Describes an undergraduate religion course at Brigham Young University (Utah) in which seven learners pursuing an online baccalaureate degree were invited to join 49 on-campus students. This case study presents an evaluation of the course based on interviews with distant learners, on-campus students, and instructors. (MES)

Discusses the needs for restructuring the curriculum, instruction and environment of middle schools to better meet the needs of learners and teachers. Suggests that most reform today is moving toward a developmentally appropriate, child-centered approach. Issues under consideration include a definition of developmentally appropriate programs at…

Explores the attrition rate of instrumental music students between the initial grade level of instruction and grade seven. Compares retention rates between those programs that housed grades five and six in the same building and those that housed them in separate buildings. Considers implications of these findings. (MJP)

Examines the degrees of permissiveness and strictness in the socialization patterns of 220 Israeli adolescents at home, at school, and in youth movement participation. Discusses the divergent approaches developed by each of the three socialization agencies. (FMW)

Asserts that traditional approaches to art education ignore such issues as the effect of the social and political environment on the production of art, and the influence of the marketplace. Contrasts the views of working artists and art educators on a set of broad issues including media and technology. (MJP)

Describes the growth and development of bilingual education on the Navajo Reservation and resultant outcomes for Navajo students, educators, and communities, and demonstrates how learning is mediated by language and culture in the Navajo context, as well as the critical conditions needed to sustain genuine two-language education. (16 references)…

For a sample of 398 middle grade students in a rural area, found that youth from homes in which adults were employed in low-income occupations had lower levels of school achievement than other students and that youth from families in which neither parent had graduated from high school exhibited worse socioemotional and academic adjustment than…

Presents four articles discussing methods and activities that can help early childhood educators meet the demands of children with special needs. Suggests that helping those children participate in the center's activities can facilitate their social and cognitive development and support their inclusion in society. Creating the appropriate…

Discusses future changes in instruction, particularly in grades five through nine. Highlights include technology-induced changes; changes in the authority structure, including teachers as managers of information; multidimensional learning environments; rate of learning, including time on task; curriculum knowledge of teachers; thinking skills and…

Universities and schools differ in their orientations toward the role of reflectivity and activity in collaborative restructuring efforts. This article describes and compares three models of school-university partnerships in relation to factors that may affect the balance of reflectivity needed for successful collaboration. (Author/IAH)

Advocates applying the theories of Anton S. Makarenko, an early influential Soviet educator, to the practice of school administration in the Soviet Union. Reviews Makarenko's theories, focusing on the establishment of a unified labor collective school, responsible for students' political socialization and character development. Stresses the…

Examines the impact of children's attendance at preschool on teaching and learning in 77 low-income Hawaiian families' homes. Data from the families (18 participating in a year-long series of interviews) illustrate the development of 2 parental scripts, 1 for skills used in the home, and 1 for preparation for school. (SLD)

Describes the use of a HyperCard-based computer-assisted instructional program at Otago Polytechnic (New Zealand) that replaces traditional lectures in analytical chemistry. Topics discussed include the instructor's role; computer-managed testing; writing the computer program; computer simulations; digitized video movies; and student reactions.…

Illustrates how the Reggio Emilia (Italy) Approach to learning uses classroom projects to provide valuable learning experiences to young children. Suggests how certain aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach of classroom project work may be applied to teaching and learning strategies in the United States. (BB)

Explores the hypothesis that declines in achievement demonstrated in early adolescence result from educational context through a review of studies and analyses using National Education Longitudinal Study data (sample of 24,599 eighth graders). Evidence of a mismatch between school environment and student needs is discussed. (SLD)