This status report discusses the issues and concerns of assessing, at a national level, the ability of college graduates to think critically, solve problems, and communicate effectively (National Education Goal 5). Two workshops have been held on the issue and participants indicated that assessment requires a working consensus on the specific…

To suggest that activity in the classroom shift from a focus on memorizing procedures to using mathematical reasoning is to suggest a shift in the classroom environment accompanied by shifts in teacher talk. The task of this report was to introduce the idea of teachers' orienting behaviors aimed at facilitating student cognition, and to suggest…

Current research and learning theory suggest that a hierarchy of proportional reasoning exists that can be tested. Using G. Vergnaud's four complexity variables (structure, content, numerical characteristics, and presentation) and T. E. Kieren's model of rational number knowledge building, an epistemic model of proportional reasoning was…

Training in decision-making skills directly contributes to the combat readiness of Battle Staff Officers. More affordable, accessible, and effective training technologies are required to supplement the Command Post Exercises currently in use. This is the final report for a 3-year research and development (R&D) effort aimed toward development…

This study investigated components of preservice training likely to influence the development of expertise in teaching. The study examined whether perceived self-efficacy, cognitive skills for teaching, basic teaching skills, beginning training teacher performance, knowledge of subject matter, knowledge of teaching, teacher work environment, and…

This paper presents five standards for pedagogy that are applicable across grade levels, student populations, and content areas: joint productive activity; language and literacy development; meaning making; complex thinking; and instructional conversation. These standards emerge from principles and practice that have proven successful with…

A review of the literature indicates that, compared to larger, urban schools, small, rural secondary schools have limited course offerings in mathematics and science; the review also indicates, however, that the achievement of students in small, rural schools is equivalent to or even higher than, that of students in larger, urban schools. Such an…

This book presents materials, activities, background information, and student handouts for conducting educational programs that allow students to explore packaging and handling practices as these relate to waste generation and management options. An educational approach used in the development of these materials is based on the idea that solid…

The study reported here was conducted to improve student teachers' skills in asking questions capable of eliciting learner responses on a higher cognitive level. Participants, senior student teachers, were chosen randomly for video evaluations of their question asking strategies. Following video recording of lessons, the student teachers performed…

This document provides a model for the national assessment of higher order thinking and consists of a preface and four main sections. The preface discusses the problem of lower order learning, summarizes the state of research into critical thinking and instructional reform, and explains the structure of the paper. Section 1 of the paper describes…

This curriculum presents lessons and materials designed to teach immigrant students their rights and responsibilities under the U.S. legal system. The lessons employ interactive strategies, and develop higher order thinking skills as they foster English language learning. The curriculum contains eight units: (1) "Roots of Rights: Introduction…

The authors describe one high school teacher's attempt to change her mathematics teaching in ways that are consistent with the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics'"Standards" documents. One of the coauthors is the teacher who teaches in a professional development school; the other, a researcher, conducted regular observations in…

A constructivist approach to parent education that enabled parents to be active participants in reflection and dialogue processes was tested in a study. Instruction was designed to stimulate and support self-reflection and dialogue processes enabling parents to be active participants in constructing new meanings to their child rearing practices.…

This yearbook is the seventh for the Mathematics Education Research in Finland series and contains ten articles presented at the decennial jubilee colloquium. The first three articles discuss Constructivism both in general and with regard to mathematics education. Analysis is directed to the origins of constructivism, to the learning of…

In response to a statewide call for a review of general education in Virginia community colleges, the Student Assessment Committee (SAC) was formed at John Tyler Community College (Virginia) to evaluate student outcomes for the college's general education component. After concluding that standardized tests did not provide an adequate measure, the…