Examines the potential role for Computer Algebra Systems (CAS) when teaching courses as functions, calculus, and linear algebra to students with low prerequisite algebra skills. A study reports the rationale, planning, and implementation of a functions course integrating Maple CAS into instruction. (MDH)

Reports a study of 12 preservice elementary and 12 preservice secondary science teachers to determine the effects of methods instruction on their beliefs about the teaching/learning process. Results indicate that secondary teachers may have more complex belief structures than elementary teachers and that slight structural changes occurred for both…

This study examined two groups of online catalog users--one group using terminals in the library at Drew University (New Jersey) and the other using remote workstations. Transaction log analysis, online surveys, and interviews were used to determine perceptions of accessibility, frequency of use, user satisfaction, browsing behavior, and task…

Reports on conceptual understanding and solution strategies for percent problems of (n=31) students representing 2 ability levels from grades 5, 7, 9, and 11. Strategies evolved from intuitive to formal and increased in diversity with increasing age. Appendix includes concept and computation interview questions. (Contains 15 references.) (MKR)

A new adaptive procedure for assessing multiple dimensions of self-concept for children younger than 8 years was studied with a sample of 501 children from kindergarten through grade 2. Use of the Self-Description Questionnaire with young children was supported by factor analysis. Practical and theoretical implications are discussed. (SLD)

Discusses methodological issues in cross-cultural studies of diverse communities, including language problems, data collection and analysis, sample size, and dissemination of findings. A study of the information-seeking behavior of ethnolinguistic gatekeepers in several communities in California is described. Suggestions are given for public…

Discusses attributes of families, students, schools, peers, and communities that foster resilience among inner-city youth, examining these factors at one inner-city elementary school. The exploration is based on a longitudinal study of the achievement and climate and survey and interview data collected over five years. (SLD)

An ethnographic case study of Somali children in Canadian schools examines the relationship between literacies, school, and community cultures by exploring literacy events as they unfold for Somali children in an elementary school. Field notes and interviews involving Somali and school-community members are analyzed based on the view that…

Dean of International University Learning Center (Kyoto, Japan) argues that traditional educational systems disregard developmental needs of children and prevent change by perpetuating societal values. The idea that children need to develop as an integral part of their natural and social systems is discussed in relation to alternative education…

Examines the interrelationships among accentedness, perceived comprehensibility, and intelligibility in the speech of second-language (L2) learners. The findings suggest that although strength of foreign accent is correlated with perceived comprehensibility and intelligibility, a strong foreign accent does not necessarily reduce the…

Documents and evaluates Israel's language policy shift from its traditional Hebrew-enforcement policy to the fostering of an immigrant language as a channel of information and culture in the face of a sudden 10% addition to its population due to one-half million Soviet migrants attached to Russian culture. (33 references) (Author/CK)

Explores issues that encourage or discourage women from pursuing studies in science--matters that may affect confidence in themselves and in science as a possible career. Focuses on how young women approached career decisions, discerned from over 100 hours of interviews with 40 female college science students. Concludes that mixed societal…

Interviews with three CEOs--UMI (University Microfilms International), OCLC (Online Computer Library Center), and Gale Research--focus on outlooks for information and libraries. Discusses expanded educational Web services/courseware, library role in delivery, electronic dissertation publishing, digital data conversion, thesauri/indexing, union…

This qualitative study sought to explore college students' spiritual beliefs in order to examine those beliefs and subsequent college experiences using student development theory. Data analysis revealed that peer and mentoring relationships were instrumental to students and shaped how students made meaning cf their academic and social experiences…

The impact of the September 11th terrorist attacks on adolescents' mental health is reported. Two successive cohorts of students in 6 New York state high schools, identified from health courses, completed an in-school self-report baseline assessment of hopelessness, impairment, and help-seeking behavior. One year later, these students completed a…