Some authors have suggested that definitional skills include metalinguistic components (Watson, 1985; Snow, 1990; McGhee-Bidlack, 1991). The present study therefore empirically investigated relations between the ability to define words and level of metalinguistic awareness in 280 Italian children (with ages ranging from 5 to 11 years) and in two…

The term "illiterate" that is commonly used to describe someone who cannot read or write is an absolute term, which fails to recognize that those who are deemed "illiterate" are probably in fact "literate" to some degree. The approach taken to define and measure literacy in the International Adult Literacy Survey (IALS) acknowledges the limitation…

Gifted underachievement, at first glance, seems like an oxymoron. By implicit definition gifted students are those who have developed high levels of intelligence and consistently perform at these high levels (Clark, 2002). Underachievement, on the other hand, is associated with a failure to do well in school. This seeming mismatch of terms is…

Given the extent to which our society values education, it is perplexing to learn that we continue to struggle to provide all children, especially homeless children, an adequate education. This troubling issue is the focus of this paper. Specifically, this paper will center around two basic questions; 1) what has the legal system done to ensure…

The literature suggests that children who struggle with communication during social interactions, called "pragmatic language" in the field of speech language pathology, have fewer opportunities to engage in social practices that promote learning because of inadequate skills in interacting with others. Children with even subtle difficulties in…

Today, the national conversation about educational equity and reform offers an extraordinary opportunity to transform the teaching career. Educators and policymakers understand that solutions lie not in tinkering around the edges but in a concerted effort to create systemic change. To succeed, states must make rapid progress in four areas: (1)…

The study is an evaluation of an English as a Second Language (ESL) program at a southeastern technical college. Thousands of adults who enroll in ESL programs are individuals who appear to be intelligent. They have worked diligently for a year or more to learn to speak, read, write, listen and improve English comprehension skills. However, some…

This article offers a critical reflection upon underlying theoretical and philosophical inclinations which manifest themselves through the type of courses introduced in higher education institutions to meet what is perceived to be students' educational needs. Given the fact that this article seeks to promote an understanding of the nature of…

Eating disorders (EDs) are chronic clinical mental disorders that are disruptive to the psychological and social development of children and adolescents. They can be difficult to prevent and treat and are considered among the most chronic and medically lethal of mental disorders. Research suggests that the incidence and prevalence of eating…

This article examines data from nine statewide administrations of the Idaho Comprehensive Literacy Assessment (ICLA) over three-years. The ICLA measures pre-service teachers' knowledge of research-based content and pedagogy related to reading instruction and assessment. The purpose of this article was first to examine pre-service candidates'…

Because no distinction is made in the Council on Social Work Education's educational standards about the frequency, intensity, or pervasiveness of the various forms of oppression, social work education affirms what may be called the "equality-of-oppressions paradigm." This article contends that, although the equality-of-oppressions paradigm is a…

Despite a long history of interest in North American and Western European literature, researchers in the UK are only now beginning to turn attention to the issue of academic stress in schoolchildren and how it may affect emotional well-being, health and performance on school assessments. Based on the author's experiences of designing an extensive…

The present study explores pupils' constructed definitions of the concept of function in relation to their abilities in dealing with tasks of functions involving different forms of representations and problem solving tasks. A major concern is also to examine the interrelations between these three ways of thinking about or dealing with the concept…

An intelligentsia plays an essential role in any civilized human community. While their role to societal development cannot be underplayed, there seems to exist a lack of unified opinion with regard to the nature of intelligentsia, most especially in Russia. The importance to find the exact definition of the term "intelligentsia" was…

Purpose: The paper seeks to identify the quality characteristics of critical action research and action research theses compared to traditional research thesis writing. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on the literature and the authors' experience with supervising and examining action research theses, the paper identifies key problem areas in…