A study assessed the knowledge and perceptions of U.S. citizens regarding agriculture, food, and natural resources. Data were collected from 2,005 respondents representing the following groups: purposely selected primarily white Indiana high school students and primarily black Michigan high school students, randomly selected rural Missouri adults…

The purpose of the Public Library Effectiveness Study was to define effectiveness for the public library institution. The research was designed not to measure effectiveness or evaluate particular libraries or groups of libraries, but rather to identify the feature or features of a public library that most directly attest to its effectiveness. The…

The National Longitudinal Transition Study (NLTS) of Special Education Students provides ongoing information to the special education community regarding the transition of youth with disabilities from secondary school to early adulthood. The sample for the study began with a 1987 survey (Wave 1) involving more than 8,000 youth from the national…

This report represents responses from 406 (out of 510) colleges, community colleges, and universities to a questionnaire survey concerning the changes taking place in the academic and administrative practices of American colleges and universities. Changes are discussed by type of institution: 2-year public, 4-year public, and independent…

A 3-year study on Japanese language instruction is reported. The project included the following: investigation of the feasibility of teaching high school and college second language students learning strategies for developing language proficiency; development of related instructional materials; and description of the impact of instruction on…

This study examined 412 college students' essay performance on two prompt types, a traditional prose essay and a type incorporating graphics, modeled on those from English Language Challenge Examination (ELCE) developed for the University of Southern California (USC). The majority of the participants were international students at USC. Each…

This study sought to address three questions related to the pronunciation of Spanish by non-native speakers: (1) does the pronunciation of upper-intermediate become "fossilized?"; (2) is their a relationship between quality of pronunciation and amount of improvement?; and (3) when judging degrees of "foreignness," are…

The Calculators in Primary Mathematics Project was a long-term investigation into the effects of the introduction of calculators on the learning and teaching of primary mathematics. The Australian project commenced with children who were in kindergarten and grade 1 in 1990, moving up through the schools to grade 4 level by 1993. Children were…

In January 1989, a survey was conducted of a national sample of public and private two-year and community colleges regarding aspects of their science, mathematics, engineering, and technology programs. The survey requested information on the prevalence of course and program offerings, the number and educational level of faculty, use of part-time…

At Northern Maine Technical College (NMTC), students can take classes at outreach locations, usually at a high school in their local community. In 1991, a study was conducted to determine the needs, perspectives, and characteristics of these "satellite" students. Satellite directors at six active cites distributed questionnaires to all…

A research plan for investigating the effects of student portfolios on teaching and learning at three different school sites is described. The plan accommodates two categories of research questions: (1) broad, cross-site questions; and (2) site-specific questions generated by participants at each individual site. Data collection strategies…

This document presents a collection of specific ideas addressing 24 teaching practices appropriate for developing Personal Teaching Improvement Guides, an individualized approach to improving teaching in colleges and universities. The ideas came from teachers at the University of California (Berkeley) whose teaching was highly rated by students.…

These two documents present (1) a user's guide to the Personal Teaching Improvement Guides Program developed at the University of California, Berkeley and (2) a sample guide. The program uses results of student evaluations (keyed to 24 teaching practices) and descriptions of successful teaching practices to individualize instructional improvement…

The reports presented in this document describe the results of the first 2 years of the Midlands Consortium Star Schools Project (MCSSP) (October 1, 1988-December 31, 1990). The first report summarizes the major accomplishments of the MCSSP, including: (1) the installation of communications satellites at schools in Alabama, Kansas, Mississippi,…

In 1992, a study was conducted to provide current institutional data on the number and percentage of underrepresented minorities among full-time faculty in two-year colleges; to examine the opinions of academic administrators about a number of barriers to minority faculty recruitment; to examine institutional efforts to recruit minority faculty;…