A constructivist approach to parent education that enabled parents to be active participants in reflection and dialogue processes was tested in a study. Instruction was designed to stimulate and support self-reflection and dialogue processes enabling parents to be active participants in constructing new meanings to their child rearing practices.…

This discussion paper explores issues facing undergraduate education in British Columbia as community colleges there achieve degree-granting status and the needs of students become increasingly diverse. The paper opens by considering the undergraduate student and examining the goals of undergraduate education. The central three chapters discuss…

This is a digest of a monograph that explores recent theory and research on the importance of college students' effort and involvement in promoting positive college outcomes. An opening section introduces the issue noting that institutions must work to create a climate in which all students feel welcome and able to fully participate. At the same…

This publication presents information on and strategies for re-engineering schools. Section 1, "School-wide Change," offers guidelines for changing school culture, using block scheduling, making classroom instruction more meaningful, and improving the transition from middle school to high school. Section 2, "Graduation…

This book is designed to help groups of individuals on campuses initiate and conduct focused discussions of the role of ethnic diversity in the daily lives of students at colleges and universities. The volume contains a variety of discussion materials including extended case studies; short case studies and exercises termed "thought…

To ensure that children will be able to learn to resolve interpersonal conflicts, teachers need to examine the ways in which they resolve conflicts with the young children under their care. Teachers also need to ensure that children: (1) possess environments where they trust that they will be safe and well-cared for; (2) develop a sense of…

Four student and two faculty focus groups met to discuss interdisciplinary education at the Minnesota Center for Arts Education. The focus groups perceptions about interdisciplinary education resulted in several primary conclusions: (1) interdisciplinary education is not extensive in public education systems; (2) most students feel a primary…

This instructional guide provides lessons intended to present students with opportunities for building a sense of belonging to a group as well as developing conflict resolution skills. The guide's focus is on developing a positive school climate that enhances intergroup relationships and encourages proactive recognition of potential problems. It…

According to pioneers in the effective-schools movement, every school can improve educational quality for all its students, including poor and minority children, by incorporating a set of essential, research-identified characteristics present in successful schools. This publication discusses basic elements of the ongoing effective-schools movement…

Current computerized electronic technology is making possible, not only the broad and rapid distribution of information, but also its manipulation, analysis, synthesis, and recombination. The shift from print to a combination of visual and oral expression is being propelled by the mass media, and visual literacy is both a concept and an…

This study examined the relationship of teacher decisional participation and school climate to teachers' sense of efficacy and their job satisfaction. Data came from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS-88) project, involving 1,035 schools with eighth grade students, and from the 1990 follow up of 1,296 schools. The final data…

This suggested blueprint for actions to promote academic and personal success for the African American male student begins with an analysis of cultural factors in the lives of these students, starting with family structure. The shortage of positive African American male role models, the perceptions of societal racism and victimization, and the…

The report details a 12-day workshop for 40 teachers of English as a foreign language (TEFL) held in China. It begins with an overview of the status of instruction in English as a second language (ESL) in that country, highlighting both progress and the difficulty of keeping up with demand for ESL teachers. Areas of difficulty in ESL instruction,…

This booklet provides suggestions for reassessing, modifying, and arranging child care center environments to best serve the needs of children and staff. The booklet notes that a well-planned environment can provide young children with appropriate and challenging learning experiences within a consistent and secure setting. Such an environment also…

This case study presents findings from a year-long ethnographic study of a principal at a dilapidated rural elementary school with arid, dusty surroundings. It concludes one of seven studies conducted in elementary and intermediate schools in urban, suburban, and rural settings to investigate the instructional management roles of principals.…