The proceedings of a July 1989 conference of directors of research grants and research-based contracts funded by the Division of Innovation and Development of the Office of Special Education Programs are presented. The meeting featured a combination of general sessions, small-group discussions on research issues and content areas, and a panel…

This paper discusses the process involved in a change in curriculum at the Leafy Wood State School of Australia. The change involved most children who began attending the school in 1985 and 1986 (about 180 children aged 5, 6, and 7 years), their parents, 8 teachers, and the school administration team. The decision to change the style of curriculum…

Using information drawn from research studies, the literature, and personal experiences, selected physiological, cognitive, and affective differences among 10- to 15-year-old middle school science students are illustrated. A rationale is presented for K-12 school organization based on human brain growth studies, with particular emphasis on middle…

This book presents the history of Project Spectrum, a 10-year research project dedicated to developing an alternative approach to curriculum and assessment that respects the diverse interests and abilities that children bring to the preschool and early elementary classroom. The first chapter presents Spectrum's theoretical roots--David Henry…

Presents results of a selective survey of schools using individualized instruction (II) in Great Britain and a detailed description of a particular II self-study zoology course at University College, Cardiff. (CS)

Presents a background to the main issues concerning Asian language learning at a distance at tertiary level and in industry in Australia. Also reports on the development of the course, "Communicate in Japanese: A Self-Study Course," at the Institute of Languages. Describes the benefits of distance education learning as a means of…

Discusses research on phonological instruction that indicates that improvement in pronunciation for adult foreign language learners is possible via a multimodal methodology designed to accommodate individual learning styles. An extension of this research examines experimental subjects' improvement in pronunciation accuracy and pinpoints areas…

Describes the development of a 3-D virtual environment for secondary school and college physics and chemistry. Discusses individual learning styles; the effectiveness of visual stimuli in science education; implications of visual learning in designing instruction for differences in learning styles; and conceptual understanding. (LRW)

The article presents an instrument to help identify teachers' current teaching styles to encourage teachers to utilize teaching styles responsive to individual students' learning styles. The inventory assesses instructional planning; teaching methods; teaching environment (student groupings, room design, and learning environment); and evaluation…

Innovations in the teaching and learning strategies used in an organizational-behavior course developed for the business school of Curtin University of Technology (Australia) are detailed. Faculty (n=18) and students (n=800) involved in the course-development process were organized into semi-autonomous study groups and learned to cope with group…

In most schools, the term "arts" represents visual arts (art appreciation, painting, clay, etc.), performing arts (including music, dance, and theater), creative writing, and media arts (i.e., photography, digital video, and traditional filmmaking). "Theater" and "drama" are often used interchangeably, but "theater" comprises all of the technical…

The Multidisciplinary Academy of Clinical Education (MACE) believes that collaboration among children, teachers, parents, and clinicians is essential to prevent educational disabilities and handicaps. In this report, MACE offers suggestions regarding the general education of all children. A growing number of children are classified as having…

This paper describes an experimental early intervention program called the Kindergarten and Elementary Intervention Program, which provides support for at-risk students, their parents, and teachers. It aims at the improvement of early school adjustment through approaches designed to accommodate a wide range of individual differences; improve and…

An inservice training project has been designed for secondary school teachers who deal with emotionally disturbed adolescents in their regular classrooms. The objective of the training is for teachers to develop generic affective competencies for creating an affective classroom climate, managing conflicts and crises, and using positive classroom…

Major cultural differences impeded the smooth transfer of a 14 day management education program, which had been very successfully used in Western settings, to an Asian situation. Thirteen Chinese and two Caucasians, all of whom worked in Southeast Asia and had management degrees, attended the program to improve their skills in influencing those…