This paper discusses the modern American junior high and middle school from the perspectives of an interested observer, the educational researcher, and the students themselves. Discussed briefly are three factors that place junior high/middle school education in a unique context--the developmental stage of the students who are served, the…

An overview is presented of the scope and findings of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) studies, which analyzed student achievement in 22 nations, one of which was the United States. Using these findings, this paper identifies national differences in the performance of pupils representing the United…

A survey was conducted in 42 developing countries and in 20 developed countries to determine fertility practices and trends. Both individual and household questionnaires were used by interviewers to gather data. Findings concerning marriage patterns, contraception, reproductive motivation, childspacing, breastfeeding, maternal and child health,…

The premises, methodologies, and applications of synergogy, a new approach to education and training, are discussed. The synergogic approach allows members of small teams to learn from one another through structured interactions. After examining education within the context of human relationships, consideration is given to the way that the…

The teaching activities presented in these articles integrate language skills in a variety of ways. The articles describe assignments about (1) using road signs to help students realize the importance of reading the signs they encounter; (2) integrating reading, speech, writing, and art, with pet dragons as the subject; (3) focusing on reading and…

Coordinated Vocational Academic Education (CVAE) is offered at three middle schools in the Fort Worth Independent School District, Texas. Courses in automobile mechanics, cosmetology, and home and community services are provided for potential dropout students who meet specific criteria: (1) low achievement; (2) inadequate communication skills;…

Despite scientific inattention to the implications of control expectancy in adult education, particularly in the community college setting, a few strategies have been suggested to effect external to internal shifts in control expectancies in nontraditional adult learners. The Reimanis and Schaefer technique assists the subject to focus upon the…

This article describes the seminar on research in adult language education held in Nancy, France, in June, 1977. It includes reports on the four roundtables and gives details concerning organization and membership, as well as a list of the topics that were discussed. The four roundtables addressed the issues of student needs and motivation,…

This study of open education as practiced in a number of selected American elementary school classrooms is concerned with teacher, administrator and parent attitudes, curriculum, teacher and administrator roles, and learning approaches and outcomes. A sample consisting of ten elementary schools in six areas of the country was studied through…

Freshmen who received less than a 2.0 grade average during their first semester at college were asked to indicate on a written questionnaire the extent to which 68 factors were or were not a reason for their poor academic performance. Respondents were also encouraged to supply additional observations about their educational experiences that seemed…

Many who believe in the value of the study of the humanities are faced with the problems of how to attract vocational students to humanities courses, maintain their interest in such courses so that they fulfill the general education requirements for graduation, and, if possible, generate an ongoing interest in the humanities. In response to these…

Nine North Dakota school districts, containing fewer than 40 teachers each, were selected and agreed to particpate in a 1976 study of the extent of professional activities by teachers and their level of morale. A survey instrument, developed to determine level of involvement in professional activities, contained questions pertaining to: membership…

Strategies, methods, and techniques for improving college instruction are offered in this handbook. Units include: Pre-instructional Activities; Methods and Techniques: Focus on the Individual and the Small Group; Methods and Techniques: Focus on the Large Group; Methods and Techniques: Focus on Affective Learning; Assessment Techniques; and…

To ascertain why some Mexican Americans achieve despite the record that less than 60% of all Hispanics complete high school and earn only 2% of all bachelor's and 1% of all doctoral degrees, retrospective interviews provided data on 10 dimensions of background characteristics of 45 Chicano "invulnerables." One-third were females; all…

Development of an Outward Bound program for the Colorado Springs School District was divided into seven phases covering nine years. Phase I (1967-1969) was a feasibility study at the community level, using professional Outward Bound staff. During Phase II (1970-1971), an organizational plan was developed that involved students, teachers, and…