Reports on field study of school rituals in two U.S. southern private schools. Finds one school's rules and procedures promoted scientific analysis, abstract thinking, and individualism, whereas other saw itself as nurturing community, seeking organic and interdependent relationship with world. Concludes both schools engender commitment and belief…

Describes the imparting of values as a multidimensional model with three dimensions: (1) mode; (2) intent; and (3) preparation. Emphasizes that this model focuses on the teacher. Provides suggestions and classroom behavior examples to illustrate the model and its implementation. (CFR)

Describes the philosophy and operation of schools based on the ideas of Celestin Freinet, founder of the Ecole Moderne movement. Discusses the child-centered approach, cooperative-learning techniques, and participatory decision making that are characteristic of these schools. Points out that the curriculum frequently emphasizes contemporary social…

Asserts that alcohol and drug abuse among Russian adolescents and young adults is a social disaster. Reviews results of study of parents and teachers which indicates that drugs and alcohol are considered major problems in Russian schools. Finds that both teachers and parents believe that parental use of alcohol is a primary factor in student…

Reports on a review of multicultural content of the "Music Educators Journal" in the years 1967-1992. Finds that the number of articles, special issues, and book reviews on multicultural music education increased significantly during the 1970s. Asserts that heightened interest in instructional methods and teacher education followed in…

Describes an instructional activity in which students are given false data in a research methods class. Finds that all students accepted the data but that seniors were more skeptical than sophomores or juniors. Determines that students agree that the approach helped them learn about the costs and benefits of deception in research. (CFR)

Describes a 20-year study that queried more than 1,500 community-college faculty members on what motivated student learning. Presents the resulting six motivators: (1) teaching skill; (2) organizational structure; (3) teacher-student rapport; (4) course difficulty; (5) grading and feedback; and (6) teacher's impact on students. Lists demotivators…

Using Halpern's 1997 psychosocial model of cognitive development, this article evaluates and extends the literature demonstrating that gender differences on standardized tests of quantitative reasoning may reflect underlying differences in cognitive processing that may be explained in part by socialization patterns inherent in American culture.…

This study investigated whether 12 professional development school (PDS) teachers changed their perceptions of roles and responsibilities and adjusted their performances to meet this redefinition as a result of participation in an elementary school/university collaborative. Findings suggest that teachers created and maintained three roles:…

Recommends music teachers setting up management systems that delegate some tasks to others in order to accomplish their myriad duties and avoid burnout. Contains numerous examples of delegated tasks, including student self-governing systems and home practice systems. Describes how some tasks can be handled by student organizations. (MJP)

This study examined the practices of exemplary elementary teachers of second-language learners. Observations of and interviews with eight teachers found five common practices (engaging in reflective practice; embedding instruction in a respectful context; using current instructional strategies; activating students' prior knowledge; and maintaining…

Three Head Start teachers who served students with special needs in their inclusive classrooms participated with an early childhood special education teacher conducting peer coaching sessions. Results indicated that all Head Start teachers increased their rate of responsive statements. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Direct observational data on 17 general educators and on eight matched pairs of middle school students with and without behavior disorders (BD) was collected. Teachers' use of student-centered practices versus teacher-directed classroom management practices was associated with positive and task-appropriate student behavior, but only for students…

Reviews research findings in the context of Australian children in the following areas: (1) health and well-being of children in both family and school contexts; (2) early-years classes from children's perspectives; (3) classroom interactions; and (4) quality assurance and best practice as it relates to role of teacher in enhancing child thought…

This study explored how background factors are related to teachers' behaviors. Currently, it is unclear what variable most accurately predicts teaching behaviors; experience, general education, or specialized training. The participants in this study were 47 early childhood educators. Teachers were primarily female and all worked with children aged…