Project PIONEER (Partnerships in Integrating and Operating New Effective Educational Research) was a 2-year funded Title VI Excellence in Education Grant awarded to Independent School District 861, Winona, Minnesota, for the purpose of promoting among secondary students "learning how to learn" skills and an awareness of how knowledge is…

This monograph sets forth in detail the concepts included in the five domains of teaching as identified by the Florida Coalition for the Development of a Performance Evaluation System. The first domain, planning, includes the concepts: (1) content coverage; (2) utilization of instructional materials; (3) activity structure; (4) goal focusing; and…

This course content guide identifies the objectives that form the basis for social studies in grades four through eight in Arkansas schools. Classroom teachers, curriculum specialists, administrators, professors, and the Department of Education personnel participated in the guide's development. The information for each grade is presented into…

Study strategies are those specific reading skills that increase understanding, memory storage, and retrieval. Memory techniques are crucial to effective studying, and to subsequent performance in class and on written examinations. A major function of memory is to process information. Stimuli are picked up by sensory receptors and transferred to…

A study investigated the effectiveness of using a small-group discussion as the main vehicle for the construction of an initial representation of a problem that activates previously acquired knowledge. College students (N=39) were randomly assigned to either an experimental condition or a control condition and asked to brainstorm about a presented…

Critics of collaborative learning such as Greg Myers argue that educators might let their enthusiasm for collaborative learning lead them to accepting social construction of knowledge as a good thing in itself. It is important, however, to distinguish between the use of specific collaborative learning activities--such as peer response groups or…

The relationship between processing style (either auditory or visual) and sentence and imagery strategies was investigated with a sample of 80 second-grade children. Assignment to auditory- and visual-processor groups was based on subjects' recall of 16 pictograph sequences, four of which included visual interference and four of which included…

This monograph consists of papers delivered at the "Symposium on Simulation in Teacher Education" that was held to examine or define the state of the art of simulation in teacher education. The following papers are presented: (1) "Instructional Alternatives Available for Use in Professional Education" (D. R. Cruickshank); (2) "The Role of…

Recent studies have used the notion of "empowerment" to describe individuals who assume a more critical and personally active approach toward the teaching profession. "Empowered" teachers are committed to providing thoughtful and challenging educational experiences for children and encouraging their pupils to develop personal…

A brief description is given of the Bellack System, which is used to analyze the content and structure of discussion. The system identifies who speaks, when they speak, and what they say. Four types of pedagogical "moves" were identified by Bellack: (1) a structuring move--beginning a new topic; (2) a soliciting move--a question; (3) a…

The central aim of this monograph is to stimulate discussion, both of the assumptions that are made about what makes one teacher more effective than another, and of the actions and decisions that are taken as a result of these assumptions. Organizationally, the monograph: (1) presents a brief overview of research on teacher effectiveness; (2)…

The peer coaching program described in this paper was designed to promote a teacher self-directed system which established sharing with colleagues through team planning and classroom observation and feedback. While the ultimate goal of the program was to improve instruction and, thereby, to increase student learning, the program also facilitated…

The Multiple-Strategies Model offers teachers eight instructional prescriptions, which when allied with an appropriate strategy, can lead to effective teaching. The presecriptive elements are generic in nature and, therefore, can be used successfully in virtually any instructional setting. The eight instructional prescriptions include: set,…

The focus of education today is on producing graduates who can function competently in the real life work situation, thus challenging teachers to produce students who are self-directed and self-motivated lifelong learners. The clinical contract is an effective learning strategy in aiding students to become more self-directed and confident. In…

Written for teachers, this paper reviews basic concepts and issues relating to the topic of student motivation in the classroom and suggests strategies for teachers to use in motivating their students. The paper identifies four essential preconditions that must be in place if teachers are to motivate effectively and then provides descriptions and…