In mathematics, Canadian students perform poorly, and enrollment in Canadian postsecondary institutions is low, particularly for women. Clearly, there is a need to understand the personal and social factors that influence mathematics achievement and academic choices. A. Bandura's self-efficacy theory (1977, 1982) implies that academic choices are…

English instruction is successful when students learn to express significant ideas clearly in discussions, write with verve and grace, read with insight and enjoyment, and practice these skills beyond the realm of the classroom. This report discusses how to teach grammar and select literature in order to achieve those goals. Research and issues in…

Intended as a resource of staff-tested activities for two-year college faculty, staff, and administrators, this manual is a compilation of representative materials from training workshops conducted, as a professional development project, to increase instructor skills and knowledge regarding intervention in reading deficiency of postsecondary…

A preliminary study investigated whether regular periods of sustained silent reading (SSR) would positively affect verified silent reading comprehension scores for eighth grade students. The hypothesis tested was that students allowed 15 minutes of recreational reading (reading self selected material for enjoyment) five times a week for three…

The recruitment, selection, induction, and retention of capable teachers are interrelated processes involving schools' personnel, policies, and organization. This report explores issues surrounding these processes and discusses methods to improve districts' programs. Part I, "Recruiting Teachers," describes the competition for capable…

The use of mass media as a means of learning a foreign language from the beginning of language study is discussed. Using the media enables many of the features of the natural language acquisition process to be brought into play in a way that much current language teaching material does not. This position is supported by recent research into the…

A guide for the organization, planning, and administration of an elementary school extracurricular foreign language program emphasizing conversation and cultural exposure includes three sections: (1) information about the Ames Foreign Language Association's organization, services, and philosophy concerning program design and discipline policy; (2)…

This guide is designed to provide an introduction to the development of performance standards for youth employment and training programming. Addressed in the individual sections of the guide are the following topics: the roles and responsibilities of various parties involved in delivering services funded under the Job Training Partnership Act, the…

Questionnaires were mailed in 1986 to school board presidents in small rural districts across the United States in order to identify the characteristics of successful rural school superintendents and the qualities that rural school boards look for when hiring a superintendent. There were 93 usable responses from 28 states. Analysis of the…

In response to the need for improved international trade in Ireland, an undergraduate program of applied languages and international marketing was developed at the National Institute for Higher Education, a unique Irish technological university in Dublin. In the first year, students study French and German and four business subjects (marketing,…

This study was conducted to describe and to analyze how employers respond to information presented to them on application forms and in interviews when they make hiring decisions for entry-level jobs. The approach of the study was to observe the responses of 56 employers in the Columbus, Ohio, area to simulated hiring settings concerning youthful…

In an effort to explore significant supply and demand variables that affect the teacher labor market in the Southeast, a qualitative research study was undertaken to examine the market patterns of initial career choice, position availability, recruitment and selection, turnover, and mobility of public school teachers. An ethnographic investigation…

A national survey of electronic data processing (EDP) skills and training needs involved 16 representative firms that employed EDP staff. Separate semi-structured interview schedules were used to interview 266 job holders and 63 managers with responsibility for EDP staff and computing systems. Findings indicated 67 percent of EDP staff had not…

A guide to the development of programs in English as a second language (ESL) outlines the program development process and necessary considerations. A foreword describes the two major types of limited-English-proficient (LEP) students and notes differences between LEP students in general and their monolingual English-speaking counterparts. Chapters…

The ideas, approaches, and issues guiding the efforts at principal reform are described in the following areas: (1) generic management skills or instructional leadership; (2) teaching experience as a requirement for the principalship; (3) restructuring principal preparation programs; (4) evaluating competency and proficiency; and (5) selection…