In Adams County, Colorado, a reading improvement project has the problem not of youngsters wanting to get out, but of too many wanting to get in. (Editor)

Assesses the contemporary relevance of the ideas of Edmond Holmes, the Chief Inspector at the Board of Education who in 1911 attacked the teaching methods he had witnessed during the previous thirty years. (Editor)

Discusses research from a variety of disciplines that focuses on professional education and the implications of such research on the formal preparation of professionals in higher education. Presents a three-level model of professional preparation that emphasizes the development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes, performance in simulated or…

Discusses three approaches to the construct of "professional" and examines the nature of teachers' professional practice and the roles played by both teacher unions and school authorities in relation to practice. Concludes that the quality of student learning in Australian schools depends, in part, on clarity about the nature of…

Discusses the impact of the contractualist environment on education in Australia, focusing on what teachers perceive to be changing in education and in their professional practice. Also discusses some of the challenges of professional practice in an age of contractualism. (MDM)

Explains how curriculum materials have played an uneven role in educational practice and proposes how the boundaries between teachers and materials in the construction of the curriculum can be redrawn. Discusses how curriculum materials act as agents of instructional improvement; examines the relations between textbooks, teachers, and teaching;…

Examines parent involvement complexities from the differing standpoints of school volunteers and teachers, mostly women. Explores the construction of the family-school relationship in four Louisiana schools serving low-income children. For educators, parental involvement was ideologically bounded by school walls. Parents' descriptions stressed…

In instructional design, goal analysis is used to identify what the learner should be able to do after mastering the instructional goal. Three important issues are discussed: defining the parameters for goal analysis; problems with approaching analysis from a teaching perspective; and the importance of goal analysis for effective instruction. (AEF)

Argues that individual differences should be given a central role in modeling training programs. Examines the effect of training on individual differences, how the study of individual differences can contribute to the understanding of the learning process, and the effect of social environment on learning and performance from the perspective of…

A survey of 205 special education teachers investigated how lesson plans were developed, what components were included, and what recommendations they had for beginning teachers. Results indicated the majority did not write out their lesson plans but recommended that beginning teachers write out lesson plans. (CR)

Citations (n=675) regarding classroom practices in journals dedicated to gifted education from 1989 to 1996 were reviewed. Only five percent of the identified references addressed issues of demonstrated effectiveness with acceptable research standards. Most of these focused on specific instructional strategies and program models that were found to…

This paper reviews findings from comprehensive early intervention studies with young children with autism and formulates questions that need to be answered to establish efficacious, accessible early treatment. Results suggest that intensive, very early treatment appears to lessen the debilitating effects of autism. Research questions involve…

Some insights and reflections based on experiences in trying to implement some feminist pedagogical principles and practices in women's studies courses in Japan are presented. Data from roughly 1,500 students reveal the difficulties in such teaching and the potential for change in Japanese education. (SLD)

Discusses the traditional practices and the theories that have been adopted by many early childhood professionals in Australia. Questions the implicit codes of Western schooling, highlighting the ethnocentric framework of early childhood education in many countries. Presents and discusses findings from a study of Australian indigenous families…

Reviews research published in North America concerning how years of education, amount of specialized education, and years of experience relate to early childhood teaching practices. Finds that amount of formal schooling correlated with overall classroom quality and, less often, with effective teacher behavior. Specialized education may be causally…