Investigates factors affecting teacher attitudes and the resultant impact on student learning. Uses data from a 1987 National Assessment of Economic Education (NAEE) survey. Finds that state-mandated economics courses cause a decrease in teacher enthusiasm but that training in how to teach economics increases teacher enthusiasm and has a positive…

Comparison of typical courses of study from 1970 to 1990 for students preparing to be teachers of pupils with mental retardation found little change in percentage of programs offering a special course on mental retardation; increased percentage of programs offering cross-categorical courses; and decreased percentage of programs requiring joint…

The Writing Assessment Test (WAT), the City University of New York's instrument for evaluating college-level writing, has been a subject of controversy since its evolution from an exit exam to a placement exam. Bronx Community College's success in having both faculty and students pay less attention to the WAT in its English-as-a-Second-Language…

A study determined the extent to which human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) education and health education policies and practices are required by school districts in the United States. The report presents findings from a survey of 2,150 school districts (78.1% responded) revealing a general decline in such practices and policies. (GLR)

Considers four changes being introduced into the educational marketplace by corporate and virtual instruction. Argues that business communication programs need to develop their own knowledge infrastructure so that content can be delivered on demand and so that students have choice in how the material is delivered (real-time, online, and virtual…

Analyzes the academic stock-story that portrays ethnic studies classes as limited in substantive content, noncomparative, and only useful if they meet specialized curriculum needs. Discusses how to structure a Chicano sociology class as response to the academic stock-story and addresses the advantage of a diversity requirement in universities.…

We surveyed undergraduate students taking upper level psychology courses about their course and grade expectations as an extension of the work of Gaultney and Cann (2001) with introductory psychology students. More students believed success in a course was measured by good grades rather than by mastery of new material. They wanted effort to play a…

The present paper discusses the decontextualization of learning in a case of compulsory Swedish language studies for university degrees. In this case learning Swedish is mostly disconnected, not only from the everyday lives of the students in a way typical of formal learning in general, but also from the study activities and contexts that students…

Selected subtests from the Woodcock Johnson III Tests of Achievement (Woodcock, McGrew, & Mather, 2001) were administered to three groups of university students. The groups included students with learning disabilities who received course substitutions for the institution's foreign language requirement, students with learning disabilities who…

This paper provides an overview of the development of English in Myanmar. It begins by tracing the changing role and status of English and Myanmar from the colonial period, which has had an impact on the current education structure. The paper outlines the structure of the education system and the recent reforms that reflect the rising importance…

In an effort to improve active learning in introductory statistics, we introduce the use of concept mapping techniques as part of the course. While previous papers have touted the use of this and other interactive teaching methods in statistics education, we add to this literature by providing additional assessment of its efficacy. This comes…

Online learning programs are designed to expand high-quality educational opportunities and to meet the needs of diverse students. While the primary reason online courses are offered in school districts is to expand offerings to courses that would otherwise be unavailable, the second most commonly cited reason for offering online learning is to…

This paper reports on the examination of physics teachers' beliefs and perceptions of laboratory and ICT supported physics instruction. The findings indicate that the teachers in the sample were generally positive about the affordances offered by the physics lab and ICT in physics instruction. However, school culture context, mainly the need to…

This is the fifth survey since 1998 on the state of economic and personal finance education in the fifty states conducted by National Council on Economic Education (NCEE). A leader in promoting economic and personal finance education, NCEE conducts these surveys to gauge how the state standards, their implementation, course requirements, and state…

As this report goes to press, the nation's capital is in the midst of a six-moth, city-wide celebration of William Shakespeare. With this celebration as a backdrop, the American Council of Trustees and Alumni (ACTA) researched how Shakespeare fits into English curricula at 70 of the nation's leading colleges and universities. ACTA surveyed English…