One of a series of booklets on disability research, this paper is intended as an introduction to the role of evaluation in the utilization process. Its purpose is to help disability researchers grasp the importance of incorporating a focus on assessing use into plans for disseminating research outcomes. The paper begins by examining basic…

The 16 chapters of this comprehensive guide to teaching students with learning disabilities cover the following topics: (1) an overview of the field of learning disabilities (characteristics, causes, prevalence, prognosis, and resources); (2) research in the field of learning disabilities (how the brain works, how children learn); (3) relevant…

The concept of autonomy in second language learning is explored by tracing some steps in the evolution of theory and practice. The first section relates one definition of learner autonomy ("the ability to take charge of one's learning") to self-instruction in language learning and to research in language learning at the adult level. The…

While elementary and secondary educators are pursuing a results orientation as a means of educational reform and pedagogical improvement, the early childhood field has not explored sufficiently the desirability and feasibility of, nor the process for, establishing child-based standards and results for younger children. This report presents a…

This publication offers a vision of curriculum that redresses the balance between teaching traditions of the past and entering and participating in those of the present and future. It stresses knowledge-in-action rather than the more traditional approach of knowledge-out-of-context, encouraging ongoing conversation embedded within the larger…

Aiming to provide a coherent and useful guide to practitioners, this paper presents highlights of discussions held at a seminar that focused on how to create powerful reading programs for all of California's students. The paper also provides an extensive summary of key findings of research, a description of effective classroom and school…

Intended to be a guide for novice volunteers, this book discusses both the theoretical foundations and the practical details that will help a person to understand a child's literacy development. The book begins with an overview of the reading process and then moves into addressing key concerns such as the first day as a volunteer, the kinds of…

The 1970s brought numerous changes, including the realization that theories of change were insufficient. This text contains both core strategies for affecting change and instructions on using specific tools for change efforts in organizations and communities. The text draws concepts from psychology, sociology, anthropology, and new methods of…

This study investigates the types and proportions of various types of questions that junior high school biology teachers use during classroom instruction. A beginning teacher's adoption of questioning strategies is also compared with those of experienced teachers. A beginning biology teacher and two experienced teachers participated in the study.…

This paper examines the establishment of a collaborative science education learning community over a five-year period. By assuming a pluralistic theoretical perspective which has been influenced by post-critical theory, postmodernism/poststructuralism, and feminism, focus is placed on the challenges experienced in developing a learning community…

This study explores the nature and meaning of various epistemological and affective issues that shape elementary teachers' work, such as ways of knowing, beliefs about the nature of science, values, emotions, and teachers' images of themselves as knowers. Through analyses of two teachers' narratives, classroom observations, and instructional…

This paper describes a cognitive and socio-moral developmental, learning style, and attitudinal study. The subjects were 168 college students enrolled in a general education "diversity core" undergraduate course on social diversity and social justice in the spring of 1990 at a large northeastern public research university. Ninety-seven students…

Noting that children's play activities, particularly the development of dramatic scenarios, have been a central focus of developmental-interaction thinking over many decades, this paper explores the emphasis on play and the specific meanings accorded to it within this developmental-interaction tradition. The first part of the paper considers the…

The lessons learned by this book's authors, who observed literacy events in third- and fourth-grade classrooms, altered their vision of teaching and learning. The book shares their observations of how students engage in literacy events and construct meaning within these events, focusing on three factors that significantly influence the…

This booklet offers guidelines for the development of dissemination strategies, especially those concerned with research and programs. Individual sections address: the importance of including sound dissemination plans in grant proposals, factors found to be closely related to information utilization in the dissemination process, a philosophical…