Describes the validation and use of English and Chinese versions of the Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) in a study of high school science classrooms in Australia (n=1081) and Taiwan (n=1879). Data analysis supported each scale's internal consistency reliability, factor structure, and ability to differentiate between classrooms,…

Argues that many students are alone and afraid in high schools. Looks at two basic premises underlying the traditional way of doing school: competition and conformity, and their inherent violence. Describes how the author works with prospective English teachers in her methods class, showing them how teachers can teach a curriculum of respect and…

A study involving 33 teachers and 732 college students with deafness found a moderate relation between students' perceptions of communication ease and teaching effectiveness and a weak relation of these two variables to the teachers' assessed level of sign skill. Students could clearly differentiate three levels of teacher sign skill. (Contains…

Traces the history of usage of two indigenous languages of Scotland: Gaelic, used largely in the Highlands, and Scots, which developed in parallel with English and is often unrecognized as a separate language because of mutual comprehensibility. Examines changing attitudes toward these languages in educational policy and practices, and current…

Offers a variety of alternative techniques for generating effective discussion of ethics, and values case studies in the college classroom. Some techniques help increase the case study's impact by use of audiovisual aids, and others, such as staged readings, feature ease of preparation and presentation. Seventeen innovative variations are…

Analyzes the interpretations of equality and the equal symbol of third grade children who participated in a year-long, whole-class socio-constructivist teaching experiment. Concludes that children expanded their conceptualizations of equality due to an active role in class discussions and the arithmetical tasks that took into account children's…

Finds that students enrolled in conventional classrooms and distributed-learning classrooms (in which students primarily interact with the instructor and other students through computer-mediated communication) did not perceive a significant difference in instructor verbal immediacy, but they did perceive a significant difference in instructor…

States that students with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder require a different sort of structured classroom environment, not necessarily a quiet or outwardly ordered one. Encourages teachers to offer students opportunities to talk and interact, to schedule frequent changes of activity, and to use instructional techniques that actively…

Examines the language of mathematics textbooks, highlighting the depth of meaning found in their minimalist, technical styles. Indicates that instructors must guide students from the collection of rules and mathematical facts listed in the texts to an integrated totality of mathematical truth. (MAB)

Explores book discussions conducted by two teachers as they increased the use of literature in their classrooms. Finds that both teachers valued book discussions and saw their role as facilitator, although one teacher remained firmly within a literal interpretation of texts and in control of verbal interaction; and students tended to address…

Reports the results of a three-year qualitative observation study of a Japanese foreign language in the elementary school (FLES) program. The observation was analyzed from the sociocultural point of view led by Vygotsky, which treats learning through social guidance and motivation as central to an account of language development. (Author/JL)

Examines factors influencing students' personal voices becoming part of the public talk of an 11th-grade U.S. history class and an 8th-grade language arts class. Finds student participation in discussion is influenced by peer and gender relations and differing conceptions of teaching and knowledge. Notes encouraging students to exercise their…

Examines the "living dialogues," or the complex interplay between discourses, among three children, their families, and teachers to recontextualize the often polarized debates about literacy instruction. Argues the creation of more inclusive school literacy practices requires a consideration of how discourses function within and across homes,…

Notes that communication between teachers and culturally and linguistically diverse (CLD) students need serious consideration especially in recognizing potential sources of miscommunication and misinterpretation. Considers sources of miscommunication within verbal and nonverbal communication. Discusses each element and offers examples in CLD…

This study investigated topic features and the effect of topic variation on performance in a test designed to assess the language skills of international teaching assistants in chemistry. Results suggest a relationship between topic of input (as defined by the topic features of concepts, math, and calculations) and test scores. (Author/MSE)