The teacher assessment that is the subject of this paper is an essentially informal activity. The teacher assesses the student by posing questions, observing activities, and evaluating work in a planned or ad hoc way. The information obtained may be partial or fragmented, but repeating such assessments over time will allow the buildup of a solid…

This paper examines the issue of gender bias in education. Major components of the thesis include research in Vermont schools and secondary sources including the 1992 American Association of University Women report. The paper includes three main divisions. The first part addresses the paradox of trying to study gender, including some basic…

Producing a high level of student involvement in the foreign language classroom depends on four common elements under the teacher's control: (1) teacher expectations and their modeling in class; (2) classroom atmosphere; (3) instructional formats; and (4) teaching activities. Students are more consistently involved in using the target language in…

While Online Learning Environments (OLEs) can potentially support learning that is more autonomous and authentic in nature than traditional instructional environments often allow, students do not always use OLEs in the ways expected or desired by their tutors. This paper examines the findings of a recent evaluation of an OLE designed for…

Many teachers struggle with motivating students to learn. This is especially prevalent in social studies classrooms in which students perceive social studies as boring (Schug, Todd, & Berry, 1984; Shaughnessy & Haladyana, 1985). This article advocates the use of technology in social studies as a means to motivate students by engaging…

A study was conducted to determine if actual California Achievement Test subtest scores were significantly different than expected in a large, urban school district that had just implemented its first component--staff development--based on the Effective School Model (ESM). Subjects consisted of 1,591 fourth through sixth graders and 1,557 sixth…

The purpose of this study was to investigate the difference in attitude toward and achievement in science between boys and girls in grade two (n=129) and in grade five (n=154) and to compare the differences found for elementary school students to those found previously for middle school students. For this study, "attitude toward science" was…

To gather information about local Alaskan schooling, researchers surveyed 327 rural school site administrators to determine their backgrounds, school activities, expectations of student performance, perceptions of school-community relations, and perceptions of the roles of actors in school governance. Results of the questionnaire indicated that…

An overview is presented of the scope and findings of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) studies, which analyzed student achievement in 22 nations, one of which was the United States. Using these findings, this paper identifies national differences in the performance of pupils representing the United…

This report summarizes the findings of the Louisiana School Effectiveness study, designed to identify school level attitudes and behaviors which predict students' achievement. Principals, teachers, and students in 76 schools with third grade classrooms responded to school climate questionnaires. Data for the students also included scores on the…

This report details the methodology and findings of the Louisiana School Effectiveness study, designed to identify school level attitudes and behaviors which predict students' achievement. Principals, teachers, and students in 76 schools with third grade classrooms responded to school climate questionnaires. Data for the students also included…

To aid school districts in examining what Montana citizens expect of public school graduates, a task force composed of representatives from public, private, professional, and citizens' organizations concentrated its efforts in three main areas: college entrance, vocational education, and world of work. The committee considered commentary from…

Despite scientific inattention to the implications of control expectancy in adult education, particularly in the community college setting, a few strategies have been suggested to effect external to internal shifts in control expectancies in nontraditional adult learners. The Reimanis and Schaefer technique assists the subject to focus upon the…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 14 titles deal with the following topics: children's ability to read their own dictated oral language; adjunct structure and reading comprehension; learning and comprehension of simultaneously presented stimuli in children of…

Since recent growth in enrollment in colleges of agriculture has been made up of an increasing proportion of students without a farm or rural background, colleges of agriculture should look at course offerings to see if they meet students' needs. To examine the attitudes of students with nonfarm backgrounds who were majoring in agriculture, a…