A study of how middle and high school American history teachers adopted and maintained the use of research-based instructional practices is described as a model of professional development for social studies teachers. The teachers participated in a three-year project funded by the U.S. Department of Education's Teaching American History grant…

This study examined perspectives of field experiences among preservice teachers and their cooperating teachers because of debate in the politically charged atmosphere of No Child Left Behind regarding teacher preparation programs. Nine pairs of preservice and cooperating teachers were observed and interviewed over the course of a semester to…

This paper reports a case study of how junior secondary geography teachers in Changchun, China, planned and delivered their lessons. From the observation and interview data, it was found that teachers in the China mainland were strongly influenced by a compliance culture and uncertainty avoidance stance. It is argued that these cultural traits…

With a view of standardized testing as a situated local practice that serves "global" agendas, I examine the specific ways that this bureaucratic mechanism receives, sorts, arranges and classifies adult learners of English; inspires certain pedagogical practices; and fosters identities desired by the new global economy. Relying on data gathered…

Adolescents and young adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) frequently experience social isolation and vocational failure. Although social skills groups are vital, relatively few model programs have been developed for this age group. This article reviews the model and evaluation of the Aspirations program, an 8-week social and vocational…

Spending just a few hours in the classroom situation as a participant observer, one definitely recognizes "boredom" as one of the main features of this situation. In spite of the obvious relevance of boredom in the classroom situation there is almost no research on the topic of boredom at school. Boredom seems to be a taboo of sorts in…

This is the report of a qualitative emergent-design study of 2 different Web-enhanced science methods courses for preservice elementary teachers in which an experiential learning strategy, labeled "using yourself as a learning laboratory," was implemented. Emergent grounded theory indicated this strategy, when embedded in a course organized as an…

This book offers an analysis and summary of school effectiveness research. The book reviews the history and "state of the art" knowledge in the field, with a look at the international research base; reviews those research practices in terms of design, data collection, and data analysis; and outlines some creative new directions for the…

The purpose of this study was to discover the efficacy of the Science, Mathematics, and Related Technologies Quality Measurement (SMARTQM) as a measure of total school quality and to determine the usefulness of this instrument in predicting school performance through self-reported student achievement. SMARTQM is an integrated data collection and…

This paper focused on student participation in controlling classroom activity. Issue-Based Discussion is described and promoted as a form of activity that can be used in the classroom to both enculturate students into the ready-made-culture of modern, western science and empower them to share in the control of activity as they participate in a…

In this experimental study various strategies were developed and empirically tested for physics instruction designed to improve girls' and boys' attitudes toward and achievements in physics. Strategies included opportunities to integrate different pre-existing knowledge, variation of teaching methods to enhance cooperation and communication in the…

Rituals provide a latent structure for teachers that goes beyond the surface meaning of conformity and control to a deeper symbolic meaning for the participants. They are used as a way of defining what is to be taught and how it is to be taught, reflect the teacher's decisions about what is pedagogically sound, and are based on their personal…

Since 1991, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has signed cooperative agreements with 26 states to undertake ambitious and comprehensive initiatives to reform science, mathematics, and technology education. This effort to improve public education is known as the Statewide Systemic Initiatives (SSI). This brief presents some initial observations…

The Professional Development Laboratory (P.D.L.) is a model for staff development in which experienced teachers serve as peer coaches for other teachers who want to refine their skills, learn and practice new skills, and share classroom techniques with one another, in selected New York City school districts. Visiting teachers spend 3 to 4 week…

This book provides the schedules, scales, and procedures for systematic assessment of child care environments. It also suggests the way to develop a scale oriented to the physical environment. The introduction notes that of various scales available for describing and evaluating different aspects of child care programs and centers, many scales are…