Students in a first year Master's degree seminar were asked to find the answer to the question "Do Class and School Size Matter as A Crucial Issue to School Improvement?" The paper the students wrote is based on a review of the literature. The students determined that the question had several issues to be addressed before they could…

Cognitive development and teaching have highlighted the importance of learning based on the relationship among individuals and the learning environment. Teaching and learning of science in early childhood development and education (ECDE) can only be effective if adequate facilities, materials, equipment and activities are put in place. Teaching of…

A multilevel modeling approach was used to investigate the influence of age composition in 70 urban preschool classrooms. A series of hierarchical linear models demonstrated that greater variance in classroom age composition was negatively related to development on the Child Observation Record (COR) Cognitive, Motor, and Social subscales. This was…

Our research objectives focused on monitoring (i) students' activities during experimental teaching phases in an out-of-school gene technology laboratory, and (ii) potential relationships with variables such as work group size and cognitive achievement. Altogether, we videotaped 20 work groups of A-level 12th graders (n = 67) by continuous…

This publication contains excerpts from published works on the teaching of undergraduate sociology by sociologists known for their contribution to scholarship. In addition to bringing these writings to a broader audience, the series is a reminder that the creation of sociological knowledge and its transmission have been joint concerns of many…

This book shares what one educator learned as a teacher and administrator in public and private schools and business, examining where the country is in the process of reforming public education and suggesting that it is tired out from so many reform efforts. It notes that new programs often suffocate under the latest federal, state, or district…

The author reviews the research literature on the effects of class size on academic achievement and reports his findings along with the problems associated with such research. (Editor)

A report is given of research results strongly indicating a direct relationship between class size and student achievement. (JD)

Explains parallel block scheduling, a technique that integrates critical reading and mathematical instruction with pullout programs and splits classes in half without increasing teaching staff. Details benefits, such as better use of instructional time, protection of student privacy, and easier teacher workloads. (MLH)

An International Labour Organization report finds a strong correlation between reductions in overall public spending--often the result of structural adjustment policies--and reduced spending on education. (Author/JOW)

We were prompted by the prevalence of English Second or Other Language (ESOL) learners identified by educators as having language disorders and being referred for Speech-Language Therapy. We describe challenges faced by Grade 1, 2 and 3 educators at government schools in the Cape Metropolitan area who were working with such learners. Applying a…

Teachers' classroom grading and assessment practices are important elements of assessment reform. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of classroom learning factors such as class size, subject area, and school size on teachers' classroom assessment practices. The results of a survey of 513 high school teachers showed evidence that…

We measured student knowledge and motivation at the beginning and end of a three-week general psychology course. Two large lecture sections (N = 215 and N = 154) were compared; one used a cooperative learning process, and one did not. Student knowledge significantly improved in both sections, but there was no additional benefit derived from using…