Thirty-four fifth graders in three conditions worked in pairs to learn science materials presented in classroom lessons. Students who used highly elaborated question stems outperformed those using less elaborated systems and unguided questions. Findings indicate that structured guidance in asking questions elicits explanations that mediate…

Examined the relationship between phonological sensitivity and letter knowledge in 4- and 5-year-olds in a one-year longitudinal study. Found that phonological sensitivity predicted letter knowledge growth, and letter knowledge predicted phonological sensitivity growth, when controlling for age and oral language abilities. Also found that the…

The reflective practices of four student teachers in a Canadian suburb were studied as they undertook an extended practicum. The experiences of one of these students illustrate an alternative way of thinking about the nature of knowledge construction. Central to this alternative is the difference between an incidental and a thematic rendering of…

Uses concept maps to reveal important changes in the knowledge base of preservice teachers. Finds that preservice teachers in a school-based, three-course "literacy block" constructed richer, more professional, and more complete concept maps (relating more literacy teaching and subject-matter ideas together with logically appropriate connectors)…

High school students (N=129) attending five state schools for the deaf responded to a questionnaire concerning their knowledge of AIDS. Results indicated that students had extremely limited core knowledge of AIDS and that AIDS-education programs for this population are urgently needed. (DB)

An international educator believes that the commonly shared, fundamental source of tension and negative social interaction is ignorance and the consequent lack of appreciation of cultural diversity. Educators' moral duty is to instill knowledge of cultural diversity and model tolerance of all religious and ethnic backgrounds. (MLH)

Developed and standardized an Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) questionnaire which was tested with 1,667 adolescents and 277 college students in Hong Kong. Results support the reliability and validity of the scores from this measure of AIDS knowledge among adolescents in Hong Kong. (SLD)

Describes students' (n=175) understandings of the structure of animal (including human) skeletons and the internal organs found in them. Finds that older students have a better knowledge of animals' internal anatomies, although knowledge of human internal structure is significantly better than knowledge of rat, bird, and fish internal structure.…

Examines the impact of street mathematics on African-American students in one inner-city elementary and one urban high school. Offers suggestions for using street mathematics as an alternative to traditional mathematics instruction for at-risk students. (SLD)

Examines how the Field Independent/Dependent (FI/D) learning styles of 24 science and math teachers in West Virginia might relate to the teachers' attitudes toward the Internet. Research questions focused on the effect of an Internet-based workshop on Internet-related knowledge and attitudes, relationship between prior computer experiences and…

Looks at some key elements of teachers' knowledge and skill bases and considers how these might be supported in Web-based instruction. Describes the "micro-genres" that constitute the instructional events of the online class. Introduces a software package to demonstrate how these interactions may be facilitated in practice. (Author/AEF)

This study examined perceptions about autism in regular education (N=35) and special education (N=29) teachers in Greece. Both groups revealed confusion about causes of the syndrome but special education teachers were more able to identify the syndrome's specific characteristics. Regular and special education teachers also identified different…

Used interviews and observations of teachers and students to examine how historical concepts and research strategies were taught and learned in two fourth grade classrooms. Found that teaching method differences were obvious but student differences in concept- and strategic-knowledge development were subtle. Both teachers were partially successful…

Describes a study that investigated the relationship and development of fifth-grade students' conceptual ecologies of heat. Contends that relying on a single mode of assessing students' learning can lead to a restricted view of what they truly know. (WRM)

Assessed preschoolers' peer aggression and emotional displays outside of and during aggressive interactions, their emotion knowledge, and peer acceptance. Found that connections between affective dispositions and aggression and peer acceptance varied as a function of the emotion context and the particular emotion involved. Significant connections…