Examines adults' literacy-assisted behavior, roles, and role-taking during spontaneous play of three and four year olds in three literacy-based play settings. The descriptive observations point toward commonalities among adults' facilitation of literacy play, accepted play intervention techniques, and adult behavior in storybook reading contexts.…

Recent court decisions concerning school board actions regarding the use of instructional materials indicate substantial deference to the judgment of the school administrators and board members. As long as boards act for a valid educational purpose, they have increasing freedom to decide the inculcation of values is more important than…

This article presents research on making the college classroom conducive to learning for women. The presence of sexism in language, sexist classroom behaviors, and the absence of information about the achievements, roles, and experiences of women from curricular content may leave female students alienated from what they are learning. (Author/MLW)

Investigated were the seating patterns of target students in science classrooms to see whether there was an action zone or T zone present. Questioning level, understanding level of students, and pacing of instruction by teachers are discussed in terms of target students. (KR)

Four problem-based tutorial groups (n=23 students, n=4 faculty) in Harvard University Medical School's New Pathway track were studied to determine what interactions characterized student-directed discussion. It was found that students selected most topics discussed, that tutors questioned infrequently, provided limited information, and tolerated…

Study analyzed relationships between teacher behavior and student academic learning time (ALT) in junior high physical education (PE). Analysis of videotaped classes indicated students spent under 15% of their time in ALT-PE. The most frequent teacher behaviors were silence, management, preinstruction, and concurrent instruction. (SM)

Asserts that no attitude is more detrimental to democratic values than blind allegiance to numerical data. Maintains that children must challenge and debate numerical data. Includes examples of data collection and activities designed to encourage students to be skeptical about numerical information. (CFR)

Describes the effects of teacher subject-matter knowledge on classroom discourse at the level of individual utterances. Details analyses conducted in a year-long study of language in the classrooms of four new biology teachers. Among the findings are that these teachers talked more, asked more questions, and relied heavily on low cognitive level…

Discusses the relationship between teachers' espoused beliefs and beliefs in action, examining two beginning teachers' first-year experiences and the contrasting beliefs they articulated over time. Working conditions strongly affected the teachers. They developed beliefs about teaching and learning during preservice education that were unrelated…

Contends that most teachers do not effectively identify and correct student misconceptions and mislearning. Reviews models to identify student mislearning and ways to help students correct the mislearning. Describes a staff development program in which mentor teachers received training using these instructional strategies. (CFR)

Asserts that prevention of social deviation is a major goal of contemporary Russian education. Discusses preventive pedagogy and whether it can be transformed into a systematic effort to reduce antisocial behavior. Concludes that preventive pedagogy must be linked with criminology, sociology, and other behavioral sciences if it is to succeed. (CFR)

Recommends the use of freehand maps to teach geographic concepts. Argues that they can be used to highlight selected information. Contends that the technique can be used effectively by students and teachers. (CFR)

Describes a 12-year program in which learning-disabled students visit an ice cream making company in Providence, RI. Provides instructional objectives and procedures for the activity. Includes suggestions for postactivity discussion and student evaluation. (CFR)

This review of 5 books, 21 articles, and 11 papers on general- and special-education collaboration found that the dominant culture of individualism and balkanization in higher education institutions, the lack of appropriate reward structures for collaboration, and contrived collegiality inhibit the development of collaboration. Characteristics of…

Describes the author's experiences teaching at four Taiwanese universities in eight years. Presents a way of dealing with students' needs called the discovery approach to teaching literature: the three main components are performances, activities, and journals. Notes that the Taiwanese students were hungry for talk about substantive issues. (RS)