This document, the fourth in a series on diversity in the classroom, supports the belief that challenges faced by teachers working with diverse students can only be met through teacher practices that increase levels of positive teacher-student interaction and that create, in each student, effective social and problem solving skills. Section 1,…

The question of whether the English-as-a-foreign-language (EFL) classroom is an environment that promotes input, feedback, and the production of output that is necessary for successful second language learning is addressed. Such questions have arisen within the context of a growing emphasis on communicative activities and student-to-student…

This qualitative study examined the structure and interaction in an online course from the meaning-perspectives of the actors involved. Participants were a teacher and teaching assistant who taught a graduate course in distance education at Arizona State University, delivered through a computer conferencing system. Data collected included…

Recommends integrating global education objectives in a low-key manner through the questions and examples that the teacher interjects into classroom discussions. Articulates four foci that can serve as entry points for global education in many discussions. These include moral issues, systems approach, and reflexive inquiry. (MJP)

Suggestions for teaching in a multicultural college classroom, based on experiences at American International University (England), include acknowledge and respect individual students' uniqueness; encourage and facilitate self-reflection; clarify institutional goals and objectives without implying that they are "right"; choose materials…

Provides a series of suggestions for improving choral rehearsals and maintaining the students' vocal health. Advocates establishing an adequate warm-up period, allowing drinking water in the rehearsals, and choosing age-appropriate material. Recommends allowing students to rehearse difficult material in a comfortable range. (MJP)

Reports a study that examined resilient and nonresilient urban middle school students' perceptions of their classroom learning environment. Data analysis revealed that resilient students had higher perceptions of involvement, task orientation, rule clarity, pacing, satisfaction, and feedback than nonresilient students did. Resilient students also…

Provides guidelines, activities, and teaching tips for creating and maintaining an open, cooperative, and participating social studies classroom. These guidelines offer support and structure to the students, encouraging them to engage in constructive dialog without fear of undue criticism or rejection. (MJP)

Reports on interviews and case studies of 124 secondary teachers about their attitudes and opinions toward professional ethics. Discusses teachers' individual professional ethics. Suggests the development of preservice and inservice programs concerning ethical awareness and the relationship of personal ethics to classroom instruction. (CFR)

Presents a narrative case study based on the use of cooperative learning in a 10th-grade global studies class. Focuses on ethnic groups and emerging issues related to national sovereignty. Describes student participation in group discussions about these topics. (CFR)

An attempt is made to elaborate on the connections and differences between the objective and subjective elements of mathematical knowledge using case study analysis relative to how an epistemological perspective about probability and randomness impacts upon a short classroom teaching episode. (19 references) (Author/JJK)

The relationships and possible effects of various personal home and school variables on the acquisition of functional biological, chemical, and physical scientific knowledge by tenth grade Israeli students (n=544) was investigated. Biology was the only subject in which functional knowledge was significantly related to nonformal science activities.…

A survey of 1,720 students in 71 university science laboratory classes in the United States, Canada, England, Australia, Israel, and Nigeria investigated student and teacher perceptions of dimensions of classroom environment (student cohesiveness, open-endedness, integration, rule clarity, material environment). Results and the utility of the…

This study applied social psychological constructs to examine the linguistic attitudes and motivations of 301 Hungarian high school students learning English as a Foreign Language (EFL). Factor and correlational analyses of the results of a survey questionnaire revealed that xenophilic, sociocultural, instrumental, and media-use reasons were most…

Four potential protective factors appear to promote resilience in disadvantaged African-American children through facilitating development of school-relevant social competencies. The factors are the following: (1) early education experiences; (2) parental involvement in early schooling; (3) early peer relationships; and (4) culturally compatible…