Students' views about science were correlated with their approaches to lab practice. Three distinct cases are discussed in detail: empiricist-oriented, rationalist-oriented, and constructivist-oriented students. A coherent epistemological theory was constructed for each case, by considering the different degrees of certainty and confidence each…

This study contributes to the literature on educational transitions, specifically whether an equalising of opportunities at early educational transitions translates into more equal participation patterns at later stages (Spill-over versus maximally maintained inequality hypotheses). The case study approach used in this paper compares the enrolment…

"The Electric Company" ("TEC") television show won the hearts of children because it made learning fun. Thirty years later, the iconic show has returned with the goal of not only teaching literacy, but also numeracy (the ability to work with and understand numbers) and mathematics vocabulary in a fun, entertaining, and engaging…

The use of Information Communication Technology (ICT) to bridge the communication gap between teacher and learner has been identified as a major characteristic of Open and Distance Learning (ODL). In many developing counties, including Nigeria, several barriers prevent OD learners from maximising the potentials of ICTs to enhance their learning.…

In this research, we examine the design, construction, and implementation of a dynamic, easy to use, feedback mechanism for social software. The tool was integrated into an existing university's online learning community (OLC). In line with constructivist learning models and practical information systems (IS) design, the feedback system provides…

An ongoing study for the National Research Center on Literature Teaching and Learning, conducted by Alan Purves, Sarah Jordan and others aims to identify the problems and challenges facing teachers and students of culturally diverse texts. It is also trying to determine how best to incorporate multicultural literature into the curriculum, grades 7…

This paper examines college student assessment of teaching by television at Eastern Kentucky University. Teaching by television in Kentucky is facilitated through the Kentucky Telelinking Network (KTLN). This statewide, two-way compressed video system connects main campus and extended campus sites by digital land lines to a regional…

A preliminary study explored the components of the assimilation stage of graduate teaching assistant (GTA) socialization. Subjects, 64 GTAs attending a large midwestern university, completed 4 survey instruments concerning their attitudes on mentoring and communication support, information seeking strategies, teacher communication concerns, and…

The answer to the question "How well do young people and adults read?" is central to modern societies. Despite new forms of oral and visual communication, the written word is more important than ever in economic and social interaction. As the world becomes more complex, all citizens need to use reading and writing effectively to thrive…

Following the initial report presenting the first results of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2000 covering results in three domains and looking at the relationship between student performance in reading literacy (the major domain) and selected characteristics of…

An educator at Bryant College (Rhode Island), a business-oriented college, sought to better understand the effects of gender as they operate within and through the school's writing center. Bryant College's female students attend a college with a student body of about 40% females and 60% males. The hypothesis in a study was that female students…

The purpose of this study was to listen to rural students' voices about their present schoolwork and educational plans for the future and discern, via factor analyzing their survey responses, what they view as the most important factors in their academic performance and post-high school plans. The first objective was to access the 2001-2002,…

In the 2002-2003 academic year, a series of roundtable discussions was conducted to explore uses of data from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) for the improvement of student learning. This paper reports on one roundtable, held in June 2003 in Seattle, Washington. Participants included campus officers responsible for student…

This study provided a comparison between on-campus students in the James M. Farquhar Center for Undergraduate Studies at Nova Southeastern University and their off-campus counterparts, with focus directed to a variety of survey statements associated with the University's compliance with accreditation criteria. On-campus respondents (n=98) and…

A study investigated the level of undergraduate college students' involvement with the electronic media (radio, television, movies, music) and print media (books, newspapers, magazines) as it relates to both study and leisure activities. During the 1992-94 academic years, 5100 questionnaires were distributed to college students across the United…