This action research project implemented and evaluated a method to improve student motivation and academic achievement. The targeted population consisted of seventh and eighth graders from a middle school in a small midwestern community. Motivational problems were documented by means of academic grades, homework contract referrals to the…

This book offers educators both background information and practical guidance for implementing the inclusion of students with special needs in their classrooms. Part 1 provides background information with chapters on what inclusion is, an historical perspective and the laws, the rationale for inclusion, definitions of specific disabilities, and…

This publication is a guide to teaching astronomy through the use of mythology and its literature in grades 3-6. The book is divided into the following seven sections: "Introduction"; Chapter 1: "Luna: the Moon"; Chapter 2: "Del Sol: the Sun"; Chapter 3: "The Planets"; Chapter 4: "Star Bright, Star Light"; Chapter 5: "Traveling through Space"; and…

This book is the second in a four-book series on habits of mind. It translates a habits of mind approach to education into action using classroom-tested advice. Contributions come from practitioners in literature, math, music, foreign language, reading, character education, and social science. After "Series Foreword: Thinking on the Road of…

Academic achievement--the credentials of schooling completed and degrees attained, as well as the skills and capabilities associated with these credentials--is an important determinant of socioeconomic success. Few if any personal characteristics are more strongly and positively related to an individual's later occupational attainment, employment,…

Performance of 162 children, ages five to seven, on concept formation and perception tests indicated that enforced delay in responding minimally affected all reflective subjects and impulsive boys; impulsive girls improved. (Available in microfiche from: Carfax Publishing Company, Haddon House, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxford 0X9 8JZ, England.) (CP)

Examines the proposition that children construct their own knowledge. Reviews contributions to and criticisms of Piagetian and Vygotskian theories, and considers their curricular implications. Discusses how the work of Gardner and Case extends that of Piaget. Emphasizes application of theory to a culturally relevant approach to classroom practices…

Data from graduate student applications at a large Western university were used to determine which factors were the best predictors of success in graduate school, as defined by cumulative graduate grade point average. Two statistical models were employed and compared: artificial neural networking and simultaneous multiple regression. Both models…

A persistent problem in U.S. educational research has been how to explain the continuing low performance on standardized tests by certain racial and ethnic minority-group students, such as Chicanos. This chapter identifies abusive practices stemming from standardized testing that help to shape school failure among Chicano students, and discusses…

This guide is designed for elementary school teachers to assist them in developing multi-age classrooms as part of their school restructuring efforts. Each of six sections presents a story from teachers who describe the challenges and joys of multi-age teaching, from parent backlash to school district support and praise. Section 1, "Step by…

A discussion of the development of bilingualism in preschool-age children, intended for parents, focuses on the reasons for encouraging bilingualism and the role of family members and home environment in doing so. An introductory section offers background information on the book and a brief examination of the situation for emigrants coping with a…

This annual report by the Research and Clinical Center for Child Development at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan contains 10 articles by Japanese and American researchers on various aspects of children's cognitive and affective development. The following articles are presented: (1) "Making the Cut: Early Schooling and Cognitive…

This monograph describes Project START (Support To Affirm Rising Talent), a three-year collaborative research effort to develop and apply gifted identification procedures based on Howard Gardner's (1983) theory of multiple intelligences. Specifically, the study attempted to: (1) develop identification procedures; (2) identify high-potential…

This book provides a critical account of the psychological theories that have informed contemporary adult education theory and practice. Chapter 1 discusses the importance of balancing description, critique, and comments on each theory's influence on adult education and the need to understand psychological development throughout the life span. The…

This study focuses on the connection between education and the world of work and the urgency of the endeavor to educate the work force. Part I considers the resources for adult learning in the United States, with a focus on the major providers outside the traditional education system. Technological resources that can extend educational…