Recognizing that children's spontaneous use of text structure facilitates their comprehension of expository prose, a study examined the transfer effects of graphic organizer instruction on 24 fourth grade students' ability to use top-level structure in the comprehension and recall of new content area material. Subjects were randomly assigned to…

Procedures and findings of a recent introductory psychology textbook selection effort at 4-year liberal arts undergraduate institution are presented. The following sequential steps were taken: (1) identification of introductory texts for consideration; (2) design of an evaluation form for reviewing targeted books; and (3) collection and analysis…

In a politically changing world, "languages in contact" must be redefined as "speakers of different languages in contact," and the implications for language learning and teaching must be recognized. Phenomena occurring beyond the languages themselves should be addressed in both language instruction and the construction of…

Experienced teachers enrolled in two graduate reading classes examined seven informal reading inventories (IRIs)--three at the elementary level and four at the secondary level--to (1) discover what text types (narrative or expository) they used at each level to measure student comprehension skills and determine instructional levels and (2)…

A study of the organization of modern language curricula in Council of Europe member countries includes a discussion of theoretical aspects and problem areas in syllabus design, an analysis of syllabuses for school use, and a statement of the principles of syllabus construction. The discussion of syllabus design problems looks at the concept of…

In the past, science textbooks have been the target of criticism by educators and feminists in studies of sex bias in education. The purpose of this study was to develop a useful tool that could be used in formative or summative evaluation of the level of sexism in science textbooks and as a research tool to study the effect of sexist…

An examination was made of a representative sample of language arts subtests on achievement test batteries and language arts textbooks to assess the skills tested and determine the material included in the instructional sequence. The four achievement test batteries were the California Achievement Tests, the Comprehesive Test of Basic Skills, the…

The following assumptions motivated this monograph's analysis of commercial based reading programs: (1) basals represent the state of the art in reading instruction; (2) to offer suggestions for improvement of instruction, existing practices must be understood in detail; and (3) information about instruction contained in the literature at large or…

Most secondary science courses in North America are designed to use textbooks as the primary or exclusive source of information about the content or processes of science, and most science teachers focus their instruction on a single text. Although there are many serious issues raised by the overwhelming reliance on text-based teaching/learning in…

A study examined composition textbooks to determine any trends in composition instruction from 1900 to 1959. The study period was divided into three periods--1900 to 1917, 1918 to 1935, and 1936 to to 1959--and three textbooks from each period were content analyzed. A categorical framework was formulated, permitting allocation of tasks found…

The content of textbooks teaching the use of a computer was studied. An important component of skill learning, choosing the right procedure at the right time, is difficult in computer education because the connection between real-world goals and the generic procedures described in a manual is often obscure. Furthermore, it is difficult to tell…

Analyses of elementary and secondary social studies textbooks, supplementary materials, and teacher resource materials, all published in 1981 and 1982, are presented. The objective is to provide analyses of curriculum materials which will allow K-12 teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators, and college methods teachers to select materials…

Chemistry textbooks on the market during 1979-80 designated for non-majors were read and analyzed to determine references of value judgments made on social, political, or economic issues. Textbooks included those used in general education courses, first-year chemistry courses, and in terminal introductory courses such as those in allied health…

Using the ERIC system, a library search of textbooks, publications from school administrator associations, and the recommendations of educators and researchers, the authors survey the literature from 1970 through 1981 on the principalship, especially on educational leadership and administrative practices. They identify two types of…

Current interest in the content and methodology of college physical science instruction stems from a recently adopted general education program for Montgomery College, a two-year comprehensive community college. It is contended that physical science should play a major and vital role within the science component requirements of a student's program…