Marijuana and alcohol use by high school students has continued to increase through the latter part of the 1970's. To gain information on the extent of this problem in their area, a school district in rural western Pennsylvania approved a study of drug and alcohol usage by the school district's 2,200 students. For reasons of confidentiality, all…

Growth occurs when the need for change is recognized by the individual through self-analysis, and when measures to effect the change are self-initiated. In this course the student is actively involved at every step in self-evaluation, identifying problem areas in her or his relationships and environment, selecting topics and issues for research,…

This evaluation study addresses the effectiveness of weekly attendance mailer letters sent to parents of students with irregular attendance patterns at 22 Detroit, Michigan, high schools. Three questions researched were: (1) Are the letters effective in reducing the occurrence of in-school truancy? (2) Are letters an effective means of…

Second language educators need to examine in greater depth the learning processes of young children in order to provide them with the kind of teaching they need in order to really learn. This means searching other fields to learn as much as possible about: questioning strategies and the development of critical thinking skills; hemispheric…

A study was conducted to determine which variables influence "high risk" women students to persist to graduation from a community college and which variables influence "low risk" women students to drop out of college. The study involved in-depth qualitative interviews with 17 returning adult women over 24 years of age. Study findings supported…

This report looks at the classroom lives of teachers, examining ways in which teachers influence and are influenced by others and impediments to their effectiveness in decision making, lesson planning, and other instructional responsibilities. Conditions and characteristics particular to public school teachers in New York City are considered. Six…

The peer evaluation model of university teaching is composed of three domains of behavioral and cognitive skills which, in combination, represent the elements expected of professionally competent teachers. These domains are: (1) the conception of the professional role for which students are being prepared; (2) instructional design; and (3) the…

Using a case study approach, this study focuses on a physical science teacher's method of pacing instruction and the use of target students. This report includes an examination of: (1) the teacher's perceptions of the target students in the science class; (2) possible reasons for certain students being target students; and (3) types of questions…

The development of fluency in beginning readers is a gradual process that often involves different oral strategies such as word-by-word reading, pointing to words, and reading aloud to oneself. A review of research related to these behaviors and to corresponding spelling behaviors suggests a number of implications for instruction, including the…

A pilot study attempted to document the existence and incidence of learning disabilities (LD) among primary school children in Botswana. The study also sought to identify effective identification procedures and to determine if LD students are unique to technologically-oriented societies. Data were collected on 620 children from 4 schools (2…

Early speech-act theorists studied isolated speech acts, often in terms of single sentences invented by the investigator, an approach that had obvious limitations. It is now known that speech acts ought to be investigated by looking at utterances in their full interactional context. A hierarchical model of the structure of conversation that is…

Most school administrations rely on one of two main forms of social control to ensure teacher conformity with organizational goals. The first, feedback and socialization, depends on teachers' attitudinal and behavioral conformity, commitment, and personal involvement in maintaining high standards. The second, programming and sanctions, depends on…

This study identifies distinguishing differences in lecture delivery styles of lecturers rated by students in a large multi-instructor course: the Introduction to Clinical Medicine Course (ICM). The 20 lowest- and highest-rated lecturers of the 1982 and 1983 ICM courses served as the target group. Non-student raters observing the 1984 lectures…

Factors affecting 750 Wyoming public school teachers' response rates to a mail survey examined in this study were: personalization of the cover letter and of the envelope; grade level taught (elementary, junior, or senior high); sex of teacher; and regional characteristics (rural area, small town, or large town). Two experimental treatments were…

A multiple-method study of junior high school teachers' beliefs and classroom behavior focused on teachers' perceptions of teaching tasks and processes, on how their beliefs and behavior are shaped, and on constraints by outside influences. These influences, which make up the context of teaching, include organizational and community influences on…