This book reports on the research findings of the Pakistan Study, a collaboration between the Harvard Institute for International Development and other organizations in Pakistan. The focus is primarily on what affects student learning in Pakistan's government-sponsored primary schools. Chapter 1 discusses primary schools in Pakistan and the…

This book explores concepts and methods of self-directed learning (SDL), documenting and illustrating the SDL methodology with practical examples. SDL is a synergistic process in which a teacher helps learners use various strategies and perceptual skills to learn on their own, become more responsible for their learning, and take charge of their…

Information used to prepare this publication was collected from Colorado's school districts. In fall 1995 there were 656,279 students in Colorado's 176 school districts, an increase of 2.5% over the fall membership of the previous year. Beginning with fall 1990, each year's membership has surpassed that of the previous peak of 1972. Membership…

Perfectionist students are not satisfied with merely doing well or even with doing better than their peers. They are satisfied only if they have done a job perfectly. Problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on seeking success are relatively minor, but problems associated with forms of perfectionism that focus on avoiding failure…

This study examined the teaching style and methods of Ana, a kindergarten teacher in Portugal, chosen because she is considered a master teacher by colleagues and parents and because she grew up in Portugal before democracy. The study attempted to answer the questions: (1) What are the commitments and competencies that distinguish Ana as a master…

Numerous studies have demonstrated predictive links between children's attachment relationships with parents and teachers and their success in the social contexts of child care and school. This body of research underlines the importance of children's ability to establish positive relationships with adults and to effectively use these adults to…

This report summarizes information and discussion from a 1993 workshop on the Summer Research Opportunities Programs (SROPs). These programs are designed to enhance doctoral research opportunities and mentoring for minority graduate students. The present publication is intended to serve as a guide for those wishing to develop or strengthen SROPs…

This book suggests that professional knowledge (knowledge of subject matter, curriculum, and pedagogy) is not sufficient for becoming an exemplary teacher. It must be combined with interpersonal knowledge (relationships with students and with the educational and local communities), and intrapersonal knowledge (teachers ethics, dispositions, and…

Educational resilience is defined as the heightened likelihood of success in school and in other life accomplishments, despite environmental adversities. This paper summarizes the concept of resilience as it has been advanced in developmental psychopathology and discusses educationally relevant research that is consonant with the definition of…

Designed to help teachers improve instruction, this handbook provides tips gathered from focus groups of teachers and students at New Jersey's Mercer County Community College, as well as from other teaching resources. The first part focuses on the contribution of faculty-student interaction to student success, listing 21 suggestions for building…

A Puerto Rican teacher of an eighth grade consisting of 33 students (19 girls and 14 boys) at a racially-mixed public middle school found that teaching students about race and gender is a risky venture. The median age of the students was 13.8. The racial demographics were as follows: 45% African-American, 31% Euro-American, 18% Latino, 3%…

This study examined school-related stress in children with and without disabilities, specifically the sources and manifestations of such stress and whether children with disabilities experience greater degrees of school-related stress than children without disabilities. The nondisabled group comprised 7,200 grade 4-12 students from urban and…

This project investigated the possible causes of and solutions to the reticence of many Japanese students attending General English courses at the University of Edinburgh Institute for Applied Language Studies (Scotland). It was suspected that students' reticence affected their rate of learning and personal improvement as well as the general…

Teachers of the middle grades are being asked to be advisors as well as instructors to their students. The teacher is expected to teach the whole child, showing awareness of the child's affective self as well as the cognitive self. The teacher as advisor is a new role--and one for which many teachers feel unprepared. This guide is designed to help…

Coping with students who display social adjustment problems can be frustrating. However, teachers can take actions toward minimizing classroom conflicts by socializing students into a classroom environment conducive to learning. Modeling prosocial behavior is the most basic element for enhancing student socialization. In situations in which…