Describes five college and two high school students' understandings of function and limit in a graphics calculator-based environment and identifies instances where students' understanding seems to have been influenced by the availability of a graphing calculator. (27 references) (MKR)

This interview with Constance Clayton, superintendent of the Philadelphia (Pennsylvania) public schools, and Michelle Fine, professor of psychology and consultant, discusses the Philadelphia Schools Collaborative, a nonprofit organization established to lead the restructuring of the city's high schools. Central to the effort is the concept of…

Describes a study that was conducted to determine what influence instructional systems design (ISD) has on teachers' planning processes and how teachers implement instruction. Results were compared for teachers with and without an ISD background in areas including instructional planning time, long-range planning, daily planning, and use of…

A study on the impact of misconceptions on preservice elementary teachers' processes in solving problems involving multiplication and division of decimals is described. Included are the purpose of the study, a description of the subjects, instruments, and interviews, the findings, and discussion. (KR)

The first part of a larger planned investigation, this study examines the use of "por" and "para" by nine Peace Corps volunteers in oral interviews at the end of training and roughly one year later, to trace their acquisition over time, in two learning contexts. (24 references) (LB)

Describes a study of personal journal subscriptions of science faculty in an undergraduate liberal arts college, St. Francis Xavier University (Nova Scotia). Topics examined include reasons for subscriptions, classification of journals, use of an SDI (Selective Dissemination of Information) service, overlap with holdings of the university library,…

A model for using an interviewing process that provides preservice teachers with an experiential base as they learn to value the importance of questioning, planning, and assessment is described. The process provides a method for determining what children know. A sample interviewing assignment and teacher perceptions of the process are included.…

The ability of students to sort cards based on surface features and deep patterns is investigated. The effect of the presence of variables and what makes a pattern difficult or easy for students to recognize are discussed. Study revealed that students are unsuccessful at making connections between expressions, sentences, and sequences which share…

The construct validity of hypothesized survey items and data reduction procedures for selected psychosocial constructs frequently used in breast cancer screening research were investigated in telephone interviews with randomly selected samples of 1,184 and 903 women and a sample of 169 Hispanic clinic clients. Validity of the constructs is…

Feminism and gender in the construction of English as a university discipline and the historical development of English are discussed. Generally, English is studied by women and taught by men. The teaching of English today is examined through interviews with four university English department lecturers in the United Kingdom. (SLD)

Presents results of a study of English children's ability to consider the relevance of planning with regard to both good and bad deeds. Shows evidence that children are more likely to consider a reward for planning when judging good than bad deeds, reflecting children's experience of adults' views of relevance of planning. (DK)

Perceptions of their learning environments are studied for 112 medical students in Canada through interviews over 2 years. Students perceive that structures of the learning environment foster a highly competitive milieu influencing their approach to learning. Processes of teaching are viewed somewhat more positively. (SLD)

A unit on informed consent for first-year osteopathy students consists of pre- and posttests, a lecture, readings, small-group discussion, a model videotaped interview, and students' videotaped interviews with a simulated patient. Students were most successful in establishing patient rapport and discussion, least successful in conflict resolution…

An interview with Jonathan Kozol, author of "Savage Inequalities," documents disparities in spending between African-American and white public school students nationwide. The interview examines the disparities, issues about resegregation and integration in schools, and implications of the book for a progressive view of school reform. (SM)

Interviews with 27 regular class elementary teachers confirmed that teachers hold consistent and coherent belief systems about the needs of at-risk and exceptional students and the teacher's role and responsibilities. Teachers with "preventive" beliefs had higher self-efficacy scores than those with a "restorative" (assuming that problems reside…