Review of models traditionally used by different disciplines to describe thinking processes led to development of a general model and testing in six pure and applied matched disciplines (physics, engineering, psychology, education, English literature, composition). Professors applied the models to their courses in different ways and used various…

Explores the relationship between teaching methods in elementary school social studies and development of critical thinking for 18 fifth and 18 sixth graders receiving direct instruction in critical thinking, contrasted with 17 fifth and 27 sixth graders traditionally instructed. Efficacy of direct instruction is not demonstrated. (SLD)

Contrasts the traditional honors program and the Advanced Placement program of the College Entrance Examination Board using the self-reports of 155 high school science teachers experienced in both programs. Examines the perceived influences of each program format upon the use of basic teaching techniques, laboratory experiences, pacing of the…

Investigates effects of tonal harmonic accompaniment on 30 University of Miami (Florida) undergraduate music theory students' sightsinging ability. Finds harmonic accompaniment improved students' sightsinging accuracy especially at lowest training levels. Examines rationale for sightsinging with accompaniment; reviews related research findings;…

The results of a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) project at 10 Job Corps centers nationwide with 5,379 trainees indicate that effects of CAI after about 60 hours of classroom instruction are small and achievement gains are not significantly different from those of students taught conventionally. CAI may help motivate students. (SLD)

Identifies important criteria for assessing the quality of educational research and applies these 20 identified criteria to 2 recent international comparative studies in education, the Second International Science Study and the first International Assessment of Educational Progress. The major types of criteria are utility, propriety, and accuracy.…

A study evaluated the instrument used for rating faculty in the pediatrics department of the University of Wisconsin medical school by assessing its measurement of overall teaching effectiveness in two different instructional settings. The form was shown to be reliable and useful for faculty development and decision making. (MSE)

The transcript of a debate within a group of specialists in translation is presented. The discussion addresses: translator "visibility" in translations and reader reception; the relationship of functionalism in translation, comparative linguistics, and intercultural communication; the client's power; literary translation; the…

One trend in educational and cognitive learning theory being adopted by designers of computer-aided learning (CAL) tools and expert systems is case-based reasoning, or the use of previous examples or cases to solve new problems. This article examines principles of this method, including guided exploration, memory aids, and partially self-directed…

Compares quality improvement and accountability processes in the United States and United Kingdom. For the United Kingdom, looks at quality audits, institutional assessment, standards-based quality assurance, and research assessment; in the United States, looks at regional and specialized accreditation, performance indicator systems, academic…

Before the second world war, pupils in Czechoslovakia were expected to conform to discipline and to accept the teacher's style of teaching. Selection was accepted, with the highest attaining pupils siphoned off at age 11 to academic schools. After 1945, the countries of the Soviet bloc adopted the Soviet system of single-stream comprehensive…

This study examines the influence of a dramatic art-based history program for fifth-grade students on both their learning and enjoyment of history. The program, called "Performing History," reflects theories of effective use of drama in the classroom as well as successful ways to teach history. The program presents historical information as part…

This study compared the use of an animated pedagogical agent (agent) with an electronic arrow and voice narration (arrow and voice) in a multimedia learning environment where 74 college level English as a Second Language (ESL) students learned English relative clauses. No significant differences in learning or performance were found between the…

Content-based language instruction has become a widely adopted pedagogical approach to EAP. This paper reports the results of a study of the effects of content-based ESL instruction on students' future academic performance. The study used college academic records to evaluate the academic performance of two groups of ESL students who enrolled as…

Academic assessment for students with challenging behavior is often overlooked. Confronted with a curriculum that is above or below their instructional needs, students may engage in a range of inappropriate behaviors (e.g., acting-out, withdrawal, social avoidance). In that behavioral and learning problems are reciprocal, academically related…