Teachers inherit and experience historical and current identificatory racial meanings born of social inequality that inform their teaching. Such meanings may undergird White teachers' lower expectations for Black youth as opposed to those of Black teachers. In accord with other studies, this inquiry addresses the invisibility of Whiteness as…

This document comprises four papers from a symposium on using an inquiry-based observation tool for assessing teaching and learning on various educational levels. The first paper, "Introduction, and Overview and Use of the Tool for K-12 Science, Mathematics, and Technology Program Evaluation" (M. Jean Young), presents an overview of the tool…

These conference proceedings include papers presented and summaries of presentations made at the 1996 Annual International Conference of the Association for the Education of Teachers in Science (AETS). Topics include: English-as-a-Second Language (ESL) Strategies in science methods courses; writing strategies; action research and equity issues;…

This paper argues that teachers' beliefs and attitudes affect not only their instructional decisions and human relationships, but also their willingness to seek professional knowledge, particularly when such knowledge contradicts their beliefs. Results obtained from a case study on K-5 staff development through inquiry are used to illustrate what…

This paper examines students' mathematics learning in a social context as two versions of an instructional sequence designed to facilitate students' development of a conceptual foundation for place-value numeration are enacted in two third grade classrooms. The same instructional sequence is used in each classroom with the regular classroom…

This book describes inquiry learning during a year-long classroom exploration with 4th graders, which began with setting up a bird feeder and a journal for students to record observations. The authors argue that schools have been organized to make things easy for learners, shielding them from the messiness, ambiguity, and change of intellectual…

The purpose of this book is to help teacher education students and experienced teachers to develop not only an understanding of the nature of "reflective practice" but also the attitudes and skills that such an approach to teaching requires. Case studies illustrate many difficult experiences teachers encounter; each chapter begins with…

This booklet presents questions that can be used by a college or university task force looking at the freshman year experience and/or the broader undergraduate experience. It can also be utilized to aid the process of campus self-study or assessment. The questions are arranged under three major headings: (1) Campus Policies, Processes, and…

This handbook is designed to help parents understand, encourage, and help their gifted children. A brief overview includes discussions of the meaning of the term "gifted," the identification of gifted children, and the goals of gifted education. Parents are advised to assist their children with time management, decision making about time…

Two topics that are important for improving the teaching of science in the elementary grades are: (1) the availability of classroom science materials and equpment; and (2) teacher improvement in subject matter competencies, instructional skills, and familiarity with technology. A workshop was developed to help teachers develop instructional…

Help-seeking has become a topic of growing interest in the past 5 years for educators and psychologists concerned with the development and enhancement of children's active learning skills. This paper explains the instrumental role of help-seeking in learning. Major conceptualizations of help-seeking are examined and evaluated for their utility in…

The paper discusses high school students' attitudes towards teachers' verbal questioning behavior and assesses the relevance of students' preferences to test score gains. Data were sought for several questions. What cognitive levels of teacher verbal questioning behavior do social studies students prefer? What is the relationship between students'…

The document consists of five social studies units for developing basic inquiry skills at the secondary level. Students read and analyze data through the construction of a table and a graph in Unit I, "Reading Graphs and Charts." Topics include a model of consumer demand, census information, and national budgeting. In Unit II, "Community Change,"…

This activity is one of a series of 17 teacher-developed instructional activities for geography at the secondary-grade level described in SO 009 140. The activity investigates resource management and economics. It employs the student-activity approach to inquiry learning by using group work, simulations, and team research reports. Given data about…

This two week unit has attempted to alleviate two deficiencies normally found in instructional materials: superficial treatment or neglect of developments since World War II; and, the overemphasis on conflict. Topics have been selected for in-depth discussion, and emphasize the Organization of American States, the Alliance for Progress, and the…