A longitudinal study investigated the link between learning experiences and life histories of teacher education students in early childhood education. The preliminary phase of the study indicated that compared to first-year students, students in their final year indicated greater confidence. The teaching practicum emerged as crucial for balance…

Suggest ways library education must change in order to prepare its graduates for technology-rich careers. Topics include technology skills and knowledge as core competencies; computer literacy; teaching practical skills as well as theory; field experience, practicums, or internships; and the rate of technological change. (LRW)

Discusses the need for college graduates who are prepared for employment and skilled in teamwork, outlines a rationale for the development of groupwork in higher education, and describes a program sponsored by British Petroleum in 10 institutions in England and Scotland to provide academics with professional development in teaching groupwork…

Investigated student teachers' experiences using a phenomenographically oriented pedagogic theory to develop a better understanding of preschool children's life questions. Found that, following the intervention study, the students emphasized the importance of finding the child's point of view and of tackling the child's questions together, more so…

Offers examples of collaboration between teachers and university professors. Provides an overview of the past twenty-five years of social studies research and reform. Argues for the importance of reconceptualizing the traditional school/university relationship to overcome barriers between teachers and researchers. (CMK)

Shows teachers who self-reported they were developing constructivist approaches to classroom instruction had contradictory beliefs about dealing with reading and writing errors, and about addressing errors with more- and less-able readers and writers. Shows the teachers were convinced that students' inaccurate constructions of knowledge should be…

Through a partnership with Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Missouri, staff of a successful, improvement-oriented elementary school focused on brain-compatible practices. These included a safe, nonthreatening environment; active and meaningful learning; rich, stimulating, varied input; and accurate, timely, and helpful feedback. (MLH)

Discusses the problem of environmental bias and critiques Michael Sanera's approach to evaluation of environmental education performance. Notes that problems result from bias in curriculum materials. Contains 20 references. (DDR)

Presents an overview of the types of research on community colleges. Proposes that research literature falls into four, often overlapping categories: informative and promotional research (with little or no analysis), advisory research (what "should" be done), descriptive research, and scholarly research. Concludes that variations in the literature…

Results from a survey of 199 secondary special education teachers indicate they employ a variety of instructional strategies, some judged more effective than others, and that their use of instructional methods does not appear to significantly change with the number of years of their experience nor necessarily parallel effective practice. (Contains…

A case study of South Dakota's higher education system was used to examine the applicability of a higher education systems framework (Richardson, Reeves-Branco, Callan, & Finney, 1999) to a new case-study state. Found that while the framework helped in describing and analyzing the case study, challenges arose when considering individual…

Two studies examined Spanish and English phonological awareness, Verbal IQ, oral language proficiency, single-word reading of Spanish-speaking English as-a-second language first graders who received all their school instruction in English. Implications of this research are discussed, especially the importance of early reading intervention and…

Describes development of an Experimental Astronomy Curriculum or Thinking Journey, based on a combination of Constructivism and Mediated Learning Experience. Results indicated the effectiveness of the Thinking Journey in promoting a process of positive change in the students' conceptualization of Earth, improving their knowledge of astronomy,…

Provides a review of conceptual perspectives on the salient issues affecting student retention in higher education generally, and minority student retention in particular, over the past few decades. Also summarizes programmatic strategies implemented at institutions as examples of student retention initiatives that have had significant impacts.…

A study examined 127 teachers' assessments of the trustworthiness, usability, and accessibility of intervention information obtained from other teachers or colleagues, workshops, college courses, and professional journals. Teachers generally rated their colleagues and workshops not only as more accessible but as providing more trustworthy and…