Reports on research that aimed to establish whether patterns of students' reactions to and achievement on physics assessment tasks were associated with the format of the task and the absence or presence of real-world contexts in the tasks. Contains 21 references. (DDR)

Discusses potential problems and advantages of assessing grammatical competence from production data from interactional contexts. Argues that regardless of difficulties in assessing grammatical competence in interactional contexts, the types of interactions change with time, as the interlanguage grammar develops. (9 references) (Author/CK)

Argues that program evaluation in the teaching of English-as-a- Second-Language is no longer such a well-circumscribed area of activity. Concludes that program evaluation should be systematic, principled, purposeful and context-specific; use the information collected to make balanced judgements; and embody recommendations for curriculum change.…

Discusses two complementary traditions in the study of communication and social context and shows how one researcher's theory of context influences the methodologies he or she adopts. Reviews substantive findings of sociolinguistic researchers in four main areas of second-language acquisition and use: interlanguage variation, cross-cultural…

Takes a situated-cognition perspective on learning and cognitive development. Presents a detailed framework that includes operationalizations for levels of situated learning. Contains 31 references. (DDR)

Replicates C. Haas and L. Flower's 1988 think-allowed reading study. Finds that, when reading a passage on a topic more familiar to first-year students, the undergraduates generated substantially more rhetorical comments than they did with the Haas and Flower passage. Cautions researchers and teachers to avoid hasty assumptions about underlying…

Presents lessons learned from 12 years of administering a national accreditation system. Lessons for early childhood education practice include setting standards for quality, interpreting standards for practice, and administering good-quality programs. Professional development lessons relate to professional preparation and ethical responsibility.…

Develops an approach for setting performance targets for schoolchildren, using data-envelopment analysis to identify benchmark pupils who achieve the best observed performance (allowing for contextual factors). These pupils' achievement forms the basis of targets estimated. The procedure also identifies appropriate role models for weaker students'…

Contrasts different methods of evaluating aid programs to small and medium enterprises. Methods focus on the relationship between beneficiaries and program implementers to explore the role intangible relational means play in specific cultural contexts. (SLD)

Examined elementary students' evaluations of decision-making procedures in different social contexts. Found that consensus was preferred in peer and family contexts and authority-based procedures were preferred for school curricular decisions. Older children were more likely than younger to consider how children's limited knowledge and competence…

Documents the collaborative coordination of multiple resources--talk, gesture, and writing--as represented in the interaction among three high school seniors working on a physics laboratory task. Through close analysis of the moment-to-moment construction of task, the study draws attention to complex yet taken-for-granted practices that are…

Considers whether libraries should replace bound print journals with full text online versions. Discusses costs; the inclusion of illustrations and tables; whether a journal article can stand alone or if it's part of a thematic cluster which adds important context; vertical context; evaluating context; and explaining compromises to users. (LRW)

Examined intergroup and intragroup variations in Anglo and Puerto Rican mothers' beliefs regarding long-term socialization goals and in their organization of feeding, social play, teaching, and free play interactions. Found evidence of heterogeneity in cultural groups. In sub-communities defined by social class, cultural values were transformed in…

Investigates children's understanding of rules by observing 5-,6-, and 7-year olds engaging in unrestricted group activity as they built and played with a bridge. Reveals that the children's tendency to develop and change rules demonstrated their understanding of rules that were not associated with the rules of adults. (CMK)

To ensure quality staff development, staff developers must understand the context in which it is delivered, with content, process, and context standards met simultaneously. One administrator's experiences serving on a school board in order to understand how to influence context standards are presented, discussing the creation of staff development…