Federal, State and school-based professional development has become a multi-million dollar educational enterprise in Australia. Yet there are no published models for the making of systems-level professional development policy. Reviewing the literature on the characteristics of effective professional development programs, this paper proposes a…

The review describes the advance organizer technique and reviews the empirical evidence on the effectiveness of advance organizers with both normal students and students classified as handicapped. Examples of advance organizers include the expository advance organizer, the comparative advance organizer, the graphic advance organizer, and…

Critical review of the literature on problem-based learning (PBL) in medical education focuses on: (1) the credibility of claims (both empirical and theoretical) about the ties between PBL and educational outcomes and (2) the magnitude of the effects. Concludes there is no convincing evidence that PBL improves knowledge base and clinical…

The article reviews theoretical and research bases for the design and effects of the adaptive instructional approach for students with special needs in the regular classroom. Research indicates that the program can be implemented in a variety of school settings when supported by systematic staff development and organizational support. (Author/DB)

This paper discusses homework policy as a product of 50 years of experimental research. Part 1 discusses homework guidelines in grades 3 through 8 by suggesting that homework should be assigned, graded, and individualized. In addition, homework should provide feedback about student achievement that includes parental monitoring. Part 2 recommends…

Recent research on effective classroom management practices is summarized. Effective practices include organizing classroom space, establishing rules, developing classroom procedures, maintaining the learning environment (e.g., matching instruction to individual needs and monitoring pupil performance), and assessing the effectiveness of management…

This paper examines the concept of "outcomes-based education" (OBE), how it was developed, how it relates to other current reforms that encompass the notion of outcomes, and how it relates to students with disabilities in theory and in practice. Outcomes-based education holds that all children can learn and succeed and that schools are…

This book reviews the history and effects of women's studies in American higher education and concludes that the rise of women's studies has challenged the university in the same way that feminism has challenged society at large. The history of the field is narrated within the context of the philosophical and political goals of its practitioners.…

This introduction to six articles on learner-centered instruction of students with hearing impairments briefly looks at such principles as the importance of expectations, the interaction between practice and research, collaboration, reflection, and lifelong learning. (DB)

This text on teaching language to students with hearing impairments stresses the use of multiple language learning pathways to meet the individual needs of students. The introductory chapter looks at language issues in the context of history, instruction, technology, culture, and the law. Chapter 2, on language acquisition, discusses the nature of…

This review of the literature focuses on research findings concerning the long-term academic, social, and emotional effects of acceleration, as well as the results of non-acceleration, on gifted children. Access to accelerated programs in Canada and the United States was also investigated. The review led to the following conclusions: (1) academic…

This volume offers a systematic review of the literature on communication education and instruction. Making meta-analysis findings accessible and relevant, the editors of this volume approach the topic from the perspective that meta-analysis serves as a useful tool for summarizing experiments and for determining how and why specific teaching and…