The notion of a knowledge society has led policy-makers and reformers to look for classroom practices that would lead to more productive learning in schools. Modern educational technologies are often thought to transform the traditional presentation-recitation mode of instruction into more participatory learning. This paper assumes that teaching…

Recognising and nurturing giftedness in young children presents an important challenge to educators. This study sets out to identify and support gifted children through the provision of a rich learning environment in the Nursery (Kindergarten) setting. Practitioners in the Nursery aimed to provide cognitively challenging activities appropriate to…

In this paper we propose that Interaction Analysis studies, which focus on the process-product relationship between types of teacher--student interactions and learning outcomes, present only part of the learning picture. Clearly, not all teacher?student interaction patterns are equally effective for students at different ages and stages of…

An attempt was made to ascertain what type of verbal interaction behavior manifested by a group given a problem in curriculum development affects the quality of the product. Thirty ad hoc groups, selected randomly, were given curriculum development tasks to solve. Curriculum Guide Form (CGF) and Bales' Interaction Process Analysis (IPA) were used…

The use of counseling to encourage teachers to become amenable to educational change is discussed. (CK)

Reports on a study designed to assess the effects of "formal" and "informal" group activities on children's participation in day care

Reports on research which examines the nature of the interaction between teachers and pupils when the Active Tutorial Work (ATW) strategy is used. Concludes that the teacher remains the center of the interaction whenever present in the learning group, despite the increased use of cooperative groupwork. Compares results with those obtained through…

Draws upon observations of children at home and at school in order to consider the messages conveyed by different styles of adult/child interaction and to make suggestions concerning curriculum organization. Calls for a fundamental re-examination of what it means to be a teacher. (RH)

The design and reliability testing of two instruments--the Macro Argumentation Structure (MARS) and the Coalition forming and Dominance (CODOM)--to assess the deliberation process (argumentation and interaction) during curriculum conferences/decision making are reported. The study was conducted at the Department of Education of the University of…

Historically, teachers have primarily worked alone in their classrooms, have served as deliverers of standardized and textual materials, and have been managed. Now, however, they are expected to work in teams, create active-learning curricula, and manage themselves. This paper examines a self-initiated team of K-6 grade teachers working in a…

The notion of symmetrical communication and its application in course teams at Deakin University, Australia, are considered. Symmetry in communications is evident in groups characterized by mutual recognition by members of one another as persons accepted and appreciated in their common striving for mutual understanding and consensus. The technique…

A curriculum developer suggests that current educational reform movements can be given a sound theoretical base through a careful reanalysis of the educational writings of John Dewey. (CS)

TO TEST THE APPLICATION OF THE GENERAL SYSTEMS APPROACH IN CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT, A PROBLEM WAS PROPOSED IDENTIFYING THE PHENOMENA AND CONTINGENT VARIABLES OF THE CURRICULUM SYSTEM WITHIN THE INPUT-OUTPUT FRAMEWORK. WITH TEACHERS, SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS, AND GRADUATE STUDENTS OF EDUCATION AS VOLUNTEER PARTICIPANTS, TWO EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS GIVEN…

Measuring the exchange process between teacher and child, a neglected but necessary pursuit, is dependent upon the identification of the behavior system through which information is exchanged and upon the instrumentation used for measuring that exchange. This paper describes an instructional strategy, intended for use with disabled readers, in…

Multicultural education, a complex, organic process, needs to be re-examined and redefined by teachers. Multicultural education is a reality today. How to define it, teach it, and use it to increase achievement are important issues to address. Approaches to multicultural education are discussed. (BJV)