Explores the nature and meaning of the dilemmas teachers encounter in the classroom as they respond to and interpret the tasks of learning. Reveals how teachers' perspectives toward knowledge and their view of themselves and their students as knowers enter their work. Illuminates features of the teacher-student relationship through discussion of…

Identifies the knowledge and skills, personal qualities, and values typically possessed by successful students. Offers recommendations concerning the learning process and school programs, climate, personnel, and organization designed to promote student success. (DMM)

The study analyzed responses of 105 public school speech-language pathologists to a survey of perceptions of their knowledge, competencies, educational needs, and involvement with children regarding the relationship between oral language and reading disorders. Most reported they were not very involved with children with reading disorders though…

Explored young children's concepts of the functions of writing in community contexts. Twenty kindergarten children responded to three videotaped vignettes depicting people writing in community settings. The children were able to identify a range of writing functions. They also valued writing and described the negative consequences likely to occur…

Analyzes social work faculty members' and field instructors' notions of the knowledge and skills needed by the child welfare practitioner. Faculty members placed more emphasis than field instructors on knowledge and skills in cultural and minority issues, training, social policy and research. (RJC)

Addresses the debate over early childhood teacher training. Argues that teachers should be: (1) trained according to professional principles and methodologies of teaching children; (2) well-prepared in math, science, and language; (3) value work; (4) maintain high moral standards; and (5) remain open to new ideas. (DE)

Autistic children were tested on three tasks that were within the capability of three-four-year-old normal children and that involved the abilities to understand a mistaken belief, infer contents of a container from looking or not looking inside, and adjust answers to provide new information. (PCB)

Certain misunderstandings in science, mathematics, and computer programing reflect analogous underlying difficulties. These misunderstandings are examined through four knowledge levels: (1) content; (2) problem-solving; (3) epistemic; and (4) inquiry. Analysis of several examples shows that misunderstandings have causes at multiple levels, and…

A discourse comprehension model is developed in which the initial processing is bottom-up. Word meanings are activated, propositions are formed, and inferences and elaborations are produced, regardless of the discourse context. A network of interrelated items is created which can be integrated into a coherent structure. (SLD)

Questioning of 70 individuals (ages 16 to 20 years) with mild or moderate mental retardation in India concerning their understanding of death found a clear relationship between level of retardation and understanding. Accidents and illness were perceived as equally likely causes of death. Awareness of religious practices regarding disposal of…

Involves secondary students in a study designed to allow investigation into how different levels of information presented by various technologies (chemical indicators, pH meters, and microcomputer-based laboratories-MBLs) affected students' understanding of acid, base, and pH concepts. Results showed that students using MBLs exhibited a greater…

Involves 321 preservice elementary teacher education students in a study designed to investigate their intuitive scientific ideas and understandings. Results reveal that the majority of subjects, with the exception of a high proportion of those who has a successful high school background in physics and chemistry, have misunderstandings regarding…

The importance of balancing content instruction with instruction in higher level thinking skills for gifted students is emphasized. The article recommends providing students with sophisticated content, relating that content to essential underlying generalizations and principles, and then concentrating on thinking skills. (SW)

Twelve secondary preservice teachers participated in a study designed to assess the developments and changes in preservice science teachers' subject matter and pedagogy knowledge structures as they proceeded through a professional teacher education program. Results indicated that pedagogy knowledge structure had a primary influence on…

The literature on novice-expert shifts in teacher knowledge is examined from the perspective of constructivist learning theory with a view to identifying lessons for teacher educators. Limitations in teacher knowledge are explored, and three requirements are outlined for a research agenda on teacher's learning. (SLD)