Seven principles that can help to improve undergraduate education are identified. Based on research on college teaching and learning, good practice in undergraduate education: (1) encourages contacts between students and faculty; (2) develops reciprocity and cooperation among students; (3) uses active learning techniques; (4) gives prompt…

This study was undertaken to determine the value and belief patterns of Catholic elementary school principals and teachers in the context of the school as a faith community. It was believed that some educators, particularly lay teachers, would value secular and noncommunitarian purposes and characteristics more than religious and communitarian…

This study investigated the instructional beliefs of 182 elementary classroom teachers to determine the degree to which teachers' assumptions about instructional practices influence their teaching behavior and the classroom perceptions of their students. It used data collected from a national research project, Goodlad's "A Study of…

It is the thesis of this discussion that outcome-based instructional systems (such as mastery learning, individually guided education, and competency-based education) represent a workable alternative to traditional approaches to instruction and are particularly suited to children in Head Start and Follow Through programs. This thesis is expanded…

The importance of following prescribed principles in the implementation of an effective law-related education (LRE) program is emphasized. Based on research findings that law-related education is a delinquency-prevention technique, the fact sheet lists six prescriptions for providing effective law-related education programs: (1) the use of…

This speech addresses school improvement issues from three perspectives. First, six shared assumptions from the recent studies and reports on the quality of American schooling are presented: (1) that the educational system must be immediately improved; (2) that quality and equity are inseparable; (3) that education is inextricably linked to larger…

American educational policy is based on three preeminent values: equity, efficiency, and choice. The problem is that these values are often antithetical: an emphasis on one deemphasizes the others. Coming to an acceptable balance among all three values is therefore the essence of public policymaking. Accordingly, this paper takes one of these…

Documents produced for three separate conferences that were convened to discuss the aims and methods of English instruction in the past century demonstrate the pedagogical shift from a "formal" concept of literacy to a more functional one. An 1896 conference at Harvard University reviewed secondary school and college English instruction during the…

This paper addresses the lack of a clear definition in the educational profession of such key terms as philosophies, goals, and objectives. Accordingly, a clear rationale and definition is proposed for each of these terms, along with examples illustrating their appropriate use. An educational philosophy is defined as a statement of motivating…

Based on Piaget's theory, this book discusses the educational value of group games for the young child's social and intellectual development, suggesting ways to select or modify both new and familiar games to make them more appropriate for children's learning. Part 1 of the book provides a theoretical introduction to what is meant by good group…

Educational change in Israel during the last 30 years is illustrated by comparing the status of Oriental and Ashkenazic (European) Jews. As opposed to the dominant Ashkenazic values of socialism, collectivism, and industrialism, the Oriental Jews in Israel value family, personalism, and traditionalism. As a result, the Israeli system tends to…

This article describes "inshimi"--a musical storytelling practice of the Bemba people in Zambia. It gives a general perspective on the whole practice and some details on the "MUSIC" as contained in the practice. The article further encourages the idea that "inshimi" represents a nucleus of the "MUSIC"…

Afterschool math hours are most often spent on homework help, tutoring, drill, and test-preparation with instructors who may not be certified teachers or mathematics educators. While such "extra math help" may be of value, it is unreasonable to expect students to enjoy learning experiences based on workbook-style exercises. The In…

Australia has a long history of what has been pilloried as "cultural cringe", and of bemoaning its isolation from "overseas" developments. In recent years, the valuing of ideas and practices from elsewhere has been transformed under the rubric of "world best practice" within a global economy and culture, both in…

To increase the possibility for successful programs and to determine the validity of the concept of bilingual education for limited English-speaking children, this discussion centers on issues which militate against full-scale implementation of bilingual education programs in some school districts. The narrative defines innovation as an "entity…