This research synthesis examines how teacher effectiveness is currently measured. By evaluating the research on teacher effectiveness and the different instruments used to measure it, this research synthesis contributes to the discussion of appropriate rigor and relevance of measures for different purposes (i.e., formative vs. summative…

This paper outlines a qualitative research tool designed to explore personal identity formation as described by Erik Erikson and offers self-reflective and anonymous evaluative comments made by college students after completing this task. Subjects compiled a list of 200 myths, customs, fables, rituals, and beliefs from their family of origin and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship of learner characteristics and preservice teachers' views of nature of science (NOS) prior to formal instruction. Learner characteristics investigated included metacognitive awareness, self-efficacy, attitudes toward science teaching, Perry's intellectual and ethical developmental levels,…

This study examined whether varying intensity of emotions can be employed in conjunction with multiple emotion responses and valence of emotion to describe a scalable developmental sequence for young children. Eighty children between the ages of 4 and 8 years were interviewed individually. A version of the Emotions Situations Questionnaire was…

Difficult as it may be to accept, loss and grieving are natural components of living. Traditionally, the bereaved have relied upon the help of clergy, family, and the medical profession. The behavioral and social sciences virtually ignored loss, grief and bereavement as subjects until as recently as 15 or 20 years ago. However, counselors are…

In helping children cope with death, teachers must facilitate children's passing through the physiological and psychological processes of grieving. Standard protocols can be established in order to develop a range of possible crisis intervention methods. The teacher's first role in the moments of shock and confusion which follow a sudden death is…

This longitudinal study analyzed the relationship between structure and content of socio-moral reasoning. Using a system that defines independently the cognitive organizational and content aspects of socio-moral reasoning, the study examined whether persons at different developmental levels make use of different content categories, and whether the…

This collection of papers is from a conference held at Odense University, Denmark on recent research in language acquisition in children. Following an introduction by the editors, it contains the following papers: "Development in a Connectionist Framework: Rethinking the Nature-Nurture Debate" (Kim Plunkett); "Experimental Evidence…

On the assumption that colleges need a theory that specifies what they should be trying to do and how they should do it, two theories are described(the 'bundle of knowledge' theory and the developmental stage theory). A third component theory is then sketched. (Editor/PG)

Piaget systematically attempted to relate cognitive, moral, and emotional development in infancy, childhood, and adolescence. In his view, cognitive and emotional development show parallel, complementary courses of development, with cognition providing the structure and emotion the energy of development. Just as children go through stages of…

The material in this manual was selected to help non-therapists carry out feeding activities with children who have a neuromuscular disorder such as cerebral palsy. The manual attempts to develop the following competencies: selecting foods of an appropriate consistency, ensuring that the child is positioned correctly for feeding, feeding a child…

Kohlberg's developmental theory of moral reasoning hypothesizes that the socially unacceptable moral behavior of many juvenile delinquents is related to immature moral reasoning. A sizeable minority of delinquents, however, has been shown to reason at age-appropriate levels. This study examined issues related to those juvenile delinquents who were…

This study examined ways in which contact with family members, in particular the teenage mother's own mother and partner, would be related to developmental outcomes in middle childhood in both black and white families. Also investigated were factors (mother's income, age, level of education, and home environment) that could affect these…

A tension exists between two schools of thought regarding the development of children's drawings. One position places great emphasis on the relatively invariant sequence in which figural differentiation comes about, and attempts to explicate the graphic logic which yields the rule-governed changes which can be observed in children's drawings. The…

In a study about the comprehension of anaphoric relationships in text, three anaphoric ties in forward (antecedent-anaphor) and backward (anaphor-antecedent) position were examined with attention to developmental trends. A four-school sample was used, three in the United States and one in New Zealand. A test of comprehension of anaphoric…