Reports the results of a survey that asked English-as-a-Second-Language educators to define and describe academic language, give examples of students who use it proficiently in speaking and writing, discuss problems students have with it, and provide examples of how best to assess it. (CK)

Presents findings from a 9-month ethnographic study of cross-cultural learning for the purpose of helping teachers better understand classroom conditions and behaviors that support and hinder students' comprehension of teachers' spoken language. Follows an 8-year-old native English speaker in an Icelandic classroom. Suggests that…

Characterizes middle school teachers' discussions of assigned readings from a variety of content area materials. Finds that the teachers' purpose appeared to influence the type of discussion they conducted and that their actual discussions seldom resembled their articulated abstract definitions of a good discussion. (KEH)

Discusses how young children, when given a chance in the classroom, display many and varied responses to literature. Shares, through the use of classroom experiences, how language and literature can guide the development of curriculum. (MG)

In 3 of 5 Australian grade 8 math classes, 5 students, most high ability males, dominated teacher-student interactions in whole-class activities. These students' involvement was facilitated by behaviors of teachers and students and by management problems prevailing in these classes. In a fourth class the teacher systematically involved a larger…

Maintains that preschool teachers can encourage meaningful dialogue and enhance learning among young children by asking appropriate questions, using fewer "known-answer" and testing questions, being sensitive to cultural differences, and creating an environment in which the educational goal is conversational equality between teachers and…

Explains how a teacher education course (designed by the author using an adaptation of Paulo Freire's problem-posing methods) actually hampered students' development and learning. Describes how together the class and teacher recognized the discrepancy between the teacher's rhetoric and the course realities and adjusted the course to fit students'…

Examines the theory of a causal relationship between classroom environments and junior high school students' attitudes towards the social studies, replicating the research methodology of a high school study. Environmental dimensions found to be related towards positive attitudes include teacher support, affiliation, innovation, and involvement,…

Cultural traits of Southeast Asian groups that can affect student behavior and communication in the classroom are reviewed, and specific techniques to meet this population's special needs are discussed. (MSE)

Examines learning style and interactional style differences of American Indian and Alaskan native students. Provides specific classroom examples and research findings concerning culturally influenced learning styles, the visual approach to learning, field dependence, public versus private demonstration of learning, and cooperation versus…

Examines teacher mathematics anxiety as it relates to changes in student mathematics anxiety and achievement, teaching practices, and teacher characteristics. The Mathematics Anxiety Rating Scale was used for 31 teachers. Teacher mathematics anxiety correlated positively with whole-class instruction time and negatively with the number of students'…

Findings are presented from a study of the effectiveness of a training program designed to increase nonverbal expressiveness, during expository teaching/lecturing, in the nonverbal channels: voice delivery, eye expression, gaze, facial expression, gesturing, posture, and movement. The program includes laboratory practice sessions, characterized by…

Describes the masters and doctoral programs offered by West Virginia University (WVU) that focus on communication in instruction for secondary and elementary teachers. Discusses the antecedents of the programs, the beginnings at WVU, the assumptions underlying the programs, and the nature and benefits of each program. (SR)

This article summarizes Habermas' critical theory of education, examines relevant features of the development of children's capacity to enter into rational argumentation, and examines the significance of this development for a critical theory of schooling. (IAH)

Presents results of observing teacher-student communication in 13 seventh- and eighth-grade classrooms that used video programs. Identifies four different approaches to teaching using video programs and gives examples of how these approaches were used. Results indicate that video programs are most successful when combined with a learner-centered…