The concept of self-efficacy is based on the triadic reciprocality model symbolising a relationship between: (a) personal factors i.e. cognition, emotion, and biological events (b) behaviour, and (c) environmental factors (Maddux, 1995). Cognition, emotion and behaviour are the domains of personality which form the basis of research in…

This paper examines the dynamics of authority relationships and curriculum enactment in a lower-level, college-preparatory US History class. It explains how a teacher and his students construct a relaxed order shaped by uncertain educational goals, the use of entertainment, and students' wants. Ambiguity and entertainment in the teacher's practise…

"Reclaiming Children and Youth's" guest editor introduces this special issue on promising practices employing strength-based approaches to education and treatment. If we are serious about the commitment to "leave no child behind," then we must be able to cultivate strengths in all children and families. This article surveys the strengths…

In this article, the author examines successful schools with high concentrations of poor and minority children--those in which students were doing as well as or better than those in affluent schools on statewide standardized tests--to see what they were doing to improve the level of instruction in their classrooms. These high-performing,…

Researchers and policymakers have pointed to the lagging scores of eighth graders on international, national, and state assessments as evidence that students are not prepared to meet high academic standards and that middle grades reform is needed. In response to these concerns, educators have introduced reforms designed to provide middle-level…

This book represents the second of two volumes in a two-volume set where educators explore the intersection of gender and education. Their entries deal with educational theories, research, curricula, practices, personnel, and policies, but also with variations in the gendering of education across historical and cultural contexts. The various…

At the heart of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) is the call for all students to be "proficient" in reading and mathematics by 2014. Yet the law expects each state to define proficiency as it sees fit and design its own tests. This study investigated three research questions related to this policy: (1) How consistent are various…

This DVD contains interviews with Black students, White and Black teachers, educational experts and school administrators that poignantly bring to life the issues, strategies and competencies that teachers need to engage with--if they are to create the conditions that will enable their students of color to succeed and excel. From these candid,…

The goal of this book is to generate discussion not only about how individuals can create meaningful educational experiences for all learners, but to challenge systems that necessitate a resilient nature. Ultimately, the authors promote the need for a foundation of socially just policies and practices in all educational settings and respond to the…

"The Opportunity Gap" aims to shift attention from the current overwhelming emphasis on schools in discussions of the achievement gap to more fundamental questions about social and educational opportunity. The achievement gap looms large in the current era of high-stakes testing and accountability. Yet questions persist: Has the…

The purpose of this case study was to document the journey of three novice career change science inductees as they became middle-level science teachers in urban low socioeconomic status (SES) schools and included post-internship employment status data on all nine science teachers who completed the alternative certification program, up to the time…

The Edna McConnell Clark Foundation developed and sponsored the Middle Grades Initiative (MGI), which began in 1989, in five urban school systems: (1) Baltimore (Maryland); (2) Louisville (Kentucky); (3) Milwaukee (Wisconsin); (4) Oakland (California); and (5) San Diego (California). The purpose of MGI was to change the ways schools educate young,…

This paper reports on a study of effective classroom management in British primary schools, with particular emphasis on how teachers deal with deviant or disruptive behavior. The study was conducted through observation of 239 lessons and interviews with 60 teachers and through interviews with 430 pupils aged 5-12. The research found a lack of…

This study examined the relative impact of both student-driven and institutional factors on anticipated academic and career outcomes among first-year graduate students. The study addressed two primary questions: (1) whether significant gender and ethnic differences exist in the academic credentials, expectations, and degree of incorporation within…

A model of preservice teacher education for second language instruction that (1) emphasizes the relationship between theory and practice in the classroom and (2) brings practicing elementary and secondary school teachers and teacher educators together to train new teachers is presented. The program is implemented in three coordinated courses at…