Reports on a study of 5,000 student evaluations of teachers (SETs) and their relationship to the final grades the students received in introductory economics classes. Finds that there is little relationship between the rating of instructors and the grades received by students in their classes. Recommends that colleges and universities explore…

Asserts that debriefing is the missing link between learning achievement and simulations in social studies. Maintains that teachers who employ computer-assisted instruction must utilize effective debriefing activities. Provides a four-step debriefing model using the computer simulation, Oregon Trail. (CFR)

As part of Alberta's Educational Quality Indicators initiative, Spirit River School Division used staff, parent, and student input to develop indicators of effective teaching: 26 teacher behaviors related to planning and preparation, communication skills, teacher-student relationship, and instructional strategies. The indicators provided a basis…

Argues for a reworked pedagogy in the networked computer classroom to counteract the emergence of prejudicial attitudes which marginalize people in online discussions. Encourages interventionist strategies such as centralizing discussion and giving preparatory lectures. Proposes that instructors should be more accountable for confronting and…

Relates the author's experiences teaching remedial reading in a Texas high school, where the state-mandated exit-level competency test heavily influences teaching. Discusses negative effects on students and on teachers. Describes how the author's teaching evolved from an emphasis on this basic skills test to a focus on engaging students in…

Reports on a study that presented rehearsal excerpts demonstrating the presence or absence of specific teaching attributes, asked subjects to evaluate them in each category, and compared subjects' ratings with data demonstrating the presence or absence of those attributes. Presents results based on the evaluation of 10 categories of student and…

Describes a university instructor's "exhilarating and exhausting" experiences teaching English in China. Notes that the instructor felt simultaneously like a precious resource and an abused one; and that the opinions he espoused in China were taken to be not only his opinions but also those of most Americans. (RS)

Reports on the views and attitudes of secondary science teachers (n=27) toward lesson planning. Describes teacher decisions, the things they take into account, what they ascribe the most importance to, time spent, the source of their knowledge, and how they evaluate the results. Contains 46 references. (Author/WRM)

A study used the College Student Experiences Questionnaire database to examine whether a "chilly classroom climate" exists for women students in higher education, and if so, whether faculty behavior contributes to this environment. Results show female students were not experiencing this climate, and reported college experiences and gains…

Reviews the research in choral music education from 1983 to 1995 in order to detect trends in the field, significant clusters of interest on specific topics, the decline of interest in previously popular topics, or the emergence of new areas of interest. Provides extensive references. (CMK)

Argues that teachers' narrative performances compel audiences to endorse rather than investigate the identity that the narrator offers. Warns against using narratives as a means to fulfilling personal identity projects. Suggests that analyzing teachers' stories might provide another perspective on the contribution that teachers' narratives make to…

Examines the degree of teachers' stress tolerance by studying secondary education teachers in Izhevsk (Russia). Concludes that the teachers' level of expertise influences their level of stress tolerance, there is a positive connection between higher self-assessment and stress tolerance, and personal mechanisms of stress tolerance serve to foster…

A study investigated classroom dynamics and 13 young children at risk for the development of serious emotional disturbances (SED) as compared to 13 typical peers. Students at risk of SED were generally rejected by teachers, spent less time academically engaged, and received more negative or neutral nonacademic teacher feedback. (Author/CR)

Examines a first-grade, rural school teacher's use of a newly adopted literature-based basal reading series over the course of one year. Finds that the teacher had a positive attitude toward the new series and believed that she had changed her methods and beliefs of teaching reading. Shows that in fact she modified the materials to meet her…

Two studies investigated effects of a cognitive early education program on teachers' use of mediated learning strategies and kindergartner's cognitive modifiability and task-intrinsic motivation. Study 1 found that teachers with program experience used more mediation than nonexperienced teachers. Study 2 found that program children improved…