University of Illinois early-childhood-education professor discusses trends in teachers' roles in the United States and internationally, and reasons for the lack of change in ways teachers function and the manner in which schools are organized. Also explores reasonable and unreasonable roles expected of teachers, society's expectations of…

Examines first-, third-, and fifth-grade children's ability to hear two simultaneous melodies. Finds that older children identify two melodies faster and more accurately than do younger children, and that register and timbre combinations affect which melody is identified first. Notes implications for elementary music education. (DSK)

Evaluates a communication graduate program based upon the perceptions of M.A. alumni satisfaction. Uses the department's assessment plan to measure graduates' perceived knowledge of theory and research, as well as feelings about career preparation. Finds that assessment measures related to content taught may be linked to perceptions about quality,…

Describes techniques developed to improve the perceptual skills of maintenance technicians who align shafts on rotating equipment. A 3-D practice environment composed of animated mechanical components and tools was enhanced with 3-D VRML (Virtual Reality Modeling Language) scenes. (Author/AEF)

Investigated (Alabama) principals' role perceptions and possible gender influences. Results show the principal's job has changed significantly during the past 5 years. Male and female respondents agreed about challenges and necessary skills, but differed on role perceptions. Women were more global and team-oriented; men were more managerial.…

A former elementary principal (and teacher) describes challenging, insightful experiences gained while substituting for teachers for a half-day. This practice, combined with scheduling "sacred" classroom visiting times while advancing toward the superintendency, kept him in touch with teacher concerns and classroom realities. (MLH)

In a case study, three women superintendents say their Texas communities viewed the superintendency as suitable for a white, middle-aged, conservative, married man committed to keeping taxes low. Their observations on subtle and blatant manifestations of androcentric culture may provide grist for feminist research. Corrective measures are…

Four participants discuss their roles in a high school-university collaborative initiative for democratic education. A teacher, professor, graduate student, and teacher/graduate student demonstrate how they created more equitable roles in the university and high school partnership through critical reflection and interaction. (MMU)

Reading is one way that children can get a current and accurate view of agriculture; farms; and today's educated, technologically-oriented farm family. Discussion of 25 children's books on farms and farming compares stereotypical books and books offering accurate portrayals of farm life, animals, and activities. Contains 28 references. (SAS)

Examines the concept of reflection and its diverse uses within different political, philosophical, and cultural contexts. Discusses an alternative concept of reflection within the framework of an educational arena called "counter-education." Asserts that the traditional view of student reflection does not allow students to challenge the…

Reviews literature in the field of human-computer interaction (HCI) as it applies to educational environments. Topics include the origin of HCI; human factors; usability; computer interface design; goals, operations, methods, and selection (GOMS) models; command language versus direct manipulation; hypertext; visual perception; interface…

A study of 172 male and 120 female college students with learning disabilities investigated interaction of gender and ability on cognitive, language, and achievement variables. Most measures were strongly related to general cognitive ability. Gender differences were found for general short-term memory on one cognitive measure and the…

Two experiments used Visual Expectations Procedure to investigate development of expectations in infants up to 12 months old. Reaction time improved and the percentage of anticipations increased between 6 and 9 months using an alternation pattern or a complex pivot pattern, and between 4 and 8 months when using a left-right alternation or a…

Studied variability in the perception of sexual harassment based on observer gender, gender of harasser and victim, and role relationship of harasser and victim with 197 college students. The more egalitarian the relationship, the less likely students were to perceive sexual harassment. Gender differences are discussed for the various scenarios.…

The researchers who conducted a study of the views of regular elementary teachers toward provision of special services through either "pull-in" or "pull-out" programs consider the researcher's role as change agent. The authors stress the timing of their research (with new legislation mandating consultant teacher services) and…