Ten reference works for assistance in improving instruction cover such topics as note-taking, student learning styles, learning theories, examinations, lecturing, student cognitive processes, improving student attention, teaching for critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity. (MSE)

Reports on a study to determine the interaction effects of selected personality characteristics, science achievement, and two classroom climates, one which encouraged discovery learning and one that did not. Demonstrated that student achievement is influenced by dynamic interactions within classrooms. (TW)

Describes social behaviors of preschool children in relation to second-language development observed in a multicultural preschool program. The discussion includes examples of behaviors observed early in the year and of early stages of cooperative and sociodramatic play, and observations on the children's cultural adjustments and individual…

This study tested the effectiveness of the cloze procedure, used aurally, to teach listening comprehension in English as a foreign language (EFL). Subjects were the classes of two teachers (n=74, n=75); one teacher taught using the aural cloze procedure, and the other taught using conventional listening instruction techniques. In aural cloze…

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Curriculum and Evaluation Standards puts great stress on the mathematical processes of problem solving, communication, reasoning, and making connections. NCTM standards also emphasize new and emerging content areas for middle school students such as algebra, data analysis, and probability.…

Essays on language contact and the image of language, entirely in French, include: "Representations 'du' contexte et representations 'en' contexte? Eleves et enseignants face a l'apprentissage de la langue" ("Representations 'of' Context or Representations 'in' Context? Students and Teachers Facing Language Learning" (Laurent…

This paper examines the relationship between teaching style and gender. Faculty at the school of education in a mid-Southern university were asked to complete the Van Tilburg/Heimlich Teaching Beliefs Scale and a demographic profile. The response rate was 57 percent, with 47 percent of the replies from male teachers and 53 percent from female…

Intended as a resource for mainstream teachers, this document summarizes current research on effective ways for teachers to meet the educational needs of American Indian students in public schools. The first section discusses the history of U.S. governmental intervention in American Indian education, which influences how some American Indians view…

This study looks at the effect of native speaker (NS) teacher input on limited-English-proficient (LEP) students' access to classroom speech events. It seeks to determine whether content area teachers modify their talk when interacting with LEP students in the classroom. The study also seeks to describe such modifications and establish whether…

Discusses two surveys conducted at the University of Hong Kong that measured students' willingness to adopt active speech roles in second-language classrooms. Findings reveal that students expressed a liking for communicative work at school and a preference for classes permitting students to do most of the talking, but that they had a low…

Discussion of the culturally diverse college student population focuses on how teacher understanding of that diversity (in which the students are experts), and on how it can inform the classroom culture can help defuse tensions and become a source for teaching. Dynamics of the culturally and linguistically diverse classroom are outlined and…

Offers basic guidelines for college teachers in responding to students' writing in the disciplines, with the central principle that teachers' comments should reflect their instructional goals for individual students. Suggests that fewer, more carefully designed comments are likely to be more effective than many unfocused responses. Examples of…

Explains use of quality circles, a system of regular faculty meetings with students to discuss how a course is going, in law courses. Argues that quality circles give constructive criticism of teaching, let teachers counter criticisms and explain methods, help with diversity issues, offer a mechanism for criticizing students, and give students a…

Describes creation and implementation of a college service-learning course on "Nonviolence, Peace and Community" in response to local social conflict. The facilitators attempted to create the course from the community, using community participation, collaborative self-directed learning, a Socratic approach to group discussion, and an…

Briefly expounds on tips for classroom management. These include stay calm and in control, ignore the behavior of disruptive students, meditate, maintain a positive atmosphere, enforce the rules, take necessary disciplinary action, be prepared, change when necessary, conduct an orientation period, and stress the importance of music. (MJP)