Documents cognitive processes mediating the observational learning of conservation. Findings suggest the presence of demand characteristics for high undifferentiated ratings under a public format of certainty appraisal. This contamination prevents valid monitoring of the course of cognitive rule processing. (RH)

Reviews research of "suicidal fit" among Puerto Ricans in New York City (Trautman, 1961). Trautman studied suicidal behavior among Puerto Ricans in South Bronx. Critiques Trautman's methodology and findings interpretation. Discusses implications for mental health research with mainland Puerto Ricans and other Hispanic groups. (Author/TES)

Discusses benefits, costs, locales, class recruitment, field supplies, timing, and testing methods. Provides a listing of Caribbean marine field stations routinely available to college classes. (MVL)

Reports a participatory action research (PAR) project carried out by the FAGOR group of the Mondragon Cooperatives in the Basque provinces of Spain. Finds the experience to be most stimulating and intellectually engaging while noting that it is both emotionally and physically exhausting. Points out that PAR's impact has been uneven. (KO)

Focuses on the international industry of merchant shipping to explore strategies used to promote organizational change over the past 20 years. This case study emphasizes the advantages of melding knowledge and action in participatory action. Points out the importance of the design and management of industry-level forums in assuring the success.…

Describes a research project to evaluate the progress of adult beginning readers. States that the project gave the authors insight into designing and carrying out research; broadened their understanding of how students learn about the learning process; enriched their teaching; and helped them view others' research in a new light. (RS)

The central research question addressed at the National Center for Teacher Education is, "What do teacher education programs contribute to teachers' learning?" This article describes how this question is explored, conceptualization of key terms in the question, data collection strategies, and contributions and limitations of the Center's…

A peer nomination scale was designed to assess the degree to which children were subjected to direct physical and verbal abuse by peers. Subjects were 165 third through sixth grade students. Children's victimization scores were uncorrelated with their aggression scores, negatively correlated with peer acceptance, and positively correlated with…

Described is a method for discriminant analysis which uses the multiple regression facilities offered by many microcomputer statistical packages. This method is illustrated with an ecological example using the MICROTAB statistical package on a BBC microcomputer. Compares these results with an analysis of the same data using SPSS X. (Author/CW)

Discusses the nature and function of mental models, explains tools for exploratory and expressive learning, and describes a research program to be conducted in the United Kingdom for 10- to 16-year-olds that is designed to explore characteristics of students' mental models. Highlights include knowledge domains; software, including simulations; and…

Presents a set of methods and results for characterizing decision making while searching online databases. The discussion compares these results to studies of decision making in other contexts, and examines the role of user uncertainty and expectations, as well as implications of the findings for database design and user training. (37 references)…

Discusses teaching qualitative research methodology to graduate education students. Advocates creating a social context for classroom learning, as opposed to the traditional experiential approach. Includes examples of three course descriptions. (FMW)

Examines the role of teacher effects in mastery-learning research. A review of the literature reveals the following: (1) failure to control for teacher effects; (2) tendency to redefine teaching as managing; and (3) tendency to reduce teaching from a professional to a technical field. (Author/BJV)

Reviews hierarchical linear models that have been developed to address problems of the measurement of change and the unit of analysis in educational research. Introduces a three-level hierarchical model that should constitute the basic paradigm for future quantitative research on student learning. (Author/BJV)

Summarizes drama education research presented at the 1989 International Drama Education Research Symposium in Toronto, Canada. Explores the scope and breadth of current international research and inquiry in the field. (SR)