Ninety-five rural eighth graders completed the Idiom Comprehension Test in three contexts: idioms in a short story, in isolation, and in a verification task. Performance in the story condition and on high-familiarity idioms showed the greatest accuracy. Associations existed between performance and reading ability for the story and verification…

A study examined 61 examples of advocacy from 34 states and selected six sites for case studies. Factors that supported positive outcomes include advocates who are persistent, knowledgeable about both best practices in gifted education and local state political processes, and more often collaborative than adversarial. (Contains references.)…

Examines the role of prior intention and knowledge in the comprehension of "forget" by young children. Results reveal that children initially have two interpretations of "forget": an unfilled desire and a state of not knowing. Discusses explanations for the late comprehension of "forget" in terms of representation of knowledge and intention,…

Preservice teachers' (N=200) ideas about links between vehicle emissions and global environmental issues were studied using a graphic questionnaire. Results indicated that most students understood that cars contributed to global warming, though many had misconceptions about certain specifics. It is recommended that environmental education be given…

Investigates the knowledge of elementary school teacher candidates on rock-cycle processes. Three different instructional interventions were used to improve their knowledge: (1) conceptual-change teaching; (2) traditional didactic teaching; and (3) microteaching. The conceptual-change group showed the most growth in understanding, supporting…

This study examined child care providers' use of different HIV/AIDS information sources in relationship to their knowledge about HIV/AIDS and their response to common childhood behaviors and classroom situations involving an HIV-infected child. Results suggest that different types of information sources were associated with different aspects of…

Interviews with 36 high school and college students with hearing impairments and 36 teachers indicated variable use of study strategies with notes among students and a lack of knowledge among teachers about the use of notes for studying. Results suggest the need for instruction on note usage and study skills. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Developed, implemented, and investigated course on Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) to determine effectiveness of different teaching methods on increasing knowledge and decreasing negative attitudes toward AIDS and homosexuality. Results revealed that course participants (N=63) increased knowledge of AIDS and adopted more positive…

The objectives and content areas of knowledge included in competency testing programs for beginning teachers in the areas of learning disabilities were analyzed. Similarity was found in state requirements. Tables detailing objectives addressed by state tests offer guidance to teacher training programs. (Author/DB)

This article discusses the concept of world knowledge and its relevance to intervention processes. Roles of linguistic and physical context in interpretation and levels of speaker experience are discussed. Levels of involvement are related to communication goals, and these principles are extended to applications in the teaching of language skills.…

This article focuses on development, elaboration, and measurement of word repertoire from world knowledge, as well as factors affecting the word-learning process and vocabulary assessment and remediation methods such as definition and association tasks. Several alternatives for vocabulary expansion based on world knowledge principles are also…

Investigates the usefulness of using grammatical cohesion to evaluate the macro- or discourse-level, and the micro-level reading comprehension of English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) students. Finds a relationship between anaphora and coherence that contributes to reading difficulty. (MG)

The following five reasons for failure to use learning strategies are discussed: poor cognitive monitoring, primitive routines that yield a product, a meager knowledge base, attributions and classroom goals that do not support strategy use, and minimal transfer. A theory of settings must be considered to address these issues. (TJH)

Using a questionnaire of 60 cognitive items, the general knowledge of Canadian students in grades 7, 10, and 12 about the Canadian political process was assessed. Results from the test's administration to 14,051 French and English students indicate that the subjects possess an adequate level of knowledge about Canada. (TJH)

Describes an investigation to determine whether junior high school students generate important meanings from their social studies textbooks, and to assess the kind of information students derive from text when they have tests in mind. Indicates that adolescents isolate and particularize their reading to meet perceived test demands. (MG)