Consideration of the subtleties in a group of Navajo children's science learning activities provides us with some useful ways of viewing those activities. It also more clearly establishes the elements to consider in valuing or not valuing the use of these kinds of activities that I am calling "games" and other possible kinds of student inquiry…

Mention the observance of African American History Month and the name Carter G. Woodson immediately comes to mind. Woodson, an educator, publisher, and historian, initiated the "Negro History Week" observance in 1926. Known as the "Father of Black History," Woodson believed that it was important for African Americans to know their history in…

Although the class in advanced public speaking is a mainstay of communication instruction, little scholarship has addressed the nature of expertise in public speaking or the instructional techniques by which it is imparted. The present study conducted in-depth interviews with 23 active college teachers of advanced public speaking, inquiring…

Picking up from a previous publication in IJLE, the primary objective of this article is to engage in a critical analysis of the concept and practice of 'active' (including 'participatory') learning as well as the usefulness to educators of 'active learning methodologies'. Through a review of relevant literature and research, highlighting problems…

In this study, the authors examined the impact of task assignment on the effectiveness of a Web-based experiential exercise based on cognitive flexibility theory to enlighten learner attitudes toward the ill-structured topic of sexual harassment. In the research study, we sought to shed light on the use of a cognitive flexibility approach when…

Educators make decisions on how they are going to approach teaching and learning based on the goals they are required, or hope, to attain. In many cases, when high-stakes tests are utilized to determine whether a curriculum has been taught and students have mastered it, the curriculum and teaching are so aligned with testing objectives that the…

This article describes an exercise that allows participants to experience the challenges of managing intergroup behavior as an organization's task environment grows and becomes more complex. The article begins with a brief review of models and concepts relating to intergroup dynamics, intergroup conflict, and interventions for effectively managing…

This is a training activity to address the learning domains of knowledge and attitudes that can be used with a wide range of groups. The purpose is to encourage participants to view health in the larger context of overall well-being, at how sexual health fits into that, and at ways an individual can take care of their health.

This article describes the results of a year-long exploration of first graders' tool use. It also showcases instructional activities designed to link tool use with quantitative understanding. (Contains 3 figures.)

Making choices is an essential part of functioning independently as an adult in society. Activities specifically directed toward helping students learn to make choices, however, are typically neglected in educational programs for students with severe disabilities. This paper presents a rational for the inclusion of choice-making as an important…

This study examined how the report of the National Reading Panel (NRP) in 2000 might have differed if qualitative research had been included in their examination of text comprehension instruction. Electronic and hand searches yielded 12 qualitative studies meeting criteria for inclusion in the study. Each of the studies was read and coded to…

This article proposes a reconsideration of curricular objectives with respect to the teaching of culture, in the interest of broadening the humanistic scope of the second/foreign language curriculum while at the same time alleviating the pressure of a typically over-extended instructional agenda. Recent research and theory support a relational…

The objective of this study was to evaluate grade 9-12 students' motivation while engaged in two different engineering design projects: marble-sorter and bridge designs. The motivation components measured in this study were focused on students' intrinsic (IGO) and extrinsic (EGO) goal orientations, task value (TV), self-efficacy for learning and…

This user's guide provides an overview of an approach to learning about different cultures that is based on an understanding of young adolescent development. It highlights three teaching methods that are considered of particular importance to the educational process: (1) the integration of materials in social studies and language arts classes; (2)…

This user's guide presents an interdisciplinary teaching approach for middle school instruction in the area of African-American history. It emphasizes the importance of cultural diversity and the need for tolerance to allow students to see racial harmony as a step to global peace. The guide is divided into four sections that encompass…