This paper explores the use of ethnographic biography as a source of information and reflection for student teachers. Ethnographic methods combine observation of a subject's teaching environment or context, examining the present rather than the past. Information can then be made available to student teachers in need of a personal viewpoint on…

The range and characteristics of learning strategies used in studying foreign languages were studied in a 3-year project involving 67 high school students of Spanish and 34 college students of Russian. This final report reviews second language acquisition theory and learning strategies, research in learning strategies, and a cognitive model of…

This report provides an overview and results of a state-level summative review undertaken to examine issues affecting program leaders and planners within the mathematics divisions/departments of Florida's 28 community colleges, make recommendations for changes and funding priorities, identify areas of need, observe trends, and highlight concerns…

This summary of research in science education continues a long tradition of review and analysis of research in science education by the ERIC Clearinghouse for Science, Mathematics, and Environmental Education. The summaries provide an overview of recent research, provide research information in a succinct form for practitioners and development…

This report examines the biography, elementary school social studies teaching goals, and specific U.S. history-social studies goals and curriculum mediation practices of one fifth-grade teacher, Ramona Palmer. Daily lessons and classroom teacher-student interactions are described in detail as Palmer moved through a 6-week unit on the American…

This report examines the biography, elementary school social studies teaching goals, and specific U.S. history-social studies goals and curriculum mediation practices of one fifth-grade teacher, Sara Atkinson. Daily lessons and classroom teacher-student interactions are described in detail as Atkinson moved through a 6-week unit on the American…

The California New Teacher Project (CNTP) commissioned pilot tests of assessment instruments during 1990. This document is the final report and analysis of the administration and scoring of these assessment instruments. The document, organized into 11 chapters, begins with an introduction describing research on new and experienced teachers,…

In light of debate about the developmentally inappropriate and culturally questionable use of standardized testing for placement of preschool children, alternative approaches to screening and assessment are required. The impact of a Head Start program upon children must involve documentation of physical and mental health, speech, hearing, vision,…

A 3-year research and development project examined ways to improve the retention of special education teachers in the Memphis (Tennessee) City Schools. Several individual studies identified sources of dissatisfaction with teaching and the conditions that would encourage career longevity among teachers. Responses from 470 special education and…

This qualitative study determined the behaviors and strategies used by 12 high potential, middle school students when they did not feel challenged in school. Teacher reaction to these behaviors was also documented. Data analysis revealed that these students engaged in the following behaviors: (1) selective attention, (2) focused curricular…

The objective of this study was to evaluate quantitatively through meta analysis the effectiveness of child sexual-abuse prevention programs conducted over the past 10 years. Eighteen controlled studies evaluating such programs were coded for salient features and study outcomes and were then described using the common scale of effect size. An…

The purpose of this longitudinal qualitative inquiry was to describe the socially constructed, negotiated, and contextual nature of an early field placement in an urban elementary school. The objectives were to document subtle changes over time in preservice teachers' reading/language arts subject matter knowledge and teaching beliefs and…

This volume addresses the feasibility of operating small schools as the mainstay of the public school system. Research evidence indicates that small schools are associated with better student outcomes and that they make personal attention, academic focus, and experiential curricula possible. The premise that small schools are more expensive has…

A study investigated the effectiveness of the Chapter 1 Reading Program, which provided assistance to 5,956 selected underachieving pupils in grades one through eight in the Columbus, Ohio public schools. The program featured small group instruction arranged according to pupil needs for the improvement of language and reading skills. Data included…

The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it provides the background to and describes the evolution of a major State University of New York (SUNY) research and development effort to create and demonstrate a unique model of learning which delivers interactive, multimedia mathematics curriculum to learners in their homes. This model was developed…