The implementation of problem-based learning (PBL) and other inquiry-driven educational techniques is often resisted by both faculty and students, who may not be comfortable with this learning/instructional style. We present here a hybrid approach, which combines elements of expository education with inquiry-driven laboratory exercises and…

Purpose: The paper seeks to determine what tomorrow's employees (i.e. graduates) are seeking from SMEs in terms of organizational satisfaction and value characteristics. Design/methodology/approach: A survey of 55 university students who identified SMEs as their best opportunity for their career goals is shown. The survey utilized tested measures…

Monroe Community College's Writing-Across-the-Curriculum (WAC) program, designed to help students learn to write in all disciplines through writing centers staffed by student writing fellows, is reviewed in this report. The report includes the following sections: the year in review; 1994-95 Writing Fellows; WAC faculty; statistical data; writing…

This study explored how elementary school teachers' mental images of their schools, as revealed by metaphor, were related in systematic ways to the perceptions their students had of the classroom psychosocial environment. The data were gathered during 1992 from 1,923 students and their teachers in 162 classes in grades 5-8 in Tasmania, Australia.…

A study identified workplace know-how skills and characteristics that employers in Kalamazoo and St. Joseph counties in Michigan feel workers need to succeed and be productive. Employer input was obtained in fall 1993 at 12 focus group meetings during which a total of 103 of 192 invited local employers (a 53.6% attendance rate) completed…

An 8-month practicum was developed to eliminate the communication gap experienced by parents moving from the multi-communicative atmosphere of the elementary school to the relatively incidental reporting environment of the junior high school. The practicum sought to increase home-school communication through parental awareness and involvement. An…

This report presents outcome information concerning programs of the Colorado Division for Developmental Disabilities. Preliminary information outlines the legislative goals and the program evaluation process, which involves a longitudinal evaluation of service outcomes for a sample of adults receiving services, using the COPAR (Colorado Progress…

Parents whose children were experiencing behavioral problems at a southwestern U.S. elementary school were at a loss as to how to effectively manage their children's behavior both in and out of home. The effect of a lack of discipline transcended into the classroom which ultimately disrupted the learning environment. This practicum created a…

This digest includes several articles relating to perceived gender differences among early adolescents. "Middle School Voices on Gender Identity" (Cynthia Mee) describes a study in which 2,000 middle school students in grades five through eight were interviewed with a 52-item open-ended questionnaire. Three statements from the questionnaire were…

This study investigated factors influencing the drop-out rate of minority college students as compared to that of non-minority students. Data were collected via mailed questionnaire from 799 freshmen at the University of Missouri-Columbia, a residential, public research university in the Midwest. The questionnaire evaluated such factors as…

This study investigated the institutional characteristics considered by 774 Australian first-year students attending the University of South Australia in their choice of this university. A self-administered survey instrument asked respondents to rate their attitudes on a Likert scale regarding their reasons for selecting this university. Results…

This manual contains the Cultural Competence Self-Assessment Questionnaire (CCSAQ), a measure designed to assist service agencies working with children with disabilities and their families in self-evaluation of their cross-cultural competence. The measure is based on the Child and Adolescent Service System Program Cultural Competence Model. This…

Teaching at the middle level is different from any other teaching and so requires special preparation. Teachers in middle schools need special training to work with and be responsive to young adolescents need to interact with their peers and to use the peer group rather than the teacher for direction and guidance. The attempt to develop programs…

Assessing School-Age Child Care Quality (ASQ) is a five-step process which guides program staff as they evaluate the quality of their program so they can develop priorities and improve achievement of goals. The five steps in the ASQ process are: (1) preparing for program improvement; (2) gathering information; (3) building the Action Plan; (4)…

This study investigated learning styles and learning strategies among Japanese university students whose majors are directly related to English. Data were gathered in a survey of 365 students in English literature, language, or linguistics courses at two universities. The survey included questions about study outside class time, study using…