Between 1986 and 1990, a longitudinal study called Teacher Education and Learning to Teach (TELT) was conducted by the National Center for Research on Teacher Education (NCRTE). The purposes of the study were: to investigate how formal teacher education bears on teacher learning; the impact that a variety of approaches or alternatives have on…

The impact of portfolio assessment, specifically writing portfolios, on the norms of classroom assessment practices were studied in two English Language Arts classes in a middle class suburban high school in the Los Angeles (California) area. Data were gathered through observations and interviews, and the examination of 25 student portfolios, with…

A research project was conducted in Washington State in 1992 to develop an assessment system that could be used by adult basic education (ABE) and English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) programs to satisfy accountability requirements and to provide assessment information useful for classroom instruction. In this preliminary work, 35 ABE/ESL programs…

This study sought to examine American College Test (ACT) and basic skills placement test score patterns; the use of these test scores in academic advising; student performance in freshman level reading, English, and mathematics courses; relationships among these factors and their power to predict or account for placement and performance; and…

This paper compares the effects of desegregation on black achievement with the effects of other factors in the process of school learning that have recently been synthesized. The first section of the paper discusses techniques and guidelines for research synthesis, including meta-analysis. The second section presents a summary of the statistical…

This study was designed to provide information about factors that influenced career decisions and career development patterns of contemporary engineers. Graduate engineers (N=2835) and beginning student engineers (N=980) completed survey instruments designed to measure demographic, cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors. Subjects also…

Designed for use with elementary students, 44 activities using a restaurant theme integrate creative thinking and decision-making skills with language arts, mathematics, and art. The activities, which can be used independently by the students, deal with types of restaurants, names and themes, floor plans, interior and exterior design, house…

The research described in this paper examined nonverbal factors affecting the education of Chinese American children in bilingual/bicultural classrooms. The purpose was to define how such variables as interpersonal distance, arrangement and use of space, pace of participants, size of groups, use of time, and interpersonal synchrony influenced the…

An elementary-level learning activity packet helps students develop self-awareness. Activities such as poems, crossword puzzles, collages, and writing exercises focus on pride, self-control, self-confidence, individual characteristics, friendship, likes and dislikes, and emotions. Suggestions are provided for using this packet as part of a…

Although women comprise the majority of the population, fewer than 9 percent are employed as scientists and engineers. Research indicates that girls have poorer attitudes toward science, enroll less often in science courses, demonstrate lower achievement levels in science, and have fewer experiences with science materials or instruments. Among the…

High school social studies students (n=448) were each assigned to one of 16 groups defined by possible combinations of two teacher uncertainty conditions (uncertainty vs. no uncertainty), two teacher "bluffing" conditions (bluffing vs. no bluffing), two lesson discontinuity conditions (discontinuity vs. no discontinuity), and two lecture notes…

Three possible explanations for superintendent succession focus on poor administrative performance, district response strategies, and the politics of the chief executive's relationship with the school board. To analyze succession in the context of declining enrollment, a case study survey was conducted of 56 school districts whose peak enrollment…

The Université des Lycéens (University of High-School Students) was set up in France in order to make scientific knowledge more relevant to students and to combat a growing lack of interest in science among students. The scheme involves a series of lectures to students by scientists, each followed by a debate. The organisers hope that putting…

A handbook for faculty discusses classroom assessment techniques as part of a larger effort to improve teaching and learning in traditional college classrooms. The introduction covers criteria for selecting classroom assessment techniques, organization of the handbook, five guidelines for successfully using assessment techniques, general comments…

Relevant research literature does not generally support the notion that class size is a significant variable in learner achievement. This, if true, may be the result of various factors. Although teachers believe that they alter their teaching strategies for different class sizes, this may not be the case. More likely is the possibility that…