Ponders the definition of an American, and offers some responses to that question from high school students around the United States. (SR)

Results from a study of influences on the relationship between feedback and response certitude in the learning process conducted with 123 undergraduates show that, in addition to response certitude and correctness, other factors, such as goal and goal commitment, influence the frequency with which feedback is requested. (SLD)

Accused of promoting everything from Satanism to homosexuality, the "Impressions" reading series has come under attack in many of the 34 states using it. A teacher educator expresses chagrin at her "dream" students' half-hearted reactions to controversial articles about a series that they had judged superior. The silence of one…

Finds that (1) animated banner ads (display advertisements hyperlinked to an advertiser's Web site) result in quicker response and better recall (from college students) than non-animated banner ads; (2) larger banner ads lead to better comprehension and more clicks than small banner ads; and (3) user mode (information seeking or Web surfing) did…

A seventh-grader explains why the Virginia Standards of Learning tests unfairly pressure her and her teachers. She wants her free reading time restored and wishes politicians would worry more about students understanding--not just memorizing--facts. She praises teachers who go beyond the SOL. (MLH)

Describes a study that sought to provide a better understanding of "chemophobia" at the college level by determining the extent of chemophobia in the college classroom, the factors that contribute to college students' fear of learning chemistry and handling chemicals, and the characteristics of college students who display these fears. (Contains…

Utilizes MBA students' biographical data and reactions to simulated position ads for community college business faculty positions to identify predictors of applicant decisions. Reveals four significant predictors of participants' ratings of simulated positions: applicant's current job satisfaction, spouse's contribution to household income,…

Explores the particular maneuvers students in a class on writing about film make as they encounter and attempt to absorb the languages of the academy. Examines the discourse of the class as a whole and the formal writing of a student who resisted academic discourse. Argues for the value of an incomplete conversion to the academic style. (RS)

Considers rhetorical implications of silence as a contestatory strategy in a basic writing class where Mike Rose's "Lives on the Boundary" was the text. Finds students were reluctant to discuss the issues of power raised in the book, perhaps because of complex cultural and educational conflicts operating in some writing classrooms.…

Shows how some key postmodern ideas about texts forced a teacher and her students to rethink typical writing assignments and typical student responses. Describes the assignments and considers how they invite postmodern critique. Suggests giving up grandiose, romantic notions that Freshman Composition can fix students either personally or…

Examines what effects teaching explicitly about racism for one term to a multiethnic, elementary school class has on the students' attitudes, beliefs, and actions regarding racism. Responses from 23 six graders reveal a need for primary schools to provide more effective and explicit education against racism. (GR)

Describes how "intertextuality" shapes a course in children's literature: the professor begins with the notion of children's book history as a story told by image and myth; the course progresses with a series of significant children's texts; the writing component which follows is directed toward reader response; class time is devoted to…

Compares writing self-efficacy scales differing in response format among a group of middle school students (N=497). Results reveal that a scale with a 0-100 format was psychometrically stronger than a scale with a traditional Likert format. Also reveals that children at the middle school level can indeed make a discriminating judgment using a…

School psychologists are often asked to respond to student violence based on incomplete information about the nature and scope of these problems. Compares the methods and findings of three national surveys of students to understand what methodological characteristics have the most salient impact on their findings. Results suggest that student…

Describes activities associated with Teen Read Week in October, 1999 in which young adult author Adam Rapp was the first Author-in-Residence at Ridgewood High School, near Chicago, Illinois. Notes students in the English Skills class (for students who need extra help) seemed genuinely interested in the book and the author. Describes how funding…