Institutional solutions to basic questions regarding education cannot be effective, as institutional solutions to problems apply to classes of people, not to individuals. The stories of selves cannot be nurtured by institutions whose purposes are to use people to achieve "greater" ends such as international economic competitiveness. Educational…

This summer institute was specifically designed to give the Wai'anae community in Hawaii a chance to share ideas that would strengthen the support for all of their youth. It also gave them a chance to learn about resiliency, which is defined as "a person's capacity to survive through life's difficulties." Resiliency can be fostered in youth by…

An analysis of the difficulties encountered during the middle-school years in America and what can be done to elevate the level of middle schoolers' academic achievement is provided. The report illustrates what students should be expected to know and to do when they complete eighth grade. It details the consequences of students not being ready for…

Students encounter numerous volatile situations throughout their school days. These videotapes and the accompanying teacher's manual and student handouts provide ways in which students can creatively assess and resolve these conflicts. The videotapes are designed for the whole school community: students and parents, teaching and non-teaching…

Schools that trust their students, and schools that value, respect, and know their students are schools that foster resiliency for their students. More than any other single factor, the lack of a deeply held belief in every child's ability leads to underachieving students. Seven schools that are working to remove roadblocks to student success are…

This study sought to measure what factors contribute to the learning and personal development of traditional and new majority students at six metropolitan institutions: University of Alabama, Birmingham; University of Louisville (Kentucky); Wichita State University (Kansas); University of Lowell (Massachusetts); Cleveland State University (Ohio);…

This study attempted to validate the use of academic growth and development items from Tennessee alumni surveys as measures of program quality and effectiveness at the University of Tennessee (UTK), Knoxville. The argument is made that it is essential that the instruments used to assess students educational outcomes be valid measures of the goals…

In the context of a move toward physician participation in counseling patients to reduce risk factors and promote healthy lifestyles, a study was done of whether medical students perceive themselves to be self-efficacious in educating patients for health promotion and of how various educational experiences help to develop self-efficacy. The study…

Researchers of performance assessment in social studies have contrasted authentic assessment, which is characterized by contextualized, complex intellectual challenges, with multiple choice tests of achievement, which are characterized as fragmented and static. In calling for the need for authentic assessment, this paper outlines a plan for the…

This practicum was designed to integrate a study skills program throughout special education classes in a middle school. The major objectives were to develop a variety of instructional strategies to meet the students' needs in the area of study skills, to foster the teaching of study skills in each subject area by the special education teachers…

This study examined, from a student perspective, outcomes of early student field experiences in selected college sophomore level courses in a teacher preparation program. The study, based on a survey of 266 students, examined the influence of the experiences on students' knowledge and skills. Students' knowledge responses are analyzed within the…

Following a brief introduction, five reports, books, and articles that examine the issues of engendering, maintaining, or regaining student motivation are summarized. While some offer specific strategies that can be used at the classroom level, others address issues beyond the classroom, recognizing that schoolwide policies and practices can also…

This paper explores the topic of "ends" in John Dewey's educational theories. It deals with the shift from "capacity" to "potentiality" in Dewey's conception of the learner, revealing that Dewey became aware of flaws in his "Democracy and Education" and sought to correct them. One of the motivations behind…

This study, using data collected from 18,817 college students by the American Council on Education and the Higher Education Research Institute, addresses the extent to which college impacts students' sense of the importance of promoting racial understanding. Multiple regression analysis is used to study the manner in which various background…

This paper estimates the relative importance of three, theoretically interrelated sets of variables on changes in students' intellectual curiosity and interest in learning for its own sake. Variables being analyzed are: (1) students' curricular experiences; (2) students' formal instructional experiences and classroom-related contacts with faculty…