Examines the role of early-education research in addressing issues of educational disadvantage and inequality, particularly in light of 1990s politics, which emphasizes the marketplace metaphor. Discusses the culture of achievement and failure, effects of disadvantaged background on young children's understanding of the learning task, teacher…

This study examined the impact of Scotland's national curriculum for students ages 5-14 on: teachers' constructs of their teaching, assumptions about students' learning, and interpretations of and accommodations for student differences. Observations and interviews indicated that teachers had not internalized distinctive curriculum features in…

An interview with three top students and an English teacher at a troubled urban high school in Portland (Oregon) yields interesting insights: The best teachers blend strictness with understanding. Learning is more lasting when multiple avenues for absorbing material are provided. A principal's strong leadership is critical to a cohesive school…

The purpose of this study is to elaborate the issue of exemplary teaching in chemistry in the context of a centralized educational system, in which chemistry curriculum development and implementation are also centrally controlled. Students' perceptions of the learning environment were also investigated. (KR)

Case studies of six high schools identified eight features that promote the success of language-minority (LM) students: (1) respect for students' languages and cultures; (2) teachers' high expectations of students; (3) LM as a leadership priority; (4) staff development; (5) LM-specific courses; (6) counseling; (7) parent involvement; and (8)…

Explores teachers' beliefs and theories about students' thinking by examining the teachers' instructional goals, views on the depth versus breadth of content coverage issue, and conceptions of students' thinking. Finds important differences between teachers who were effective at promoting thoughtful classroom discourse and those who were not.…

An ethnographic study analyzed videotapes using simulated recall procedure and comparative analysis of a student opinionnaire to determine effective characteristics of teachers of gifted junior high schools students. Desirable traits noted were humor, enthusiasm, creativity, care and respect for students, and high expectations. (MSE)

Aided by a small state grant, a Los Angeles County elementary school serving limited-English-speaking students tackled its underachievement problem by involving teachers in setting higher academic standards and expectations. The goal-driven project has provided focus and coherence to classroom instruction and improved fifth-grade reading and…

Shows how a working class Chinese-American family prepares its only child for school success. This bilingual child of immigrants is successful academically and socially. The importance of high family expectations and the goal directedness of the parents is emphasized, as is the ambivalence the parents feel toward school. (SLD)

A study of beginning elementary teachers' mathematics instruction practices sought to identify the main factors influencing those practices. For all seven teachers studied, the perceived needs and expectations of students affected planning, interactive thinking, and lesson evaluation. (GLR)

Effects of mothers' need for approval on children's expectancies for success and persistence during failure were studied for 90 fifth graders attempting to solve 4 puzzles, 3 of which were unsolvable. Parental and situational variables affect children's achievement cognitions and behavior. Implications for parental socialization of achievement are…

Study investigated the effectiveness of four instructional strategies on secondary students' argumentative writing, noting how different essay qualities influenced holistic scoring. Researchers found no significant differences in instructional strategy effectiveness or use of holistic scoring. Students' prior knowledge affected their ability to…

The quality and quantity of science classroom interactions in relationship to gender were identified. The observational variables included level of question, type of response, method of attraction, target student gender, teacher gender, and class enrollments. The results suggest that female students have fewer interactions with science teachers…

Three Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania) universities and the Pittsburgh school district collaborated in the preparation of urban secondary teachers. A study of exemplary teachers' characteristics regarding successful lessons indicated that these teachers planned thoroughly and were concerned about making lessons relevant but not influenced by social and…

A study applied the concept of market segmentation to student evaluation of college teaching, by assessing whether there exist several segments of students and how this relates to their evaluation of faculty. Subjects were 156 Australian undergraduate business administration students. Results suggest segments do exist, with different expectations…