Action research is, quite often, the method of enquiry employed by undergraduate and postgraduate students in higher education who are studying for accredited courses. In recent years, students studying for taught doctorate (EdD) degrees with their focus on practical aspects of education are also adopting action research as a method of study. This…

In this book the author discusses the field of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) as one in which practitioners are highly committed, dedicated and willing to learn. Generally, they try to do their very best for the children with whom they work. However, the author also shows that the field has hitherto been neglected in the areas of…

This anthology of 32 autobiographical tales is based on both personal and professional experiences. The anthology's eclectic tales offer: recalled moments of childhood wonder; anecdotes about remarkable and not-so-remarkable students; lessons from the pulpit as well as the battlefield; and stories of painful loss, hilarious mishaps, and awesome…

A study was conducted at a program in rural southwest Virginia to determine whether Head Start parents and adult basic education/high school equivalency program students use critical thinking skills. More than 50 definitions of critical thinking were collected, and Bloom's Taxonomy was reviewed for background information. The teachers' manual for…

This book is intended to be a practical guide to the encouragement of reflection in teaching and learning within the context of the British higher education system. The book emphasizes the use of questions for focus; the use of examples to answer the questions; more generalized discussions based on the examples; the use of ordinary language…

Cultural proficiency is the self awareness to recognize how a person--because of ethnicity and life experiences--may offend others and may yet offer others something unique and special. This book expands on that theme and addresses educators at all levels, offering an invitation to reflect on the practice and craft of instruction. The book's case…

Based on a classroom teaching incident described elsewhere in the issue, use of reflective teaching to improve college instruction is discussed. Ways in which the professor's changing understanding of the teaching situation can be deepened by teacher-directed assessment in such a context and, in turn, inform future classroom research, are…

This article offers educators of students with disabilities guidelines to facilitate better interaction with families of children who are culturally and/or linguistically diverse. It urges self-evaluation and reflection on personal interaction style and necessary modifications to facilitate cross-cultural communication. It suggests ways to…

This publication provides practical, step-by-step guidance for teachers on becoming more effective in classroom management by using a positive and constructive, rather than negative and punitive, approach to foster prosocial student behavior. The publication is divided into an introduction and three parts. The Introduction examines why effective…

Increasingly, the innovative teaching approach of the preschools of Reggio Emilia, Italy, are being adapted to U.S. early childhood settings. This book describes the growth and evolution of the work in the St. Louis Reggio Collaborative over the past 10 years, addressing the fundamental principles of the Reggio approach as they are experienced in…

This book provides a perspective on what standards for learning mean for daily practice in public education, offering teachers and administrators a four-part structure for organizing classrooms for teaching to the standards and giving teachers specific strategies for helping students reach the higher requirements. The four practices combine all of…

Successful adult students employ strategies to learn, and effective adult education programs attend to the development of learning by enabling students to study learning processes in addition to content. Good learners have the ability to identify goals and the steps required to achieve them, identify the strengths of their own learning, actively…

This how-to guide to classroom inquiry takes educators through the process step-by-step, from beginning to end, answering critical questions on developing the research plan, collecting and analyzing the data, and writing and publishing the results. Seven chapters include: (1) "Teacher Inquiry Defined" (e.g., what teacher inquiry is and how it…

Offering 16 essays by presenters at the first Middle School Mosaic (held in Detroit, Michigan, in 1997), this book connects the themes of literacy, reflective practice, and the special characteristics of middle level teaching. In the first section, Literature and Literacy at the Middle Level, the authors examine questions of literacy by looking at…

Encourages high school physical educators to engage their students in experiences that facilitate the acquisition of critical thinking skills, examining two lessons that highlight the extent of student engagement in critical thinking task demands. Suggestions are provided for planning lessons that include conscious efforts to engage students in…