Case study reports on the use of language experience and a natural approach to learning languages in a dual-language (Spanish-English) kindergarten class. Descriptions of student writing activities in the classroom illustrate the process of literacy development in the first and second languages. The importance of trained bilingual teachers and…

The San Diego State University (California) Health Careers Opportunity Program for disadvantaged students, most of whom are minorities, has 11 components, each dedicated to some form of educational intervention. The program emphasizes collaborative skills, fosters pride in accomplishment and confidence, and builds analytical and problem-solving…

Presents an analysis of government policy on higher education finance in Kenya, outlines parameters of an appropriate tuition policy (cost recovery, equity, equal access, affordability, student loan program objectives), and provides a model for simulating loan program outcomes. Suggests several proposed policy and administrative reforms concerning…

This study compared the effects of a field-based mathematics methods course and a traditional university-based mathematics methods course on preservice teachers in their development of teaching concepts in elementary mathematics. Case studies of students representative of the two groups indicated significant differences in their teaching concepts.…

An ethnographic study explored cultural belief systems of four-year-olds' families and school staff from Anglo and Bangladeshi families in England. Case study of one child/family illustrates how parental beliefs about childhood, the home, uses and purposes of literacy, and children's learning influence children's school experience. How data were…

Distinguishes among three aspects of idiomatic meaning: the general meaning, more specific aspects, and connotative aspects. The results of an informal experimental study indicate that the cognitive semantic view can facilitate the learning of idioms for nonnative speakers. (45 references) (Author/CK)

Four articles address rising college tuition: "An Inside Look at How a Private University Sets Tuition Rates and Spends the Money"; "Comparisons of Tuition Rates Raise Tough Policy Questions"; "At Public Colleges, the Tuition Debate Is a Mix of Philosophy and Practicality"; and "Do Federal Loans Encourage Tuition Increases?" Data on undergraduate…

Tracks the trend toward heavy college and university investment in information technology and encouragement of its use for teaching and administration, but notes that the technology's full potential has not been reached. Illustrates the trends with experiences of Voorhees College (South Carolina), a small, historically black liberal arts college,…

Examines how a Canadian beginning teacher-educator transformed his knowledge about teaching in order to assist student teachers to become effective mathematic teachers. Describes how his teaching practice evolved over a three-year period and the strategies he used to structure his course to involve student teachers in constructing their own…

Examines the policy context in which private education has emerged in post-Mao China. Uses three case studies of private schools/colleges to explore how intellectuals and educators in the Pearl River Delta (Guangdong province) have persevered to assert their academic independence, offer a new agenda for education, and redefine the private-public…

In Finland and England, national policy on subject- versus child-centered curriculum are moving in opposite directions. Comparative studies of four small elementary schools indicate that teachers' beliefs, values, and practices were powerful mediators of their interpretations and responses to imposed changes, and the ethos of very small schools…

Case study of a poor, rural Pennsylvania school district's experience with the Reading First initiative illustrates how the No Child Left Behind Act confines districts to a few federally prescribed, "scientifically proven" curricula that ignore local conditions. Sanctioned schools are negatively labeled but receive inadequate funding,…

Six special educators at secondary level were observed and interviewed in their co-taught classrooms. The special educators took on roles ranging from providing support to the general educators to team teaching. Knowledge of content, attitude of the general educators, and scheduling issues influenced the role that each teacher took. (Contains…

Presents the IRAC (Issue, Rule, Analysis, and Conclusion) method used to analyze and judge legal cases. Stresses this method's applicability for social studies instruction, stating it helps students assess facts and apply rules to reach and defend conclusions. Provides examples for using the IRAC method in U.S. government and U.S. history units.…

A survey of University of North Dakota medical graduates revealed that (1) rural students and primary care specialists were more likely than others to practice in North Dakota's rural areas; and (2) alumni completing residencies following curriculum expansion to four years were twice as likely to practice in the state. (Author/MSE)