A comparison is drawn between norm-referenced (or competitive) and criterion-referenced testing procedures as used for the purpose of assessing and grading knowledge gained from teaching. It is argued that competitive or norm-referenced grading practices are sadistic, unethical, statistically unsound, and irrelevant to course objectives.…

This paper describes and evaluates an alternate day-full day kindergarten program. Through the use of Cognitive Abilities Test (CAT) scores and surveys, two kindergarten groups were compared. One group attended school for a half-day daily; the other attended all day on alternate days, but for a comparable length of time. A summary of survey…

Reports on the results of case studies of science teaching at the elementary level. Two teachers from two elementary schools were studied. Addresses issues in elementary science teaching ranging from the importance at the elementary level to gender differences in science instruction. (TW)

This book describes a system for fostering effective teacher development. It is designed to assist principals and mentors in helping teachers broaden their instructional repertoire and developing a stronger professional identity. The book includes: descriptions and examples of the four basic styles of teaching; tips for matching administrator…

Internet-based, distance learning solutions are finding increased use and may prove effective in facilitating advanced study coursework for remotely located, place-bound students. Despite the current emphasis on distance learning, the conditions for promoting online learning success have not been entirely defined. This paper presents a case study…

This book offers suggestions to primary schools about how they can improve their work in preparing children for a rapidly changing world. Chapter 1 sets the stage by considering various definitions of educational improvement, efficacy, and goals. Chapter 2 assesses research on school effectiveness and critically considers components of school…

Interesting and rewarding questions arise around the issues of teaching and learning in higher education classrooms when the right questions are asked. When the focus of teaching and learning is on the teacher, certain questions are asked. For instance, what is the quality of the knowledge that the teacher transmits to students? Another set of…

Because an instructor's first interaction with students on the first day of class can determine the success of those to follow, it is important to explore what happens in a classroom setting before offering prescriptions on how to best handle situations in that setting. To understand how students' responses to specific attributes related to…

Improved computer technology presents philosophers with the means to enhance their applied ethics classes by providing the opportunity to explore myriad practical and conceptual problems heretofore impossible in the traditional classroom. This paper examines some of the potential and problems inherent in using computerized techniques in Southeast…

The report profiles the work of Marsha S. Slater, who teaches at the International High School in New York (New York), a highly successful school devoted exclusively to enabling English-as-a-Second-Language students to develop the linguistic, cognitive, and cultural skills necessary for success in and beyond high school. The report describes the…

This study examined the reliability and stability of teacher behavior scores as measured by the Spaulding Teacher Activity Recording Schedule (STARS). Data were gathered on a student teacher at work in a campus laboratory setting and in a primary ungraded classroom. The student teacher demonstrated a stable teaching style in four of the five…

Four primary classrooms, three bilingual and one monolingual, were studied. Final observations showed that "language climate" and the extent to which the two languages developed were influenced by the teacher's style, the organization of the school day, and by the ethnic balance of the class and the neighborhood. (SJL)

Classroom observation and student group interviews in two French and two English elementary schools suggest that student understanding of such educational values as authority, thought, the nature of student control over learning, and educational goals and how to achieve them are related to national culture and affect student motivation. Contains…

Presents a case study of a fourth-year kindergarten teacher who has altered her teaching from academic to more developmentally appropriate ways and now attempts to incorporate new curriculum expectations. Examines how her teaching practice evolved, her approach to new curriculum expectations, and what tensions, worries, successes and concerns…

This study investigated the consequences of grouping preservice teachers, enrolled in a course on preconceptions about teaching, according to Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality types. Journals, papers, and interviews indicated that grouping was a significant learning experience for all students. Students gained greater awareness of learning…