Reports on a study of student perceptions of harmdoers among 164 second and fifth-grade Japanese students. Finds that older children perceived the harmdoer who apologized as less intentional and more remorseful than the harmdoer who made excuses and accepted the harmdoer's excuses only when they believed that the harm was not intended. (CFR)

Presents three responses to the perennial student question, "Why study history?": (1) the acquisition of higher-order thinking skills; (2) the construction of history through a consistent and clear lens; and (3) the safeguarding of American individualism. Asserts that teachers need to provide frameworks that allow students to interpret…

Reports on a study of students' preferences for social studies, English, and science courses among 888 secondary students. Finds that seventh graders preferred social studies over science, but this preference weakened substantially as students advanced into high school. Finds that boys preferred social studies over English throughout high school.…

Analyzes one teacher's attempts to implement innovative assessment practices and a meaningful science curriculum that encouraged learning, in the face of traditional assessment expectations. Focuses on three dilemmas: maintaining student accountability in cooperative learning situations, evaluating lower-ability students on fixed standards while…

A study (n=510) investigated students' cognitive and noncognitive variables predicting success and persistence in an undergraduate engineering program. Students performing well in science and mathematics and genuinely interested in engineering were more likely to persist and succeed. Predictor variables changed over the students' first two years.…

Studied the motivation and psychosocial needs of students in a General English classroom who were not connecting with the main coursebook. Results of a questionnaire revealed the learners' recognition of their needs and uncovered the problem's source and materials designed for solution. Course and materials design can be based directly on needs…

Studies the early childhood classroom as a setting for the continuing development of communication, cognition, and social skills for language minority students. Because the integration of language and content is best done through the use of children's literature, weekly literary selections motivate student interest and stimulate oral and written…

Discusses strategies for teaching Spanish to students with learning disabilities. These strategies include using flexible materials and alternative assessment methods, accepting individual students and ascertaining their disabilities, adapting to student needs, using a multisensory approach, and teaching students study skills particular to…

Compared attitudes of children in child-centered preschools and kindergartens with those of children in didactic, highly academic programs in terms achievement and motivation. Compared to children in child-centered programs, children in didactic programs rated their abilities significantly lower, had lower expectations for success on academic…

Contends that the success or failure of an undergraduate research project can hinge on one or two decisions made at an early stage in the process. Describes a "Snakes and Ladders" board game used to remind students of good and bad research design practices. Includes game rules and a listing of the good and bad practices. (CFR)

Multi-Media Detectives was a project where fifth graders in three Michigan school districts were linked to a children's bulletin board. The goal was to have students "think global but link local" by using online resources to search for local facts and local celebrities and to bring them to life via technology. (JMV)

Four eighth and ninth graders with learning problems were studied, focusing on their learning environments, learning behavior, and subjective experiences in the classroom. Ego-involvement and self-protective behaviors were noted. Results are discussed in terms of self-worth theory and motivation theory. (SLD)

Compares American and German educational system structures, emphasizing organizational and curricular features of school- and work-based preparation for the labor market. The countries have fundamentally different school to work transition models which significantly affect their students. The article makes recommendations for improving both…

Discusses the need to create a learning environment in the computer lab that encourages students to "dabble." Benefits include increased student motivation, help for special needs students, and a decrease in truancy. Presents answers to possible objections to this form of student-directed learning and provides tips for running a lab efficiently.…

Describes the effort of a middle-school teacher to incorporate heterogeneous grouping into her math class. One day per week, heterogeneously grouped math students worked in teams to solve and present solutions to different kinds of logic problems. Suggests that flexibility and freedom to be creative are the keys for incorporating new ideas into…