Today, nearly 1 billion adults are totally illiterate; the large majority are women. Varying and vague definitions of literacy abound in the literature and in practice. Literacy is only a potential tool that can be used for a variety of economic, social, political, and cultural purposes. Three principal state objectives for launching literacy…

Ways to prepare and present lectures that hold college students' attention and involve them in the teaching-learning process are discussed. Attention is focused on linguistic, rhetorical, and psychological aspects of classroom communication; common communication problems in the classroom; and how to overcome and avoid communication problems.…

In support of the premise that a better understanding of the causes of poor student motivation may lead to the development of techniques to stop unmotivated students from dropping out of college, this paper reviews the literature on the nature of motivation among adolescents and factors influencing academic achievement. After introductory comments…

A method in bilingual education by which subjects can be taught in two languages, known as "the Concurrent Approach," is the school curriculum defined and discussed here. After a brief overview of the professional literature, the rationale for the implementation of this approach is offered on the basis of four criteria: (1) mental processes, (2)…

Bloom has argued that most students, not just a few, should be able to do top quality school work if given appropriate instruction. Mastery learning, which includes frequent diagnostic testing followed by remedial instruction, has been proposed as an effective strategy for increasing pupil achievement. In this study, teachers used a mastery…

Research on four troubleseome subjects encountered in English language instruction is examined in this volume. The first problem surveyed, the extent to which a study of Latin can help students master English, yields the conclusion that any benefit from the study of Latin transferable to English is likely to be meager and superficial. An analysis…

Aimed at the classroom teacher directly, this do-it-yourself book describes new techniques for dealing with the challenge of turned-off students. It presents some of the theoretical background for the techniques suggested, and explains how their effects on pupil performance can be measured. It is not a cookbook which prescribes the one best way…

This guide focuses on 14 instructor competencies identified by the International Board of Standards for Training, Performance, and Instruction. It provides examples, job aids, worksheets, case studies, and sample dialogs and contains actual experiences and critical incidents faced by trainers who participated in the survey study. Strategies to…

"Adults Learning Languages" is aimed at those responsible for teaching languages across AE, FE and HE. In the much-changed world of post-19 languages, new funding and inspection regimes with revised needs for quality assurance are challenging practitioners to adapt and review approaches. This book offers teachers of languages to adults tools to…

Describes a fourth grade teacher's interdisciplinary efforts at imparting the joys of archaeology to her students. The students read fiction and non-fiction materials about the physical environments and participated in a series of hands-on learning activities. These involved simulated archaeological digs, personal artifacts, and realia. (MJP)

Discusses the "flashback" method of history instruction that begins with analyzing specific, current conditions and then traces their historical evolution. This method allows students to feel connected to the subject while participating in its historical investigation. Compares the "flashback" and the traditional chronological…

Draws parallels between Montessori's mathematical curriculum and the evolution of numbers and counting. Suggests that children share with ancient Sumerians a basic human tendency to develop "the mathematical mind." Argues that children do not need to be surrounded by math; rather, the classroom must supply them with the means to explore…

Recent empirical research has identified significant advantages for interactive video instruction over traditional teaching methods in "soft skill" (humanities and social sciences) areas, including cognitive achievement, transfer of learning to performance, learning motivation, student achievement across uncontrolled student characteristics, user…

This study describes the use of VaxNotes, an electronic conferencing software, in a 16-week graduate distance learning course at a large Midwestern university. The seminar was taught at two campuses, by two instructors, connected by video and audio distance learning technologies. Discussions held outside class were conducted initially by…

Recent studies have documented a decline in academic performance and motivation as students move from elementary to middle level schools. This paper expands these studies in three ways: (1) by examining the classroom-level differences among middle school students' motivation to see if motivational constructs vary by classroom; (2) by exploring the…