Representing a refereed selection of papers from the 1994 JALT Kansai Conference, this collection of 25 papers contains formal presentations, teaching experiences, research projects, and ideas for effective teaching. The papers and their authors are, as follows: (1) "Culturally Influenced Communication Patterns: Overview, Implications and…

This book is based on the belief that the American education system is in crisis and requires radical systemic change. Because this change is to be designed and carried out by those within schools and not through external mandates, the book focuses on the management responsibilities of the principal and teachers. It draws heavily on the…

As part of a larger examination of student perspectives in science, social studies and communication arts, this report summarizes yearlong classroom observations and end-of-year interviews of fifth-grade students to examine ways in which students integrated their knowledge in meaningful ways. Teacher-researchers involved in the overall project…

Schools do a very poor job of preparing noncollege-bound youth to make the transition from high school to employment and adult life. A lack of formalized transition systems compounds the problems that many noncollege-bound youth encounter as they try to obtain meaningful, career-sustaining employment in primary labor markets. Various instructional…

The Book Club project has a focus on research examining literature-based instruction with an emphasis on student-led response groups and this report describes the use of Book Club instruction within a special education resource room, in which elementary-level children incorporated the use of high quality literature, written and oral responses to…

Previous studies established that 6 hours of instruction focusing on cognitively demanding aspects of computer use were sufficient to reduce computer anxiety significantly among teacher education students. This paper reports on a study of whether or not it is possible to reduce anxiety at least as efficiently by providing a similar length computer…

This document is an individualized learning module designed for use with fifth- through seventh-grade students. The module is designed for use in the juvenile section of a public library that maintains a card catalog. It can easily be adapted to any library setting that utilizes a juvenile card catalog. Although computer-based card catalogs are…

Inconsistencies in the definition of transfer from two-year to four-year institutions and in the calculation of the transfer rate have given rise to incongruous findings. For example, one researcher in 1989 reported a transfer rate of less than 12% for the colleges in Illinois at the same time that the Chancellor's Office of the California…

The Growing Up Healthy Program was developed in the San Francisco Unified School District during the 1976-1977 school year, and by 1983, the year of this publication, was being used in more than 200 California school districts. Program goals are to encourage kindergarten children to develop good health habits; to improve compliance with legal…

Interdisciplinary education has been considered a key element of middle level education since the 1960s. Interdisciplinary teaching teams and multi-disciplinary and interdisciplinary units of study have been frequently found in middle level schools since then. Although changes have been incorporated to support it, actual implementation of…

This activity book is designed to present information and insights on Japanese culture and society. Because few teachers can devote entire units to the study of Japan, the activities focus on teaching about Japan within the context of larger social science units. Some of the lessons can be taught within the context of the humanities and fine arts,…

This paper develops the idea of "the authority of experience" to explain the unease about teacher education represented in comments of 19 graduate students enrolled in a preservice physics education methods course which combined on-campus classes and teaching placements. Interviews with the student teachers after the first half of the…

P.L. 94-142 mandated that handicapped children be provided a free appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. This study was conducted to determine: (1) perceptions of high school teachers with respect to reasonableness of accomodative strategies for teaching mainstreamed learning disabled (LD) students; (2) teachers' use of…

The study described in this paper is built on previous research, and applies, tests, and develops an analytic framework to examine teachers' thinking about teaching and learning across subject areas--specifically, contrasts between approaches to mathematics and environmental studies or science. The Teachers' Thinking about Teaching and Learning…

This packet contains 14 lesson plans for integrated academic and vocational education courses. Lesson plans for the following courses are included: integrated physics and principles of technology; algebra and principles of technology; principles of technology, language arts, and economics; physics and industrial electronics; physics and…