In a 3-year longitudinal, mixed-method study, 67 children in two schools were observed during literacy activities in Grades 1-3. Children and their teachers were interviewed each year about the children's motivation to read and write. Taking a grounded theory approach, content analysis of the child interview protocols identified the motivations…

This paper discusses a project that was designed to explore Dutch student attitudes about World War II and how the War is portrayed in Dutch history textbooks. The project was undertaken as part of an effort to help teachers provide Dutch students with better insight into the causes, background, and aftermath of World War II; and to develop in the…

The provision of network access, resources, and services to members of the academic community is becoming an area of utmost interest and importance to academic administrators, faculty, and students. As the demand from network users grows rapidly, many network administrators are asking for resources to meet that demand; their requests are being met…

This study examined the design, aesthetics, and functionality of educational and noneducational Web pages from the perspective of visual literacy. Educational Web pages were subdivided into K-12 and college/university settings, and the non-education categories included commercial, publications and communications, informational and cultural, and…

Several of the papers in this collection describe university programs or provide practical suggestions for using technology to enhance literacy instruction; other papers focus on a diverse range of issues, instructional strategies, and research findings related to different aspects of literacy. Papers in the collection are: "A Community of…

Ramapo College of New Jersey has implemented a program review with self-reflective pedagogy as a critical component. The review is a self-study that encourages faculty to use peer observation to evaluate and improve their pedagogy. The review encourages all faculty regardless of rank to serve as both observers and the observed in a series of…

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate four social studies textbooks recently under consideration for use by the Memphis (Tennessee) City Public Schools. The textbooks, chosen at random, are: "World Geography: A Physical and Cultural Study" (de Blij and others, Scott Foresman, 1989); "A History of the United States" (Boorstin…

The enhancement of the European dimension in the national curriculum is a large scale educational innovation that affects many European countries. This report puts forward the proposition that broad scale educational innovation has more success if the aims and objectives find their way into textbooks. The reasons why a European dimension in…

A content-analysis examined the discussion practices recommended in postprimary reading methods textbooks published in the United States before and after 1970. Fifteen textbooks were selected and 37 topics related to discussion were eventually grouped into three categories--(1) functions of textbooks, (2) functions of questions, and (3) roles of…

An evaluation of a summer geography institute focusing on the use of thematic maps as tools for teaching across the curriculum was conducted during 1988. The annual institute is sponsored by the Tennessee Geographic Alliance in conjunction with the National Geographic Society. Thematic map making involves portrayal of visible patterns of…

The study examines the extent to which the global issues of population growth, world hunger, air quality and atmosphere, and water resources were treated in sixth and seventh grade science textbooks. Ten textbooks were examined by five raters to determine the amount of content presented by different textbooks on global issues, the number of pages…

The results of a three-part study, conducted to present an indepth look at reading comprehension instruction in the middle grades, are described in this report. Four major areas are covered: teacher's verbal reports, program specifications, teaching behavior, and student mastery. The report first describes the research design, or how a profile of…

A three-part study was conducted to present an indepth look at reading comprehension instruction in the middle grades. In the first part of the study, four basal series for grades 4, 5, and 6, were analyzed for clarity of communication, adequacy of skill practice provided, and a number of other comprehension related dimensions. In the second part,…

Textbooks used in grades 2 through 12 in a county school system in rural North Carolina were analyzed to determine the degree of cultural congruency between school curriculum and ethnic cultural setting in Appalachia. Thirty-five elementary school reading books, high school and elementary school social studies books, and high school literature…

A survey administered to junior and senior high school students was studied to determine the degree to which the narrative from the "additional comments" section of the survey enhances the quantitative data analysis from the survey. The data, obtained as part of a needs assessment for a suburban school district, were obtained by using…