This document represents volumes 1 and 2 of the proceedings of the 24th annual conference of the Mathematics Education Research Group of Australasia (MERGA) held at the University of Sydney, June 30-July 4, 2001. In volume 1, papers include: (1) "Connecting Mathematics Education Research to Practice" (Judith Sowder); (2) "Understanding, Assessing,…

This study identified instructional strategies that family and consumer science teacher candidates found useful, noting why the strategies aided their learning. A 2-hour lesson on classroom management using small group theory was selected based on its ties to constructivist pedagogy. Before teaching the lesson, the instructor described her…

In a best-evidence synthesis of studies that examine change in teacher candidates' conceptions and practices during their teacher education course work, too few researchers provide evidence for the linkage between candidates' beliefs and their learning. To address this problem, a mixed-design study explored on the micro-level (i.e., a lesson) the…

Group effectiveness skills, including interpersonal communication, negotiation, and teamwork, are essential in today's diverse classroom and workplace. Various ways have been identified to prepare learners to be effective in group situations and to aid teachers to prepare themselves to be skillful group facilitators. The following are some…

This report discusses the outcomes of a project that examined the social and contextual factors that underpin the identification of elementary students as having learning disabilities. Data were collected in a primary education classroom in Queensland, Australia. Initially the teacher was interviewed on teaching practices, the literacy curriculum,…

The purpose of this study was to direct graduate students enrolled in an Educational Leadership program during 1999 and 2000 to achieve three standards with performance outcomes and attributes of evidence and to reflect on the strengths and weaknesses found in the implementation of each standard. The study involved 40 graduates enrolled in a…

Middle Georgia College started the Faculty Technology Minigrant Program to prepare graduates to be successful participants in a technology-based society and to enhance student learning through instructional technologies. Developed by the Technology Roundtable Committee (TRC), the program addresses the need for faculty expertise in choosing and…

This paper reports on an investigation examining science classrooms in Korea from two perspectives: constructivism and student-teacher interaction patterns. The constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) and the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI) were used to obtain comprehensive information on science classroom environments. The…

The Mathematics, Science, and Technology Educators and Researchers of The Ohio State University (MSaTERs-OSU) is a student organization that grew out of the former Ohio State University Council of Teachers of Mathematics (OSU-CTM). Papers from the fifth annual conference include: (1) "Models of the Structure of Matter: Why Should We Care…

This research examines how peer facilitators in an experiential learning model of communication in introductory speech communication courses offered at the University College of Cape Breton in Nova Scotia, Canada, are able to meet the specific learning needs of male and female students simultaneously. Also examined is the perceived role of these…

This annual serial volume offers readers glimpses into learning communities, demonstrating how students are brought together for the common purpose of learning. It gives a view of the teacher as learning guide and facilitator of group discussions and activities. The articles are a primer on how to build one's own learning community. The overriding…

Student assessment is dependent on the educational views of the teacher. Arts pedagogy in comprehensive schools has several approaches, orientations, and even genres, each in turn having hidden practices of student evaluation. These stem on the one hand from the pedagogical tradition of the field (music, visual arts, drama, craft) and on the other…

This paper describes a fictitious scene that could be used to support role-playing activities in the science classroom. The scripted scenes contain interviews with Gabriel Fahrenheit and Anders Celsius regarding the development of their temperature scales. Although the scenes are imagined, the scientific concepts are factual and could be used to…

The reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act in 1994 includes explicit requirements to ensure that students served by its Title I are given the same opportunity to achieve high standards and are held to the same high expectations as all students in each state. By the spring of 2000, states should be prepared to submit evidence…

The goal of this book is to provide caregivers with interventions, treatment options, and treatment plans for teaching aggressive youth how to replace unhealthy, anti-social, and destructive behaviors with healthy, socially acceptable, and safe behaviors. The first part of the book defines what aggression is and introduces and discusses two…