This study investigated time allocated to instruction as a function of the specific type of mild handicap and as a function of setting and subject matter content. Subjects were 122 elementary students categorized as learning-disabled, emotionally/behaviorally disturbed, educable mentally retarded, and nonhandicapped. Subjects were in mainstreamed,…

This is one of a series of reports which provide definitions of and descriptive data on the variables used in the Comparative Study of Phase IV of the Individually Guided Education (IEG) Evaluation Project. Phase IV investigated three curriculum programs specifically designed to be compatible with instructional programming for the individual…

The reactions of social studies educators to "A Nation at Risk," the report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education that examined the quality of education in the United States, are discussed. The survey was an informal one that asked educators, mainly teachers and professors, what their reactions were to the report in…

Nineteen junior high school teachers of English, social studies, and mathematics for low-achieving students participated in a study of the process of teacher change resulting from inservice training in effective teaching techniques. The purpose of the training was to increase student time on task and interactive instruction. Participants were…

This project paper reports the interobserver agreements and reliabilities for the observation procedures used in the Descriptive Study of Phase IV of the Individually Guided Education Evaluation Project. Only data from four observers--at the two Developing Mathematical Processes Schools and the two Wisconsin Design for Reading Skills Development…

According to a recent survey, school superintendents in Illinois generally favor the kinds of educational reforms being urged by national commissions on educational excellence. Over 100 superintendents from randomly selected elementary, secondary, and combined school districts in Illinois responded to the 104-item questionnaire. The survey sought…

Six learning-disabled second-grade resource room students with auditory deficits had poor listening skills that inhibited their attention to directions and their accurate completion of assignments. Using a curriculum which incorporated visual, auditory, and kinesthetic modalities, the practicum project encouraged and motivated the children and…

Studies of how children spend their time in school, how teachers' perceptions and student characteristics affect interactions and the use of time in classrooms, and how the concept of time relates to student achievement were reviewed in preparation for an investigation of the extent to which different groups of children have different learning…

High school mathematics teachers were trained to provide mastery learning instruction. A primary characteristic of this method of instruction is the feedback-corrective enrichment loop. This study was conducted to determine whether class time could be allocated for the principles of mastery learning within the fixed amount of available time…

Using the Internet to administer homework allows us to determine if students change their homework habits during a semester and if this change results in an improvement in grades.

To determine which types and qualities of science teaching strategies stimulate students to become involved in learning, middle and high school students (N=147) were observed for time-on-task (time actively spent by the student in learning) and off-task during periods while being taught by five student teachers. The "Teaching Strategies…

A number of research studies have shown that the factors important to academic achievement are time allocated to instruction, the amount of time students actively engage in learning, and the degree of success they experience while learning. To put this into practice, personnel with the Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) have…

The major purposes of this study were to determine how individual third graders use and understand school time, to ascertain what relationships exist between their use and perception of school time, and to generate conclusions about third graders' use and understanding of school time that would be relevant for educational administrators and…

A review of research and proposed models on classroom processes allows identification of four key characteristics of effective classrooms in elementary and secondary education. The four characteristics encompass (1) teacher attention to student characteristics, including prior learning and learning styles; (2) congruence among the course goals,…

A study to identify variables between more or less effective student teachers tested student gains in learning a psychomotor skill. The student teachers were observed as they trained students to perform the "handstand roll over" in physical education classes. Observation focused on content of instruction, skill attempt reactions, management of…