This collection of abstracts is part of a continuing series providing information on recent doctoral dissertations. The 10 titles deal with the following topics: (1) how speech acts in advertisements relate to the purpose of selling merchandise; (2) the use and evaluation of accounts in problematic episodes; (3) rhetoric as a way of knowing; (4)…

How microcomputers are to be utilized in on-going mathematics instruction is discussed. In the first section, the ideas of Skinner are considered in relation to microcomputer use. How computer-assisted instruction would appear when Skinner's programmed learning suggestions are followed is described, and other points of his philosophical beliefs…

These learning activities are intended to help elementary school children learn how to communicate, cooperate, and prevent or solve conflicts through creative thinking. There are 17 chapters. The first five chapters provide background information for teachers, discussing the Children's Creative Response to Conflict (CCRC) Program, ways to create a…

A practical guidebook of ideas, lesson materials, and related resources for developing imaginative and productive thinking skills of children is presented to assist teachers and parents. Emphasis is placed on the use of strategies and techniques that enhance originality, mental imagery, reverie, reflection, humor, novel playfulness, and divergent…

A college English teacher, dissatisfied with the approach used in her composition classes and with its results, turned to the Outward Bound concepts of the German physician and schoolmaster, Kurt Hahn. These concepts include a belief in the value of creating adversity in order to overcome it, a belief that important things happen to people who are…

The Community Advisory Committee (CAC) is a strategy to involve the community in active participation in the development, amendment, and review of the local plan for special education. The CAC originated under the design of the California Master Plan for Special Education. The CAC brings together and supports parents and professionals, regular and…

In order to investigate the nature of students' prior knowledge of current electricity and how they applied their knowledge to different problems, 5 middle school science teachers and 11 elementary school teachers were given a written test that required them to: (1) predict what happens to the brightness of a bulb if a change is made to the…

A change of emphasis in mathematics education may be needed from a mechanical and computational focus to a problem-solving approach. A first step in facilitating this goal is to place children in situations emphasizing problem-solving skills, requiring them to develop and apply their own logic structures. This paper describes a microcomputer based…

The Test of Integrated Process Skills (TIPS) was administered to 667 students in grades 9-12 who were registering to participate in a regional science Olympiad on a southern university campus in February 1988. Each student's score on the test was correlated with subsequent performance in one or more of the 11 Olympiad events. Of the 667 students…

Abstracts and abstractors' critiques of 10 published research reports related to curriculum, instruction, problem solving and teacher education are presented. Aspects addressed in the studies include: (1) verbal aptitude and the use of study questions; (2) the treatment of evolution in biology textbooks; (3) descriptions of characteristics of…

This document contains overviews of current research, insights from teachers and tutors, and considerations of such issues as metacognition, choice of operations, and the testing of problem-solving skills. Papers include: (1) "Historical Perspectives on Problem Solving in the Mathematics Curriculum" (George M. A. Stanic and Jeremy…

A study was conducted to investigate oral language used in fourth- and fifth-grade student dyads in a collaborative writing setting in order to understand better how children learn to write. The study was based on a theoretical framework that emphasized the interrelatedness of thought, language, and learning. Following a pilot study, students in…

This document is designed for use as a resource and reference guide for Air Force instructional managers who are considering the adoption or expansion of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) at some future time, and also as a decision aid for an instructional manager currently involved in the CAI decision process. The contents are intended to be…

This handbook was designed to be used in staff development programs for teachers of fourth and fifth grade mathematics. The program strives to make the teaching and learning of mathematics more meaningful by emphasizing process experiences. Good questioning techniques, problem exploration strategies and the use of manipulative materials are…

This learning module provides students with practice in applying mathematical operations to vocational agriculture. The module consists of unit objectives, definitions, information, problems to solve, worksheets suitable for various levels of vocational agriculture instruction, and answer keys for the problems and worksheets. This module, which…