Finland is a country of great expectations on literacy and literacy education. High expectations and demands have, however, a darker side. High expectations of society, parents, and teachers may have an effect on the students' self-esteem. The economic recession in the early 1990s strongly accelerated the change in literacy demands and…

Innovative educators teach creatively while showing compassion and respect for their students. Innovation allows educators to apply their unique talents to create a stimulating environment where learning is fun and exciting. Innovative teachers continually evaluate lesson plans and make modifications to allow for change. They make decisions…

This book presents advice, in the form of 11 commandments, on how new and veteran teachers can achieve a classroom environment that promotes exemplary teaching and learning. The advice is designed to help teachers: focus on why they became teachers in the first place; see their students as unique individuals; ask for help from the principal or…

This paper describes a case study which sought to determine the motivational factors that prompted a set of triplets to excel in school. The working research questions dealt with different facets of school and home, and explored whether motivation was linked to certain subjects or certain topics within various subjects or was a function of the…

Based upon the view that children learn better if their parents' and teachers' expectations are closely aligned, this study compared expectations of teachers and parents for school readiness skills and preparation required for entry into public school. A Likert rating scale was completed by 25 kindergarten/early childhood teachers and 104 parents…

This inservice teacher education packet focuses on teacher expectations, student motivation, learning modalities, planning for instruction, classroom organization, and management strategies. Following a section on implementation of strategies, an overview gives the trainer a quick overview of the entire packet. The overview is laid out in a matrix…

Increases in attrition rates among science, mathematics, and engineering (SME) majors have produced a variety of deleterious effects for society. This paper attempts to clarify and interpret the interaction of those characteristics of the structure and culture of undergraduate SME programs that perpetuate high loss rates among their first-year…

This study was conducted to see if evaluative feedback from students that includes reference values (students' expectations on teaching quality) has an effect on acceptance by teachers and relevance for them. Also examined was the degree to which teachers' goal setting is influenced by feedback of student ratings with or without reference values.…

This study was designed to investigate the relationship between teachers' orientations to classroom management and their students' classroom behaviors and the learning environment. Two teachers with different orientations (non-interventionist and interventionist) to classroom management were selected, and their 91 students were administered the…

This paper tests three explanations for the high educational expectations of Asian American high school students living in the United States: (1) favorable socioeconomic and background characteristics; (2) demonstrated academic ability; and (3) cultural values conducive to education. The focus is on differences in the relevance of these…

This study examines the characteristics of a national sample of 2,684 public kindergarten classrooms by concentration of racial-ethnic minority enrollment. Data are from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study of the National Center for Education Statistics. Most minority students are enrolled in regular kindergarten classes. Less than 10% of the…

Briefly reviewing his own research, and that of critics of the Pygmalion Effect, the author proposes a four-factor "theory" of the influences that produce the effect: the relationship of teachers to special students differs in climate, input, feedback, and output. (JM)

The article discusses the results of research on differential teacher behavior with senior high students of both high and low achievement expectation. (Author/RM)

Discussed disadvantages of efficiency approach to education. Distinguishes between the concepts of consuming and generating ideas, between a child's behavior and his experiences and between temporary excitement and sustained interest in regard to learning. (ST)