Presents preliminary research findings on the washback effect of the Hong Kong Certificate of Education Examination in English in Hong Kong secondary schools, using questionnaires, interviews, and classroom observations. Findings reveal that washback effect works quickly in effecting changes in teaching materials and slowly with difficulties in…

An interview with three top students and an English teacher at a troubled urban high school in Portland (Oregon) yields interesting insights: The best teachers blend strictness with understanding. Learning is more lasting when multiple avenues for absorbing material are provided. A principal's strong leadership is critical to a cohesive school…

Investigates how secondary history teachers' conceptions of history (typology) influences classroom practices. Interviews five teachers, representing five typologies, and their students, and observes classroom techniques. Suggests impact of teacher conceptions varies, finding only one of five typologies profoundly influencing students. Sees…

Dr. Jacqueline Fleming, author of "Blacks in College," is interviewed on the process of her cross-sectional research and reaction to her study. Fleming observes that there are pervasive problems for Black college students in White institutions and for Black colleges, and that major integration and retention issues remain unresolved. (AF)

This study compared Canadian elementary teachers' perceptions of computer-assisted instructional (CAI) software with findings in the literature. Topics discussed include computer-managed instruction (CMI); computers used for drill and practice and for tutorials; effectiveness of CAI; student attitudes; students' attention span; CAI as motivator;…

Investigates cognitive strategies that Hispanic elementary school students use in critical thinking social studies problems. Describes a survey examining the use of 12 cognitive strategies and the analysis of task completion. Concludes that students need to learn specific cognitive strategies in higher level tasks. (KO)

Researchers and practitioners have generally concentrated on the following areas of social competence: (1) social assertion; (2) interviewing skills; and (3) conversational ability. Reviews issues of methodology. Studies are reviewed and recommendations for future research are made. (Author/BJV)

Describes a study of graduate students that examined search behavior and affective response to a hypertext-based bibliographic information retrieval system called HyperLynx for searchers with different search skills and backgrounds. Previous experience with hypertext or Boolean searching is examined, and search times are discussed. (21 references)…

Discusses the literacy levels of 46 workers from non-English-speaking backgrounds (NESB) who volunteered as subjects in a Queensland, Australia, research study. The instrument used was the Australian Second Language Proficiency Ratings. Results showed that actual literacy levels of the NESB employees were closer to employer requirements than…

A study of 557 medical students investigated gender and age differences in: undergraduate science and cumulative grade-point averages (GPAs), medical college admission test scores, admissions interview ratings, medical school GPAs, and standardized medical achievement test scores. Dramatic differences were found in pre-admission performance, with…

In an interview, black civil rights leader Mary Frances Berry discusses the dilemmas and opportunities facing African Americans, women, and other minorities from her perspectives as observer and Washington insider. Issues addressed include African-American leadership, transforming knowledge into policy, Afrocentrism, and tensions with other…

Examined the effects of intervention in the instruction of 12 male seventh-grade students for the purpose of developing number sense. Results indicate that after instruction students were more likely to use strategies to solve number magnitude, mental computation, and computational estimation problems that reflected number sense. (Contains 50…

Interviews with 76 working adults with developmental disabilities suggested that full-time employment did little to improve their quality of life. Interviews covered subjects' physical and material well-being, relations with others, personal development and fulfillment, social activities, community and civic activities, and productivity. Issues of…

An interview-based study with 13 African-American and white third graders finds that developmental age, prior experience, and academic background provide the context for comprehending, identifying with, and generally enjoying 24 culturally conscious children's literary works. Both race and class are important identifying social influences. (SLD)

Describes a one-year ethnographic study of the cultural conflicts evident at an urban community college, providing quotes from interviews that explain tensions between African-American and white students, between African-American students and African-American faculty, and between African-American men and women. (DMM)