The purpose of this study was to examine how learners with different levels of prior understanding of a topic interact and learn from computer-assisted video instruction systems when they have control of content, sequence, pace, and mode of instruction. Based on pretest scores, 80 subjects were randomly selected, half with low prior conceptual…

This summary describes the results of a survey that served as a needs assessment, preceding the development of a curriculum for both Arab and Jewish elementary schools in Israel. The curriculum's goals were to educate children to create interethnic contacts on a basis of mutual equality and respect for each other and their cultures. Previous…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 17 titles deal with a variety of topics, including the following: (1) subordinates' perceptions of the androgynous communication style of supervisors as an index of job satisfaction; (2) comprehension and perception variables…

A study investigated and compared the instructional behaviors, class content, and class organization of kindergarten and first grade movement educators and traditional physical education teachers. Literature on this topic suggests that movement educators focus on indirect teaching methods, nontraditional classroom settings, student involvement,…

Recognizing the power of the Internet to connect people, regardless of place or time, we explore the notion of a virtual form of ethnography, suggesting online, textual interactive interviews are worthy of research consideration. This paper reports on three research projects, drawing examples from almost ten years in the evolution of Internet…

The application of quality processes to tertiary teaching can result in a more team-based approach to course curriculum planning, the instructional design of individual subjects or units, the learning support associated with subject implementation and subsequent evaluation. The "art" of teaching requires more explicit communication…

Efforts were undertaken to increase students' interactivity in an online course in adult development. The purpose was to increase students' engagement with the course materials, heighten their online discussions, and deepen their thinking about course-related concepts, theoretical principles, and research findings. Several strategies were used…

A major implication in the communicative approach to the teaching of foreign languages concerns classroom interaction in which students should participate. Ideally, this interaction should be identical to interaction in real-life communication situations that students will encounter. A prerequisite for determining whether these situations are in…

This research paper sought to determine whether smaller sized schools decrease student alienation and increase program diversity both within the school and compared to others. Hypotheses tested were: (1) participation in small work units positively affects teacher task interdependence resulting in greater teacher interaction; (2) teacher…

This volume serves as a source of information about the relationship of Teacher Corps Youth Advocacy Project activities to the field of secondary school reform for troubled youth. This document presents major theories about educating troubled youth, theoretically-based programs, and research and evaluation on their effectiveness. Theories are…

This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The eight titles deal with the following topics: (1) the initiating and responding communication behaviors of primary school students who score high as compared to those who score low on language and reading tests; (2) listening…

As a botanist uses specific, non-judgmental descriptions that are part of a conceptual framework to help see different varieties and characteristics of plants, so teachers can see more clearly what they do if they describe rather than judge what is done. If the purpose of using a framework or model to discuss lesson presentations and classroom…

In the "Learning and Teaching" course at the University of Waikato (New Zealand) College of Teacher Education, explorations are being conducted into the advantages of training student teachers to work, on a more genuinely collegial basis, with the college's cooperating teachers. The assumptions and objectives of the course focus on…

An ethnographic study was conducted (1) to describe the interaction between students and teacher during reading lessons and the meanings these interactions have for both, and (2) to develop an understanding of how schooling contributes to the reproduction of social inequalities. The study involved daily observations of the ten third, fourth, and…

Using a test-observe-test design with a sample of 29 4-year-old children, this study examined the relationship between children's activity choices in a typical progressive nursery school and their intellectual performance, socioeconomic status (SES), and sex. An attempt was made to identify those experiential factors associated with changes in…