Discusses a study designed to evaluate the relationship between curriculum innovation and the classroom instructional methods of teachers and their students. Concludes that although significant changes in classroom practices accompany the introduction of a new curriculum package, the changes were antithetical to the intentions of the package…

Describes a program developed at the University of California at Santa Barbara library to make students more aware of the diverse population and to support the new ethnic studies curriculum. Topics addressed include library instruction; teamwork and diverse representation; developing library collections; cooperative teaching; and student response.…

Examines hypotheses concerning the appeal of three types of feedback in the second-language writing process: teacher-, peer-, and self-directed feedback. Results show that students overwhelmingly prefer teacher feedback to peer feedback. (Author/CK)

Reports on a study of 138 college sociology professors on their attitudes about and techniques for learning students' names. Finds that the number of tactics used for learning names declines as class size increases. Includes 18 techniques for name-learning. (CFR)

Describes an effort to teach French to boys with emotional and behavioral difficulties. The teaching used was based on lexical chunks of language rather than grammatical structures in order to create motivation and maintain interest in the short time available each week. The students greeted the lessons with enthusiasm and grew in self-esteem and…

The Test of Reactions and Adaptation in College (TRAC), a measure of students' personal dispositions toward learning, is presented. Results from 2 different samples of college students (n=1,081) indicate acceptable psychometric characteristics for the TRAC. The TRAC predicted college success better than high school weighted academic average did.…

Explores the attributional orientation of underachieving students in three countries (Japan, China, and the United States). Responses from 738 students reveal that Asian students perceived controllable causes, particularly effort, to play a greater role in performance outcomes than did their American peers. Implications are discussed regarding the…

Determines what influence high school students' background characteristics have on their perceptions of teaching as a career. Responses from 800 students show few were interested in pursuing a teaching career, except Native Americans and African Americans; females valued teaching more than males; and the more senior the student became, the more…

Instruction types and amounts were observed for 30 educably mentally retarded, 30 learning-disabled, 32 emotionally/behaviorally disabled, and 30 nonhandicapped students in grades 2-4. The groups were compared on time allocation, grouping arrangements, student responding, qualitative nature of classroom instruction, and the home learning…

Comparison of 60 junior high school students (20 academically gifted, 20 academic achievers, and 20 "nongifted") found that the academically gifted students demonstrated more negative affective and physiological stress reactions to an experimentally induced failure condition. (DB)

Discusses sociological and philosophical perspectives on the emergence of school subjects by tracing the development of art in Ontario's schools. Presents a three-stage descriptive model and a conceptual framework based on student self-disclosure. Concludes that the disclosure approach helps prevent students from becoming disenchanted with newly…

Provides the following explanations for the failure of drug education programs: (1) programs send confusing and dangerous messages; (2) the power of the media negates almost totally everything programs try to accomplish; and (3) drug education efforts are fragmented. Discusses how to correct these problems. (JS)

This study found that a procedure involving choral responding and self-assessment accompanied by contingent praise may be an effective tool for teaching in-class transition skills to preschoolers with developmental delays. Active engagement sharply increased, with collateral decreases in competing behavior and levels of teacher prompting of target…

Maintains that using contemporary novels allows students to critically apply what they have learned about the sociology of family issues, and at the same time to broaden their understanding of them. Outlines the use of literature to illustrate sociological theories, explains the course requirements, and addresses student and instructor responses.…

Probes the interaction between teacher-education experiences and existing student beliefs, through observation and analysis of two elementary teaching candidates' experience in social studies methods courses and student teaching. Suggests that beliefs can facilitate professional growth if articulated as tools for reflection, but can be obstacles…