This paper presents (1) data indicating the need to increase the percentage of higher cognitive questions in the instructional program, based upon research showing that questioning strategies are instrumental in improving comprehension; (2) data indicating that questions currently included in instructional programs are predominantly of the lower…

To parallel Lester Asheim's doctoral thesis that compared the endings of 24 novels with their 1935-1945 filmed adaptations, this study examined the endings of 88 films produced between 1946 and 1977, comparing the literary endings with the filmed endings by the same criteria that Asheim used. The data indicate both similarities and differences to…

This paper describes a methodology for studying the ideologies of social movements from a rhetorical perspective and tests the methodology by studying the ideology of the feminist movement. The methodology is a three-step approach: first, a descriptive analysis provides an operational definition of the group's ideology--its self-image, central…

Media studied in this report include broadcasting (radio and television), press (newspapers and magazines), literature, motion pictures, and sound and video recordings. First, there is an overview of Finnish mass communications on a qualitative level. After this, quantitative data are presented, divided into categories of production and…

The combined circulation of popular magazines containing articles on the family is vast. However imperfect, these articles may be the principal point of contact between family professionals and the public. Discusses the need to identify what is good in these articles and what should be improved. (Author)

Noting that Soviet prose, drama, and poetry reveal the nuances of the moods and policies fostered by the Soviet government while reflecting the Soviet reading public's interests and aspirations, this report describes a study of the values and attitudes by which the Soviets live as reflected in the literature published in Soviet literary magazines…

During the last 30 years, direct mail campaigning has become an integral part of the political process, and more recently has also become an influential fund raising tool for other political and religious groups. Analysis of over 70 examples of direct mail campaigns reveals at least 4 major content norms featured in most direct mail. First, the…

Focusing on changes in the minds of the audience, this study of the impact of television programs provides a general analysis of the perceptual spectrum of the television audience and its values, preferences, and attachments to the content of television programs. Influences are identified and cued to the development of programming, and findings of…

Excerpts from articles in the "British Medical Journal" and "The American Journal of Medicine" were compared to determine which journal was easier to read and what stylistic traits might account for such ease. Nine paragraphs from the discussion sections of articles on hypertension were taken from each of the journals. When…

An adaptation of Heilprin's model of the path of propagation of human messages is used to explore the truism that more experienced academic researchers tend to go directly to the published literature, while less experienced researchers may rely more on such secondary sources as indexes and other library reference and bibliographic services. The…

Based on the premise that young people's positive attitudes toward reading and writing can be shaped through the use of literature that treats those activities as valuable, a content analysis was conducted of Caldecott Medal winners from 1938 through 1981 and of Newbery Medal winners from 1922 to 1981 to determine how these books dealt with…

To help teachers assess the variety of available instructional materials, a comparative, point-by-point evaluation is recommended. Two distinct approaches have been identified: content analysis, and instructional design. Content analysis is useful when selecting materials in factual curriculum areas, such as science and mathematics. It involves…

The manual provides some guidelines for the content evaluation and selection of curriculum materials for use in bilingual-multicultural education programs, whatever the target student population. The material is organized as follows: rationale--a brief rationale for a shift in public education policy from a monolingual-monocultural to a…

A computer-assisted analysis was conducted of the punctuation skills taught in nine series of language arts textbooks. Each text was subjected to a detailed, page-by-page analysis of instructional content, resulting in a content-specific analysis of punctuation instruction at each grade level. The results indicated significant differences among…

One of a series of the EDSP (Educational Dissemination Studies Program) interrelated studies, this report describes the content of the ERIC database for five equity groups including the physically and mentally handicapped, Blacks, Hispanics, and women; and addresses the question of how much can be learned if the analysis is confined to examination…