A graduate course at the University of New Hampshire is intended to help special educators of young children to develop communication and collaboration skills. Program evaluation has indicated that attitudes of professionals and their interactions with parents were changed in the direction of greater empathy, increased respect, and more…

Reports a study of 12 preservice elementary and 12 preservice secondary science teachers to determine the effects of methods instruction on their beliefs about the teaching/learning process. Results indicate that secondary teachers may have more complex belief structures than elementary teachers and that slight structural changes occurred for both…

A class in racial tolerance, now in its third year at New Utrecht High School in Brooklyn's (New York City) Bensonhurst section, is being replicated in 15 other schools. The weekly year-long class traces the civil rights movement and examines causes of contemporary racial strife. (SLD)

Asserts that the relationship between geography and citizenship education has been used to include geography in the British curriculum. Describes how early geography instruction was linked to imperial strategies of the government. Discusses how geography education changed through the World War I, World War II, and post-war periods. (CFR)

Asserts that the guiding principles of the United Nations and the issues it faces are a major part of the interdisciplinary program at Morristown-Beard School in New Jersey. Describes the Model UN club and how it reinforces the content and values presented in the regular curriculum. (CFR)

Contends that teachers as well as students function in a gender-biased environment. Asserts that the history and social studies curriculum regularly is taught in a patriarchal manner and that this denial of the past is harmful to young women and men. Questions whether or not a scholarly backlash against women has begun. (CFR)

Examines sexism and curricular patterns in Britain's educational system, describing one coeducational secondary school. Option choice, school negotiation processes, and teacher role in reinforcing gender stereotypes are discussed. Results indicate that option patterns and student assumptions lead to choices reflecting traditional, stereotypical…

Two studies conducted with 244 academically gifted seventh graders and 1,996 high school students indicate that specific content knowledge taught during a short time does not increase Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) scores, but that educational experience over 5 years does relate to development of abilities measured by the SAT. (SLD)

Recommends using informal writing exercises to increase students' involvement in large survey history courses. Explains several activities in which undergraduates collect their thoughts on particular lecture topics. Also suggests that students keep journals to accompany reading assignments. Argues that journal writing enlivens the material and…

Discusses a high school unit on First Amendment rights developed for a gifted students class in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Describes the unit's origins and procedures, such as issues studied and the use of research projects, guest speakers, and field trips. Emphasizes students' interest in learning about their rights. Identifies critical…

A study found college honors (n=231) and nonhonors (n=709) first-year students were similar in extracurricular interests, educational objectives, and some study habits; they reported differences in most other areas. Findings have implications for advising both groups, such as placement of emphasis on format of academic courses, orientation to…

Examines the collaboration process between a teacher, teacher-librarian, and language specialist working to develop an integrated language and content novel study unit for a fifth-grade class with a high percentage of mainstreamed ESL (English-as-a-Second-Language) students. Definitions and principles of collaboration are described, and the…

Presents two examples from 1990 curriculum guide written for Pullen School. Designed for middle school students, "The Japanese Gardener as Visual Artist" emphasizes nature in aesthetic depictions including architecture, horticulture, and visual arts. Appropriate for primary grades, "Reading/Language Arts: Using Books from the…

Suggests ways to maximize benefits and minimize problems of obtaining master's degrees in music education through summer school graduate study. Considers factors that distinguish summer school from the regular calendar: changes in faculty, reduced course offerings and performance opportunities, and altered college environment. Includes a nine-item…

Surveys levels of political tolerance among 152 U.S. government teachers and 96 social studies coordinators in Texas. Investigates attitudes toward various groups (e.g., neo-Nazis), and whether respondents felt that even disliked groups should be accorded their civil liberties. Concludes majority of these educators practiced what they taught.…