Describes the author's three-week trip touring Japan with other American teachers, principals, and superintendents to learn about Japanese culture and receive an insider's look at Japanese education. Discusses hearing from Japanese education officials, traveling in and around Tokyo, visiting Japanese schools, and a weekend with a Japanese family.…

Maintains that educators should broaden their conception of competence and their thinking about desired educational outcomes. Argues that schools must become places where all students, not just the higher academic performers, can cultivate their skills, feel competent, and experience success. Suggests strategies for implementing a broader…

A national sample of kindergarten teachers (N=3595) were surveyed regarding their use of transition practices for children with special needs. The most frequently reported transition practices were sending letters to parents and arranging visits to first grade classrooms. Least frequently used practices were home visits and meetings to discuss the…

This paper introduces student-centered learning, provides examples of postsecondary student-centered learning practices, and identifies problems and issues associated with adopting, adapting, scaling, and advancing technology-based student-centered learning environments. (DB)

Argues that the ways in which college and university faculty experience their work often inhibit them from applying validated teaching practices. Suggests, however, that leadership practices and working cultures at the departmental level that foster collective and collaborative teaching approaches can go far toward improving teaching and learning,…

One of a series of articles on principles of good practice in legal education, this article focuses on the importance of encouraging cooperation among students. Considers the value of the learning community and the relationship of cooperative learning and academic excellence. Includes examples of cooperative learning in a variety of law school…

Applies management approach described in "The Discipline of Market Leaders" to middle schools. Maintains that by choosing a value proposition that defines what the school is and does, educators promise to provide a specific combination of services. Concludes that it is necessary to devote energies, policies, and practices to a single proposition:…

Provides contact information and brief descriptions of 13 high schools, colleges, community programs, and distance education schools receiving the Australian Rural Education Award in 2000. (SV)

A visit to Trail Wind Elementary School in Boise (Idaho) reveals the qualities that earned Debbie Toy Idaho's Distinguished Principal of the Year award: creative commitment to student needs, the ability to bring in outside resources, dedication to a school vision, community and parent participation, team building among staff, and participatory…

Outlines the transmission theory of teaching explaining that the theory is criticized in terms of its implied acceptance of theory-free observation, learning by inductive process, and secure knowledge. Discusses Karl Popper's alternative theories of learning and the growth of knowledge and outlines some of the implications for educational…

Investigates student's opinions of what they believe is valuable for the first class meeting of a course. Reports that a good first class meeting includes a well-organized, focused presentation containing basic course information including requirements, expectations, and information on examinations and assignments. Expounds that faculty should…

Presents a theory of collegial social control of teacher's instructional beliefs and practices that centers on the idea of "collegial focus." Examines whether social control affects teachers' practices, if collegial focus strengthens social control, the role of subject-matter specialization, and the effects of bureaucratic control on collegial…

Evaluates how the change in educational philosophy from progressive education to traditional methods in the United Kingdom influenced teachers' attitudes toward classroom practice by replicating a study undertaken in 1982. Reports that the findings demonstrate a significant shift towards traditional teaching styles between 1982 and 1996. (Contains…

Describes music education and its priorities as a basis for stimulating research questions and discusses advocacy research as evidence of the worth of music education research cited by arts advocates. Responds to the publication entitled "Priorities for Arts Education Research" by the Goals 2000 Arts Education Partnership. (CMK)

Presents an approach for bridging the gap between theory and practice in educational improvement. The approach, which consists of carrying out design experiments involving the creation and evaluation in the classroom of complex instructional interventions, is illustrated through the example of an intervention aimed at improving mathematics skills…