A study explored rural African American parents' perceptions of their own and teachers' levels of communication and involvement during the prereferral phase of the special education process. Nine African American parents from rural Mississippi, whose children received special education services, completed questionnaires and participated in a group…

This paper examines the ways that intentions are formed in classroom interaction. The setting is an English lesson at a maritime institute, and the topic is the grounding of a freighter. The formation of intentions is seen as an interaction phenomenon. A systematic approach is adapted on mental phenomena. In this approach psychological phenomena,…

This research intended to describe interventions to enhance students' motivation to read for enjoyment. Students' personal reasons for reading may include curiosity, social involvements, emotional satisfaction and/or necessity. Other reasons for reading may include: sustained involvement; challenge; compliance; recognition; competition; and work…

A study investigated the frequency of teachers' oral reading to students at the first, third, and fifth grade levels. Forty-eight teachers completed a survey designed to determine their frequency of oral reading to students, and their attitudes and beliefs about the practice. The results indicated that teachers viewed oral reading in a positive…

This case study presents a portrait of one English teacher within her school and in her professional contexts. It is part of a series of reports investigating methods of successful English instruction which reconciles professional trends with individual practice. The case study examines data collected during 1996-1998 from the classroom of Gail…

This issue of the Australian Early Childhood Association Research in Practice Series focuses on the ethical dilemmas encountered by those working in early childhood services in Australia. The booklet details some common ethical dilemmas and contains the text of the AECA Code of Ethics. The booklet includes background information on the code,…

Building on previous work that showed the importance of discussion for teaching literature and that discussion in low-achieving high school English classes is particularly infrequent (Nystrand, 1997), this study investigated a low-achieving class that featured regular discussions to gain insights into how dialogically organized instruction emerged…

It is viable to argue that literacy can be construed as a set of culturally-based discursive practices rather than as merely a set of cognitive skills. This idea has special relevance for students with learning disabilities, who often struggle with more traditional, individually-based curricular approaches. This study explored the ways in which an…

Historical information about how teachers have taught over the past century was reviewed to determine what patterns of teacher behavior have persisted over time, despite reformers' efforts to change them. Although there were periods of change during the 1920s and the 1960s, teacher-centered instruction reasserted itself after reform efforts…

Supervising teachers need to share specific behavioral information with student teachers concerning the use of particular behaviors and how they relate to motor learning theory and teaching style. Use of the Cole Descriptive Analysis System, an observation instrument that provides feedback about motor skills, is described. (PP)

Much school humor is more than playful behavior; it is also a form of coping behavior for both students and teachers. Humor aids in the development and formation of the self and in the preservation of dignity and self-esteem, even though it sometimes does so through the humiliation of another. (IS)

University teachers have a social responsibility to help other citizens, both inside and outside the classroom, formulate reasoned principles for themselves; for a faculty member to be an advocate for particular substantive positions is inconsistent with this responsibility. A checklist for precision in essay writing is appended. (MSE)

A code of ethics must legitimate the interests of academics by showing, at least, that good academic practice is auditable, serves society at large, and avoids conflicts of interest; is instructionally effective and evaluatively responsible; and is differentiated according to specializations, whose competencies are certified and relationships…

College faculty and freshmen program participated in a study of the effect of teachers' preference for complexity and tolerance to ambiguity. Teachers who preferred high complexity classroom interaction maintained significantly more verbal responses in the higher levels of cognition, thereby challenging student thinking. (PP)