The Illinois Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights prepared this report as part of its responsibility to advise on civil rights in Illinois and in response to an article about race relations at Proviso West High School, Hillside (Illinois) that appeared in "The New York Times." To study the racial climate and…

The quality of indoor lighting can influence task performance, social interaction and communication, health and safety, visual comfort, student behavior, and aesthetic judgments. These by-products of lighting are examined in this literature review in an effort to define the conditions that are associated with good lighting quality. Lighting…

Active learning results in better comprehension and retention of course concepts than passive learning. Experiential exercises (EE's) are a valuable means of achieving the goals of active learning. Well conceived EE's require, among other things, that the student: (1) engage in the gathering of concept-related behavioral data; (2) write a report…

This study used Brookfield's Critical Incident Questionnaire (CIQ) to assess the learning environment and student nurses' perceptions of hospital staff modeling behaviors. CIQs were distributed to Associate Degree female nursing students at United Medical Center in Cheyenne, Wyoming. A large majority (80%) of the 117 respondents identified…

This study examined the influence of past life experiences and current life biography on the learning of adult students in the undergraduate classroom. A total of 90 undergraduates at least 30 years old who had completed at least 15 hours of academic course work at community colleges, liberal arts colleges, and public universities participated.…

Enroute to exploring the role which school culture plays in the teacher induction process, this study compared and contrasted the induction experiences of two exemplary beginning teachers, one an early childhood special educator in an urban setting and the other an elementary educator in a suburban setting. The teachers confronted the same…

This paper reports the findings of three integrated studies initiated by principal/researchers in an elementary, middle, and high school. The purpose of integrating the studies was to compare and contrast teacher leadership in the following areas: characteristics of teacher leadership, motivation for teachers to assume leadership roles, supports…

This report examines the status of elementary and secondary teaching as a profession in the United States. The primary data source is the 1990-91 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics. The sample used contains data from 11,589 schools. This report assesses levels of teacher professionalization…

A study examined the construct of "perceived caring" in the instructional context which is believed to be related to the classical construct of "good will" in Aristotelian rhetorical theory as well as more contemporary social scientific views of "intent toward receiver" in conceptualizations of source credibility. The…

This book examines the state of schools and the thinking of educators during the years from 1929 until the entry of the United States into World War II. These years were marked by social dislocation and suffering, yet research shows neither public school bureaucracies nor the leading educators of the day advocated any new advances in education…

In 1993 teachers in the Virginia Beach (Virginia) public schools asked parents what they think about classroom practices as part of a client satisfaction project. A questionnaire called the Parent Perception Survey was mailed to more than 40,000 homes to ask about parent satisfaction with the teaching their children were receiving. A teacher task…

This study investigated the success of the Dubuque Community School District (Iowa) in meeting its policy goal for equity and diversity through related policies and practices for staff development, curriculum development, and site-based school initiatives. A survey instrument was developed and pilot tested in collaboration with teachers,…

A study examined a joint service project undertaken by two Georgia State University (GSU) English department faculty members interested in studying distance learning technology. GSU's system uses fiber optics and technology to connect learners at a remote site to a teacher. The project involved assisting in preparing gifted students in grades 6-8…

To facilitate learning, teachers often employ varied teaching strategies and activities to accommodate different learning style preferences in students. This study explored elementary school students' preferences for learning environments, providing a pilot validation of the 40-question "If I Were in Charge of the Class" learning preference…

Compulsory schooling commences for children in New Zealand when they are 6 years old, but all primary schools accept children from the day of their fifth birthday. On any school day, a new pupil may enter the class for new entrants and become part of the school system. This article explores the creation of an appropriate environment for these new…