Discussion about and reflection upon observations which produce cognitive conflict have frequently been promoted as a strategy to enhance conceptual development in science classrooms. As part of the Practical Mechanics in Primary Mathematics project, teachers were urged to elicit children's views and attempt to establish what is now called…

This report synthesizes the findings of a study of continuing training policy in nine countries of the European Community: Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The following are among the topics discussed: the study's objectives and methods; characteristics of new forms of work and…

This report, which is intended for technical institutions planning to use benchmark processes to facilitate change, contains five benchmarking studies describing future-oriented practices at two-year technical and community colleges that meet the design specifications stated in the report "New Designs for the Two-Year Institution of Higher…

Learning in the first professional job was examined in a study of 40 nurses, 27 engineers, and 16 accountants who were in their first full year of full-time employment after college in hospitals and firms located in the United Kingdom. Data were collected through the following activities: (1) interviews with the respondents; (2) 1- to 2-day visits…

The author uses the diverse role of scribes in different periods of time and different places as a lens through which to understand both literacy and illiteracy. Examples from fiction, film, social history, and interviews with various individuals, including adult literacy teachers, are used to support the following arguments: (1) moments of…

Training plays a major role in learning organizations. Training is an important tool for developing a productive workforce and fine-tuning operations, a major approach to helping people control or manage change, and a way of organizing information and experience so that employees can alter their behaviors on the job to their own and the company's…

This document explores whether state certification of adult educators can contribute to a more professional work force. The document begins by listing perceived advantages and disadvantages of certification and defining certification. The following reasons for supporting certification are presented: assuring professional competence; promoting…

This booklet, which is intended for general readers wishing to understand important trends in vocational education and training, provides insight into how self-paced learning programs are being implemented in Australia and how teachers and students evaluate their effectiveness. The following topics are discussed in the first booklet's first seven…

The four 1998 issues of the journal on literacy education, entirely in Spanish, include these articles: "The Inevitable Radical Weakness of Language: Some Reflections about Forming Readers and Citizens" (Daniel Goldin); "Relationships among Reading and Writing, Thematic Units, Learning Through Research...In Search of Effective…

This document is a working paper from Cyberstep, a 3-year project during which five literacy service innovators are collaborating to identify practices for educating English-as-a-second-language learners and adults functioning at low literacy levels, extend the use of technology to facilitate learning, and provide practical tools for educators.…

This study of the conditions of developmental on-the-job training and learning for operators in highly automated industries is written in Swedish but contains an English abstract and 18-page summary. The summary begins with the study objectives, which were to determine the following: (1) conditions of developmental on-the-job learning in highly…

Presents the results of a study contrasting conventional instruction with protocol lessons (a sequence of lessons based on developmental stages of learning with each lesson building on the previous one) concerning sketch maps. The students taught with the protocol lessons showed significant improvement over the other group. (MJP)

Presents results of a study that examines the development and use of computer simulations for high school science instruction and for integrated laboratory and computerized tests that are part of the biology matriculation examination in Israel. Eleven implications for teaching are presented. (MDH)

Contends British educational researchers must begin investigating what is taught in the classroom and how teachers might best manage content within the constraints of the National Curriculum. Reviews U.S. research concerning the importance of subject matter in educating students. Illustrates research possibilities for problems in primary…

There has been little research on how a content-based teacher education course can embed effective training in the use of the World Wide Web to search for information and present learning outcomes. To address this gap, the present study documents the experience of 64 pre-service and in-service teachers who completed a web-based group project in an…