Based on a literature review and content analysis of written collection development policies for school libraries in Indiana, a Delphi survey of district-level school media directors in 28 states identified important issues to be addressed in future school library collection development policies. Respondents found copyright guidelines to be an…

Describes the development of a set of 16 diagnostic tests for computer literacy that would be appropriate for students from grade 5 through college. Objectives of the tests are identified, based on a content analysis of 22 computer literacy curriculum guides, and the need for additional developmental work is discussed. (LRW)

Analyzes chapters on epistemology and methodology in the "Handbook of Research on Social Studies Teaching and Learning." Laments the imprecise definition concerning the epistemological nature of the social studies. Concludes the handbook does not clarify this definition and that social studies research reflects this missing broader…

The purpose of this study was to develop a conceptual framework concerning writings about the future of biology education. Methods, procedures, and results are presented. A list of 112 articles about the future found in the journal "The American Biology Teacher" from 1938-88 is included. (CW)

Investigates whether novelistic prose can be dated by considering marked stylistic changes that occurred over the past 240 years. Finds a positive correlation between publication date and stylistic markers of sentence length, word length, rare punctuation, and word shortening or informality. Argues that this process can form the basis for new…

Reviews the literature of librarianship and related behavioral research to identify evaluation methods that have been successfully applied to the analysis of library space planning. The discussion covers the appropriate conditions for the use of various evaluation techniques, including questionnaires, interviews, behavior mapping, time budgets,…

Describes discussion practices recommended in 15 postprimary reading methods textbooks published before and after 1970. Focuses analysis on (1) function of textbook in discussion; (2) questioning-discussion relationship; and (3) teacher-student relationship in discussions. Finds that earlier authors granted texts more status as arbiters of ideas…

Identifies developments in U.S. history in which religion played a decisive role. Investigates the way these religious forces were dealt with in 10 high school U.S. history textbooks used in Alabama. Concludes that they ignored or distorted the place of religion to the extent that students are denied knowledge of recent historical research. (LS)

This study focuses on imagery of youth and old age in the plays of Euripides, especially the "Suppliant Women," considering frequently used words in each play according to formula developed by Pierre Guiraud. Identifies a motif, the rejuvenation theme, in several of Euripides' plays. Shows how the word "neos" (new, young) helps…

Asserts that certain traits and factors, such as persistence through failure and a tolerance for frustration, help children overcome life's problems. Analyzes 30 award-winning children's books from 1928 to 1987 and 14 "children's favorites" to determine if these books contain characters and plots that display resiliency. (MM)

The presentation of gas properties in terms of the qualitative-quantitative mode and gas law sequence is examined by analysis of 14 chemistry textbooks used in Australia and on questionnaires concerning teaching approaches by 104 teachers. Findings indicate that teaching involves minimal use of qualitative relationships of the gas laws and…

Shows that the task of keeping a journal, as defined within the writing-to-learn model, has two salient assessment features: (1) the journals differentiate between students at a particular grade level, and (2) they show a growth in sophistication over successive years. (14 references) (Author/MKR)

Content analysis of 13 textbooks and 2 Department of Education documents was conducted to ascertain common word processing, database, and spreadsheet software skills in order to determine which specific skills should be taught in a high school computer literacy course. Aspects of a basic computer course, created from this analysis, are described.…

Describes the results of a study examining fictional representations of two-year colleges. Argues that the general perception that the majority of two-year college students are women and/or members of the working class is a major determinant of the institution's low status and lack of visibility. (27 citations) (MAB)

Describes a method of developing user-based objectives for bibliographic instruction that utilizes content analysis to code self-reports by library users according to a taxonomy of library speech acts in the affective, cognitive, and sensorimotor domains. Analysis of one student's library reports and translation of the analysis into enabling…