical education, particularly for the assessment of motor skills. Physical educators want to know if students can perform motor skills and use those motor skills in game and activity settings. However, the viability of performance-based assessment as a formal…

Faculty members from the University of South Dakota attended the Curriculum Reform Institute offered by the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh, WI, during the summer of 2002 to design a course sequence for elementary education majors that better meets their needs for both content and pedagogy based on the science education standards. The special…

In this essay, the author describes a judicial confirmation simulation she developed as an approach to feminist teaching. She also discusses the importance of active learning in the classroom, as well as simulation background and teacher preparation for the simulation. Students are asked to sign up for various roles in the simulation. These are:…