The gap between researchers and teachers has minimized the impact that research should have on school development. Using teachers as researchers is one way of empowering them to adopt the perspective of the researcher. Research-oriented activity is then seen as one promising means of improving the teachers' pedagogical expertise. It is assumed…

Middle school prealgebra students (n=157) learned about functions in a 20-day unit that emphasized: (1) representing problems in multiple formats, (2) anchoring learning in a meaningful thematic context, and (3) discussing problem-solving processes in cooperative groups. They produced smaller pretest-to-posttest gains on symbol manipulation tasks,…

Formative, in-process evaluation results can be used to refine or "fine tune" Even Start programs. The assumption is that the programs have obtained comprehensive and appropriate empirical data on the assessment of the program as a whole as well as its specific goals. This six-step model uses evaluation data to improve program delivery.…

In order to prepare prospective teachers of secondary school mathematics to effectively guide the teaching and learning process using technology, a new required course was developed at Middle Tennessee State University. Technology has been integrated into mathematics courses in which these preservice teachers are enrolled. This paper discusses the…

With the growing recognition of the importance of personal narratives as a tool for promoting and analyzing professional development, this study looked at what trends emerged from the personal narratives of female graduate students (most of whom were also teachers) when they were categorized by their rhetorical function and by stereotypical styles…

In order to provide teachers with support for the improvement of computer-based problem solving, this paper considers the following research questions--and provides answers--about how to teach students problem solving and how to design training courses for teachers: (1) What are the teachers' and researchers' assumptions about the relation between…

The concept of self-regulation--the process whereby students activate and sustain behaviors and cognitive paths which are systematically oriented toward attainment of learning goals--is increasing in importance among educators. Self-regulation includes activities such as attending to instruction; organizing, coding, and rehearsing information;…

This literature review lists and describes current assessment methods for process writing. Writing instruction's shift of focus from product to process is part of education's greater shift of emphasis from knowledge transmission to inquiry, which allows students to become problem solvers and independent thinkers. Process writing creates…

This report examines the problems and possibilities of architecture education as it has evolved in the United States and proposes a new framework for renewing architecture education and practice. In order to assess the need for reform in architecture education, students and alumni from 15 representative campuses were surveyed as to whether they…

This manual and related 41-minute video was produced by a 5-year federally funded project to foster collaboration between special education and child care staff in early childhood programs. The approach is based on a structured, relationship-based, problem solving framework, "Going Around the Circle." The process involves five steps: (1)…

The inclusion of critical thinking and viewing skills across the curriculum is one way to approach the development of problem solving, which could help develop the kind of students prepared to accept the challenges they face. Using popular media in teaching such skills links critical thinking to life in a way that keeps critical thinking from…

This teaching guide provides an integrated framework for teaching thinking skills which involves both teaching thinking in a separate program or course and infusing the teaching of thinking into standard subject area instruction across the curriculum. Individual chapters deal with the following topics: (1) the nature of thinking skills and…

These three guides provide information on the third module of an early intervention program for at-risk kindergartners who show the early signs of antisocial behavior patterns. The third module of the "First Steps" program is a six-week home intervention component that instructs parents in skills for improving their child's school…

This policy brief discusses the impact on students with disabilities of educational reforms that emphasize higher academic standards for all students and zero tolerance policies to make schools safe learning environments for all students. The public's demand for higher standards and safe environments is also explored. The development of academic…

This guide contains activities that emphasize hands-on involvement, prediction, data collection and interpretation, teamwork, and problem solving. It begins with background information on the history of rocketry, scientific principles, and practical rocketry. Following the background sections are a series of activities that demonstrate the basic…