This study explored the perceptions of whole language instruction held by a group of teachers of young children. Four questions framed the study: (1) How do teachers of young children define a whole language program? (2) What kind of whole language activities have the teachers tried in their classroom, and how did teachers feel about the outcomes…

This instructor's manual is designed to augment the textbook, "Case Studies on Teaching", and was developed for use by the instructor to deepen and broaden students' analysis of the case studies. The text presents 36 case studies, based on data gathered from first-year teachers that provide direct involvement with some of the most common and…

The influences within the Ontario educational system perceived by teachers, department heads, and principals as affecting their evaluation policies and practices were studied. Interviews were conducted in the 1987-88 school year as part of the Ecology of Evaluation research project conducted in Ontario and British Columbia. About 50 elementary and…

Empirical research in education seems to have an international tendency to concentrate on problems that can be grasped adequately. But that approach tends to direct more research to smaller and smaller areas, where results are more precise but more irrelevant for the complex practice of education. To try to bridge this gap between research and…

From a Vygotskian perspective critical thinking skills are taught through speech interactions between teacher and student. Two assumptions central to Vygotskian theory are the role of inner speech in self-regulation and how teaching creates the zone of proximal development. Inner speech allows humans to consciously direct their thought processes.…

Writers who compose on computers have often complained of the difficulty they have in evaluating and correcting their work on the screen, particularly if the changes necessary are large, structural ones. A study of six freshman composition students and five writers experienced with computer writing examined how each used hard copy printouts of…

Intended for composition teachers and researchers, as well as those involved with educational issues apart from the writing community (legislators, administrators, researchers in other fields, parents), this book contains essays that take a critical step beyond the standard arguments of the profession, pushing hard for example, at some of the…

Speech communication training is a valuable asset for those entering the public relations (PR) field. This notion is reinforced by the 1987 "Design for Undergraduate Public Relations Education," a guide for implementing speech communication courses within a public relations curriculum, and also in the incorporation of oral communication training…

A study was conducted to ascertain the extent to which instructors incorporated reading- and writing-to-learn skills and strategies into the methods courses of secondary social studies preparation programs. A questionnaire was mailed to the instructors of social studies methods courses at the colleges and universities in Region Four of the Teacher…

The purpose of this study was to determine if a lag existed between the theoretical instructional role of design and consultation as described in library literature and standards and the instructional role practiced by school library media specialists. The population for this study was the 128 library media specialists of the DeKalb County Public…

This monograph represents 5 years of collaborative discussions among individuals interested in improving the teaching and learning of mathematics beginning in 1985 with the planning of a conference and culminating in the production of this collection of 13 papers to be presented at the conference. Chapters include: (1) an introduction…

The purpose of this booklet is to relate significant research pertaining to student achievement. Each section defines one of eight research-based variables associated with greater academic achievement and includes some practical applications within school settings. According to the first two sections, high principal and teacher expectations are…

Six specific second language learning theories are presented and for each, an example of a practical, classroom application is provided. The theories include the following: (1) it is important to create a positive atmosphere in the classroom because cognitive learning increases when self-concept improves; (2) activities that employ multiple senses…

Intended for teachers in Tasmania, this booklet discusses the role of parents and the home in language development as an integral and important part of a school's language program. The booklet suggests that schools need to determine the best way to communicate to parents: how important parents are to the early development of children's language;…

A study examined whether teaching a specific reading strategy could improve the reading comprehension and memory of young (18 to 32) and older (62 and older) high school educated adults with average to high vocabulary test scores. The "plan strategy" was identified through an examination of what more than 1,000 adults wrote down as they…