Compares differences in successive pretest/posttest scores for 46 undergraduate volunteers following the application of distinct teaching formats to each of 3 consecutive subsections of a human physiology course. Indicates scores increased favorably for audio-visual lecture and self-study tutorial formats but no significant increase for didactic…

Discusses the issue of access versus ownership of academic library materials necessitated by rising costs, declining budgets, and increased scholarly production. Highlights include technological advances in resource sharing; performance criteria for access; costs; speed (user expectations, turnaround times); and reliability (fill rates of…

A study of 21 experienced non-mathematics teachers reflections on learning two mathematical concepts was conducted to examine ways that students process teacher explanations. Notebook and transcript extracts of the lessons indicated that the participants made a continued effort to assign meaning to the new material, experienced anxiety, and that…

A history teacher and a Spanish teacher describe the setbacks and successes of an interdisciplinary team-teaching experience in the history and literature of Central America at St. Norbert College (Wisconsin). The course, evaluation by both students and an experienced team teacher, and development of a new syllabus are discussed. (MSE)

Reviews a study of preschool children's movement responses to music in a natural learning setting. Describes ways in which the findings of the study can be used for the development of a music curriculum that provides a developmentally and individually appropriate program. (BB)

Discusses methods of improving the performance of integrated learning systems (ILSs). Topics addressed include the theoretical basis of ILSs; appropriate level of instruction; academic learning time; motivation; quality of instruction; a study of elementary students' use of ILSs; individualized and homogeneous group activities; mixed-ability…

A holistic approach was used to evaluate student writing skills in a high school that is part of a residential treatment program. Faculty members scored 740 writing samples in the fall and spring of the 1990-91 school year. Good interrater reliability and significant skill gains for students were found. (SLD)

This study investigated the relationship between characteristics and views of 35 middle school sexuality education teachers and their students' responses to the course. Teacher and student questionnaires indicated a variety of teacher variables were significantly related to students' sexual knowledge, attitudes, and anticipated behaviors and to…

Initiatives at the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) to improve instructional quality include identification of teaching skills through consultation with expert teachers, specification of teaching standards, use of student feedback on teaching, awarding of distinguished teaching awards, assessment of teaching competence upon hiring, a…

A total of 318 students in preschool, kindergarten and first grade used the Primary Grade Pupil Report to report on their teachers. Preschool students' reports on teachers were more negative than those of kindergarten and first grade students. Factor analysis identified different significant factors for the two groups. (Author/BB)

Experiences of the Des Moines (Iowa) public schools as they work for educational improvement and school restructuring are described. The school system will be considered successful only if what is taught is learned at an acceptable level by all students. Restructuring is traced from its 1989 inception to the present. (SLD)

A study of 56 inner-city Canadian teachers found they believed that student behavior and attitude combined with familial situations were strongly related to students becoming at risk for school failure. School violence and gangs, large class sizes, and limited school resources and programs were rated as moderately contributing to student risk. (CR)

This paper presents the findings of a research project about Australian TAFE librarians' information literacy practices. The project addressed two research questions: What are the practices that TAFE librarians use to teach and foster information literacy? What changes have occurred since the last TAFE information literacy survey in 2001? During…

On-campus networked personal computer (PC) usage at La Trobe University Library was surveyed during September 2005. The survey's objectives were to confirm peak usage times, to measure some of the relevant parameters of online PC usage, and to determine the effect that 24 new networked PCs had on service quality. The survey found that clients…

Perceptions of student/professor competence and the reasons for a "chilly" classroom were investigated through a survey of 2,042 students from seventy-seven liberal arts colleges. Chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests showed statistically significant different responses by gender for all the questions. The perceptions of competence survey showed mixed…