The teaching behavior and instructional methods of elementary school teachers were investigated to determine whether teachers with positive attitudes toward mathematics employ different methods in mathematics instruction than those with negative attitudes. Overall, teachers with negative attitudes employed methods that fostered dependency whereas…

Follows up previous study of social and psychological effects of orthodontic treatment upon children. Reports that teachers' ratings of student attractiveness correlated significantly with judgments of children's sociability, popularity, academic achievement, and leadership. Concludes that teachers' estimations of academic capability was a good…

Studies relationships between reported parental behavior and depressive tendencies, self-esteem, and ego development for 53 young women attending college in New Delhi (India) and 50 in New Haven (Connecticut). Results are discussed in terms of differing patterns of transmitting expectations to daughters in the two cultures. (SLD)

Teachers of low-achieving homogeneous, high-achieving homogeneous, and academically heterogeneous classes in elementary and junior high schools in Israel were interviewed to determine their allegiance to academic, personal, and social goals for students. In contrast to results of U.S. research, academic goals dominated for teachers in all…

A descriptive and metanalytic research review indicates that physically attractive students are usually judged more favorably than their unattractive counterparts by teachers on several dimensions including intelligence, academic potential, grades, and social skills. The influence of moderating variables and possible mechanisms responsible for the…

The utility of teacher ratings of student academic performance and psychosocial behaviors as technically sound indirect measures of student outcomes was demonstrated in a long-term study of the effects of background variables on a cohort of Danish children (n=350). The Baker-Mednick Teacher Rating Form was developed for this purpose. (SLD)

A study examined the effects of individual characteristics, institutional characteristics and experiences, and financial aid on African-American and White students' degree aspirations. Students' aspirations were mostly the result of socioeconomic factors, initial degree aspirations, and institutional characteristics. Financial aid was not a…

Presents specific recommendations to prevent underachievement, including matching experienced teachers who have realistically high expectations with low-achievement students, reducing class size, establishing professional-development programs to assist teachers in learning effective ways to communicate with students and parents from diverse…

This study investigated patterns among three practices used by 52 general education teachers for inclusion of students with disabilities: grouping strategies, teacher expectations, and modifications. Results found a pattern of differences between content and special area teachers in use of large-group instruction and reliance on special education…

Changes in America's undergraduate students (cultural diversity, age, expectations of college and career, psychological and social background, patterns of socializing) add up to the demise of traditional residential college life. Colleges can address these shifts by focusing their efforts, using all available opportunities to educate student,…

Explores student attitudes toward and expectations about a science methods course. Science-teaching skills associated with personal survival were prominent both in the expectations of the prospective teachers and in what they valued from such a course. Focus on personal concerns made a difference in the confidence with which teachers approach…

This study investigated contemporary social cognitive variables and likely adult influence factors in predicting intended and self-reported vigorous physical activity in young adolescents. Student surveys indicated that frequency and intensity of adult encouragement was a significant predictor of children's self-reported strenuous physical…

A study of senior education majors in the United Kingdom investigated the realism of student expectations of a required independent research project. Student self-assessments and teacher assessments showed little correlation, and students' evaluation criteria emphasized lower-order skills (style and presentation) and ignored higher-order processes…

Reviews research on teacher efficacy, concluding that teachers who believe they are effective set more challenging goals for themselves and their students, take responsibility for student outcomes, and persist when faced with obstacles to learning. The article suggests that efforts to improve schools should include attention to teacher efficacy.…

This teacher examined the effect of allowing her first graders to choose their own topics for writing. She gathered and analyzed evidence from observations, discussions, surveys, and Likert-like scales, then changed the way she facilitated and taught writing. Students wrote from their imaginations and experiences and became more original, genuine,…