Discusses the use of practical reasoning and practical argument techniques to improve classroom instruction. Contends that teachers may not apply the results of practical reasoning to instruction because of self-deception or intuitive beliefs. Concludes that the relationship between practical reasoning and practical arguments requires more study…

Teaching portfolios, now largely used for evaluation of college teaching, can also be viewed as a form of action research, opening their use to other purposes, including examination of institutional, faculty, and student needs and demands; the dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality in structuring classroom interactions; and the relationship of…

A survey of 1,249 Queensland University of Technology (Australia) students concerning their learning environment found that they feel effective teaching is relevant, experiential, and interactive, while ineffective teaching lacks structure, is inappropriately paced, lacks variety, and occurs in a classroom with inadequate discipline. Implications…

Techniques for college teachers to use in managing student resistance to critical thinking include proactive strategies (creating a cooperative environment, establishing rapport, creating high expectations, and countering resistive behavior) and reactive strategies (avoiding personalization of resistance, inviting students to explore resistance,…

A study compared the effectiveness of two methods (medium-size class instruction and large lectures with tutorial sessions) for teaching mathematics and statistics to first-year business students. Students and teachers overwhelmingly preferred the medium-size class method, which produced higher exam scores but had no significant effect on…

Examines the effects of electronic mail and bulletin boards on teachers' perceptions, instructional practices, and student involvement in an elementary social studies program. Although responses were generally positive, the study suggested mandating teacher team leaders to facilitate integrating the technology into the curriculum. (MJP)

A Central Michigan University course in African-American literature, attended mostly by whites, is joined by black students and their professor at the University of Arkansas, Pine Bluff, for lectures and discussions by teleconference. Technology is the tool used for increasing diversity in the teaching/learning experience. But, team teaching…

This study draws from the National Center for Early Development and Learning's Multi-State Pre-Kindergarten Study to examine the extent to which program, classroom, and teacher attributes of the program ecology predict observed quality and teacher-child interactions in a sample of 238 classrooms representing 6 states' pre-kindergarten programs.…

Educators and researchers interested in responding to the demands of politicians and citizens to improve the American educational system have responded with the creation of national and, often, state standards across subject areas. Physical education teachers and researchers who recognize the importance of physical education, and as part of an…

The purpose of this article is twofold: (1) to provide teachers of the gifted with a reference for adopting IT pedagogical standards, strategies, and tools, specifically Web sites, into the gifted education curriculum; and (2) to show gifted educators the need for research-based standards regarding the integration of websites into the gifted…

This chapter examines the extent to which the composition of classes affects learning outcomes. The aim is to explore peer effects when students are organized into classes on the basis of ability, ethnicity, or gender, as well as the effects of multigrade and multi-age classes and class size. The argument is defended that these composition factors…

Behavior management techniques are essential components of any treatment method for students with ADHD. Further, they appear to be the only line of treatment to which school personnel have direct access. Research has suggested that nearly all educators employ some form of behavioral modification techniques in their classroom. This paper will…

Twelve instructors' reflections lead to engagement and proactivity in pedagogical knowledge, thus building an analytical approach which is fundamental to the development of university professional practice. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

Many US states do not require that elementary schools provide a physical education specialist, making the classroom teacher the only provider of physical education instruction. Their attitudes toward physical education and perceptions of their ability to teach it will affect their efforts to do so. Elementary education majors (n = 183) were…

The Hong Kong Classroom Environment Scale (HKCES) is a new instrument designed to assess upper primary and junior secondary school students' perceptions of actual and preferred classroom environment. The development of the scale involved 2 stages of study. In the 1st stage of study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses clearly identified 4…