Rural areas in both developed and developing countries are being increasingly marginalized through structural changes. Furthermore, the disinvestment in state-provided supports and services means that rural people are left to their own devices to cope with these changes. Numerous authors argue that the most effective way of dealing with these…

This study utilizes observation, survey and interview methodologies to investigate the impact of student race on participation in discussion in introductory sociology courses at a large Midwestern US university with a minority enrollment of approximately 15 percent. While results are mixed there is some evidence that white students participated at…

The impact of project-based learning has been shown to be effective in increasing pupil motivation, improving problem-solving skills and thinking skills in studies by Barrows and Williams. "Project Hour" was set up in order to conduct a longitudinal study over the course of one academic year, to observe and record progress and…

This paper reports on one aspect of a study examining activities, partners, and settings of 20 preschoolers ranging in age from 28 to 45 months. The children were drawn from two cultural communities (both white): in one community parents worked in professional occupations; in the second group, parents were in non-professional, working class…

As our knowledge of young children grows, so does our awareness of the importance of the first few years of life. This book is written for students of child care at the college level, for those who work with children in the first three years of their lives, and for anyone who wants to understand more about what researchers and theorists have to…

This study examined how children's experience of regulatable quality and teacher-child interaction differs between nonprofit and for-profit day care settings. Gender and age differences in children's day care experiences were also explored. Assessments of regulatable quality and teacher-child interaction were conducted in three for-profit and two…

In December 1989, the school district in Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Research for Better Schools, Inc., with the support of the Pennsylvania State Department of Education, initiated a collaborative 2-year study of the district's Chapter 1 schoolwide projects. This report presents findings from the study of Taylor Elementary School (currently…

How the use of the Primary Language Record (PLR), an authentic assessment of young children's literacy development, has influenced teaching and learning in one New York City public elementary school was studied. The study looked at classroom practices; professional development; student work; and the thoughts of teachers, administrators, students,…

This practicum examined the maintenance in eight emotionally disturbed children (ages 7-13) of three appropriate classroom behaviors taught during a 10-week inpatient psychiatric hospitalization. In the hospital school setting the focus was on: (1) appropriate interactions with teachers; (2) appropriate interactions with peers; and (3) appropriate…

This project developed a conceptualization of higher order thinking, dimensions of classroom thoughtfulness, and an assessment exercise applicable to diverse topics taught in more than 70 classes in 11 high schools. Generic qualities of classroom thoughtfulness were not generally associated with the persuasiveness of student writing on a…

Educational research conducted by classroom teachers can offer valuable insight into the experience of teaching and the nature of student learning. However, striving to be both a researcher and a teacher can present unique and serious challenges. An incident from the classroom experiences of a researcher/teacher is described that portrays much of…

This report, part of a series of documents which describe assessment of student learning in various curriculum areas from prekindergarten through grade 12 focuses on assessment as practiced in early childhood education in South Carolina. An overview is provided of current practices used in the first few years of schooling that are now being…

In December 1989, the School District of Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) and Research for Better Schools, Inc., with the support of the State Department of Education, initiated a collaborative 2-year study of the district's Chapter 1 schoolwide projects. This report presents findings from the study of McMichael Elementary School (kindergarten through…

This paper presents an approach to the evaluation of college faculty teaching which stresses input from students, colleagues, the department head, and the faculty member under review. Evaluation guidelines suggest that evaluation criteria and the measurement process, as well as the instruments used for measuring teacher performance, be jointly…

This study was conducted to examine the developmental process of seven student teachers as they: experienced the transition from preservice teacher education student to novice teacher; learned to work with students in the secondary classroom; and became cognizant of the problems related to dealing with teachers, students, and administrators. Data…