No morning bell is needed at San Diego's Belle Benchley School, where mixed age groups touch things off spontaneously. (Editor)

With a growing number of courses offered online and degrees offered through the Internet, there is a considerable interest in online education, particularly as it relates to the quality of online instruction. The major concerns are centering on the following questions: What will be the new role for instructors in online education? How will…

This study compared the effects of traditional instruction and computer assisted instruction (CAI) on 152 students enrolled in a psychology class at a junior college in northwestern Mississippi. Specifically, the study compared the effects of the two types of instruction on students' academic achievement, motivation and enthusiasm for learning,…

Research indicates that a positive school climate is an important factor in school effectiveness. This paper reviews the major determinants of school climate and also reports the findings of a survey of 246 teachers and 76 principals in rural public schools in central Tennessee concerning three school climate factors: motivation and morale;…

The case under study was a staff development program devoted to methods for instructional grouping called "cooperative learning." In this case study, the rhetoric of cooperative learning for mainstreaming was tested by examining the words and actions of teachers and administrators for congruence with rhetorical devices. Three kinds of information…

A study identified barriers for adult students 21 years old or older so that programs, courses, motivational strategies, counseling services, support services, and recruitment information could be developed to eliminate or overcome those barriers. One hundred randomly selected adult students enrolled in technical education programs during the…

This study analyzes the results of the increased access of students to postsecondary vocational education, especially in two-year colleges, in terms of completion rates and job placement. Data examined include the following: (1) initial enrollments in higher education; (2) fields of study in postsecondary education; (3) progress through…

This document summarizes the findings of a study of the reasons why some at-risk youth persist in special programs while others drop out. Information was gathered from 16 focus group sessions comprised of both "persisters" and "leavers" from in-school remedial programs and out-of-school youth service corps. The findings,…

The effect of the institutional culture on faculty commitment, motivation, and satisfaction when filtered through other factors in the organizational environment was investigated. Preliminary findings from research on "The Organizational Context for Teaching and Learning" at the National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary…

This instructor's manual for "Educational Psychology: A Realistic Approach" is divided into five sections, providing an organized approach to the various materials that can be used to facilitate instruction. Section 1 describes how to use the manual. The second section provides general resources and references. Section 3 is a directory to…

This guide is an ideabook for teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) to adult students. The first three sections list, respectively, specific instructional techniques and class activities, suggested materials, and questions submitted by adult basic education instructors and answers to the questions. Appended materials, which constitute the…

This paper presents data from a 1989 survey of 48 state higher education executive officers regarding the use of fiscal enhancement programs as a strategy to influence higher education performance. The paper reports on the purposes and objectives most often funded through specific incentives, and on the key advantages and disadvantages of this…

Recent research has indicated that a learning setting's "psychological environment" can make a difference in student achievement and motivation. This has been found to be true in the case of smaller learning settings, such as the classroom. Recently, research on school culture has suggested that schools do indeed differ in the kind of…

An ongoing debate exists on the issue of volunteering and its political implications in West Germany. Critics of the social welfare system have a direct impact on volunteerism. The ruling coalition aims to limit public spending in the social services sector while the "grassroots" movement emphasizes the danger of state-provided services…

The American Field Service (AFS) has 3,500 volunteers throughout Australia. Local chapters recruit potential host families and participants. Host families are recruited actively and selectively while volunteers are recruited largely through AFS presentations at schools, through friends, and by returning volunteers. Due to a high level of demand…