The information needs of regular elementary teachers concerning the special needs of students who have Fetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) and Fetal Alcohol Effects (FAE) were assessed. A literature review covers means of identification of these disorders, intervention, effective instructional strategies, and issues involved with FAS and FAE.…

This study, part of a larger study focusing on studying a human tutor to design a computer simulation of expert tutoring (i.e., a self-improving intelligent tutoring system), conducted a detailed analysis of one expert tutor's (Nancy Mack) tutorial actions as she attempted to help students learn fractions with understanding. As Mack tutored…

Constructivism is a perspective on learning that is initiated from the learner's perspective rather than by that of the teacher; understanding is constructed by the learner rather than placed upon the learner. If constructivism is fostered in teacher education, practical reasoning can encourage teacher development to its fullest. (The concept of…

This study took an in-depth look at the collaborative work of teachers engaged in curriculum restructuring, and explored how individual teachers' perceptions inform and are informed by such collaboration. The objective of the study was to explore how teachers' individual knowledge, experiences, and curriculum orientations affected their…

The primary objective of the Project to Increase Mastery of Mathematics and Science (PIMMS) is to bring high quality staff development in mathematics and science to teachers of all levels. This report describes the progress PIMMS has made over the past 12 years in fostering an appreciation of mathematics and science by teachers in the state of…

This publication is one of the tangible responses of the African Social and Environmental Studies Programme (ASESP) to the challenges of sustainable development which were presented to the world by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). It seeks to increase the chances of attaining sustainable development by building…

A qualitative ethnographic study examined three early childhood teachers' awareness, acceptance, and implementation of emergent literacy theory. The three teachers, from three different schools in two neighboring mid-Atlantic states, were chosen for their contrasting teaching styles. Each classroom was observed by a non-participant observer for…

During the 1996 Teacher Enhancement Institute (TEI) on the campus of Saint Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, a very diverse group of teachers actively pursued instructional improvement through workshops in thinking skills, content area, and group seminars for a period of 4 weeks. This report contains evidence of improved teaching skills in…

Students are currently exposed to world environmental problems--including global warming and the greenhouse effect--in science classes at various points during their K-12 and college experience. However, the amount and depth of explosure to these issues can be quite variable. Students are also exposed to sources of misinformation leading to…

Teachers must have accurate, up-to-date knowledge about biodiversity in order to help prepare world citizens to cope with the problems of decreasing variability on our planet. The objectives of this study were to: (1) develop a reliable, valid test of teacher knowledge about biodiversity; (2) administer this test to K-12 teachers to determine…

This paper describes a model for utilizing national science reform initiatives in an elementary science methods course. By focusing particularly on Project 2061 benchmarks, the reform movement initiated by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), teacher candidates were able to successfully analyze, integrate, and utilize…

This case study explores the ways in which a beginning elementary classroom teacher gains a foothold in teaching science. The analysis includes episodes from the teacher's first three years of teaching while participating in an educational research project that investigated an inquiry-based approach to teacher professional development. The…

The conference proceedings volume for PME-NA-XIX contains a total of 72 reports: 34 research reports; 20 short oral reports; 11 poster session reports; and 7 discussion group reports. Only the research reports are full reports; the others are generally one-page abstracts. The full reports include: (1) "Equity, Teaching Practices, and Reform:…

The purpose of the study presented in this document is to further knowledge about student teacher development contexts during field experiences. The aim is to understand the role of the mentor teacher, the classroom structure and processes, and student teacher content knowledge in the development of a mathematics teaching repertoire. This research…

Recent emphasis on raising standards has attracted Americans' attention to factors that improve student learning. An examination of the relationship between teacher knowledge and student performance is offered in this report. The text summarizes what research suggests about various kinds of teacher education, the professional development teachers…