The effectiveness of content-based second language instruction at the university level in Turkey is examined. Results from questionnaire and observational data suggest that content-based second language instruction improves students' receptive skills but is not as successful in promoting an ability to engage in meaningful, communicative activities…

This study investigated on-going program evaluation techniques designed to assess 22 special education preservice students' perceptions of the efficacy of a direct instruction course. Based on formative and summative evaluations, the study revealed a high level of satisfaction with direct instruction components that increased after field-based…

The present author's experiences teaching a graduate course on evaluation for those who train adults in various settings illustrate how principles of adult learning made the course practical. Outcomes from class experiences with an actual program evaluation are described for the students, evaluation client, and teacher. (SLD)

This article describes the goals, challenges, strategies, and successes of second-language teachers involved in The Books Project, in which teachers learned about writing workshops and received support to implement such workshops in their schools. The teachers involved found that they were particularly constrained by limited time, space, and…

Provides an update on community college responses to the new student majority who lack the skills to succeed in college-level work. Defines "at-risk students," identifies college responses to literacy problems, describes promising instructional strategies, and highlights problems in evaluating programs for at-risk students. (DMM)

This study examined three measures to determine which would provide the most useful information on changes in prospective teachers' conceptions of effective teaching: concept maps of effective teaching, computerized repertory grid interviews on teacher characteristics, or critiques of a videotaped teaching episode. Concept maps proved the most…

Describes the principles, practices, and procedures of the Teaching Students To Be Peacemakers program, a comprehensive, schoolwide conflict resolution and peer mediation training initiative targeting grades 1 through 12. Findings of the program's efficacy and impact in diverse school settings are presented. (GR)

By comparing pretests and posttests of elementary school teachers trained in the Full Option Science System, it is concluded that teachers showed gains in teacher confidence, science content knowledge, and attitude toward teaching science. (PR)

Evidence gathered from a study of nine teacher education programs shows that lay culture norms among education students are strongly ingrained. Teacher education as it is currently structured is a weak intervention to alter views regarding the teaching and management of diverse learners. (SLD)

In pilot study, special education teachers were exposed to experiences designed to enhance their skills in adapting substance abuse prevention activities and materials for their students. Although pilot students noted an increase in their teachers' emphasis on substance abuse prevention and their criterion-related attitudes/behaviors improved…

In this article, the authors describe a graduate course based on a cooperative learning strategy involving structured group interaction. The authors team-taught a semester-long course in which student groups worked on a consulting project requiring interaction between three distinct teams--the student group, a faculty team, and a team of field…

Problem solving and teamwork abilities are important skills for graduates entering the environment profession. Through a problem based learning approach small groups of students from the environmental courses at RMIT University have been gaining these professional skills by undertaking projects in Vietnam. With three years experience in running…

Multicultural education is "a democratic approach to teaching and learning that seeks to foster cultural pluralism within culturally diverse societies and an interdependent world." Multicultural teacher education is the effort to produce professional educators who are both committed to the ideals of multicultural education and competent…

This article presents a brief history of the National Science Foundation's involvement in education evaluation, reviews the program evaluations that NSF's Division of Research, Evaluation, and Communication (REC) has conducted in recent years, and describes future directions. The evaluations have reflected the field-driven nature of NSF's…

A carefully developed, comprehensive professional development plan takes time, energy, and coordination of resources, but when it's done well, it can seem as effortless as a perfectly pitched curve ball. Seven steps, each with a set of guiding questions, can help planners meet the goal and create a program that produces results. [Appended to this…