Path analysis was used to discover predictors of personality, school conduct, and distractibility-hyperactivity problems in this 4-year longitudinal study of 173 rural children. While previous studies had shown that children's behavior disorders are related to sex of child, family disruption, IQ, Bender-Gestalt Test scores, and socioeconomic…

This module discusses the theory and practice of school improvement and outlines a nine-step systematic problem-solving process for developing an action plan addressing school improvement goals. The first section describes a general model for the study of the school as a social system, as developed by Getzels and Thelen (1960). The second section…

The past 20 years have seen research on language acquisition in the cognitive sciences grow immensely. The current paper offers a fairly extensive review of this literature, arguing that new cognitive theories and empirical data are perfectly consistent with core predictions a behavior analytic approach makes about language development. The review…

Because we live in a society that increasingly depends upon technology, a growing number of voices are calling for the mandatory study of technology by school-aged children worldwide. Technological literacy is the ability to use, manage, assess, and understand technology, and involves the application of knowledge and abilities to real-world…

Prekindergarten Head Start teachers were trained to administer the Learning Accomplishment Profile (LAP), an objective check list of development in seven areas: gross motor, fine motor manipulation and writing, social, self help, cognitive, and language skills. Data were collected from separate groups of 3, 4, and 5-year old children to ascertain…

The problem of student discipline is approached by synthesizing much that is known about child development, interpersonal relationships, identity, self-image, and change into a philosophy for individual growth and self-fulfillment. Goals, and methods for achieving them, are suggested that would help prevent discipline problems. These are to help…

The Assessment of Readiness for the Professional Practice of Ministry project, sponsored by the Association of Theological Schools, studied methods for determining a person's readiness to enter the mimtry and perform effectively. Simultaneously, the Lutheran Seminarian Project assessed the needs and strengths of beginning seminary students. Both…

A study was conducted by a researcher who observed the mathematics education class and the field experiences of one preservice student teacher. The teacher educator and the target student were the key participants. The focus of the study was on the transition from student to teacher, and on the initial trials of being a teacher. Insights were…

A curriculum used over a 3-year period in statewide training programs for residential child care workers is organized and described according to 11 training modules. The modules focus on increasing the self-awareness of the human service professional and on presenting basic facts about human development, procedures for assessment and planning, and…

Several teacher motivation variables were examined for relationships to stategies teachers use for responding to problem students. During interviews, 98 elementary school teachers described general strategies to twelve types of problem students: (1) failure syndrome; (2) perfectionist; (3) underachiever; (4) low achiever; (5) hostile aggressive;…

The goal of this training manual is to improve teaching behavior through self analysis and through self-directed behavior. Designed for use by an experienced instructor, this manual combines theories of interpersonal relations, supervisory systems, and teaching stategies in a 47-step, four-week course for either inservice or preservice teachers.…

One of a series of pre-apprenticeship training modules, this self-paced student training module deals with group problem solving, goal setting, and decision making. Included in the module are the following: cover sheet listing module title, goals, and performance indicators; introduction; cover sheet/study guide with directions for module…

Seventeen selected research studies relating student learning with teacher characteristics and personality in grades 7-12 science classrooms are reviewed. Methodology, objectives, and major findings of the 1960 "Teacher Characteristics Study" and short summaries of nine additional studies are considered in the first section dealing with…

This report is based on the results of a field experiment in three racially integrated elementary schools. The study reports that groupwork is an effective strategy to produce equal status behavior among racial groups of different socioeconomic background and different levels of academic skills. It also reports that small groups are of critical…

Moral contradictions and cross-purposes in society make formal moral training in the schools difficult. A discussion is presented of the pressure on the schools to provide values education at a time when society itself is unclear about values. The examples provided by parents, television, and other influences in the lives of young people are…