Character education programs support the development of positive character traits in children and adults. Effective violence prevention programs improve pro-social competencies and reduce negative behaviors in students by enhancing protective factors (strong bonds with teachers; clear rules of conduct that are consistently enforced) and targeting…

Circulation data from the Virginia Tech Libraries were analyzed to determine the extent of continuity or change between the author's study of the use of subject collections in 1982 and the present. Book circulation has declined, largely due to much less use by undergraduates. The overall profile of subject use has changed in ways traceable to…

A component in the study of critical thinking which needs to be addressed is informal reasoning fallacy. It is a type of mental trickery which is able to self-deceive undergraduates and public at large. In order to practice good critical thinking, one has to detect and get rid of these fallacies. However, students have to be disposed in detecting…

Research historically has demonstrated that a generational disconnect between the popular cultures from which students and teachers define normative behavior can impact classroom management and student learning. The purpose of this study was to examine attitudes, beliefs and perceptions of high school faculty toward the hip-hop culture and its…

Between 2002 and 2007, data showed that 33% of alternatively certified teachers within a Florida school district withdrew from the profession within their first three years, and up to 40% of teachers withdrew within their first five years. In response, this study explored the causes for the retention and attrition of alternatively certified…

This investigation focused on a group of 17 faculty drawn from disciplines in the humanities social sciences and natural sciences. Using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and qualitative coding strategies, this study examined how faculty conceptualized the term critical thinking (CT), and how they assessed for it in general education…

Students who take classes in education departments at universities receive significantly higher grades than students who take classes in other academic departments. The higher grades awarded by education departments cannot be explained by differences in student quality or by structural differences across departments (i.e., differences in class…

The in-school suspension program (ISS) for grades 6-12 in Thomas County, Georgia, is described in this report. The program retains students in school, offers individual help, and provides the opportunity to stay on task. During the suspension period, students are placed in individualized carrels in the suspension center and must complete…

This paper presents an overview of the literature concerning discipline in the classroom, focusing specifically on the root causes of discipline problems and the development of problem-specific responses. A bibliography and suggestions for further reading are also included. (DS)

This study examined the extent to which the size of school enrollment affects teacher control over discipline. The study was limited to high schools in Texas. Fifty high schools were randomly selected from each of five size classifications. A random sample of 750 Texas public high school teachers were selected for the study (150 from each…

The author of this paper maintains that corporal punishment is a desirable alternative to permanent suspension (expulsion) in cases involving unmanageable students. There are restrictions that must be placed on the use of corporal punishment so that it is a beneficial and not a destructive force. No physical harm should be done to students. The…

Calls for increasing the severity of punishment ignore the nonschool origins of discipline problems and fail to consider the role of the schools themselves as a contributing factor to the problems. (Author/IRT)

The need to improve classroom atmosphere is questioned by scarcely anyone, but what causes hostility and conflicts in student-teacher relationships may not be equally clear. This article examines the problem and holds out the promise that some help may be on the way for vocational teachers. (Editor)

While he celebrated higher education as the engine of progress in every aspect of American life, George Keller also challenged academia's sacred cows and entrenched practices with provocative ideas designed to induce "creative discomfort." Completed shortly before his death in 2007, "Higher Education and the New Society" caps the career of one of…

Research and higher education are, to a greater extent, being governed and evaluated by other than fellow scholars. These changes are discussed in relation to Gilles Deleuze's notion of a transition from "societies of discipline" to what he called "societies of control". This involves a shift from pyramid-shaped organisations,…