A study investigated the hypothesis that poor comprehension or recall of task demands, rather than a putative lack of goal directedness, is a possible source of learning-disabled children's poor performance of experimental tasks. Clear instructions substantially facilitated performance by both normally achieving and learning disabled children of…

A study of how teachers form initial impressions of pupils examined the relative influence of speech style, physical appearance, and written work on teacher judgments of pupils on a wide range of classroom personality and cognitive variables. Pupil voice and accent were found to be a strong influence in judgments about the child as a learner.…

Reading is a transactional interplay between the reader and the text. Reading for cognitive understanding and for aesthetic enjoyment are very different processes. Schools tend to emphasize the first and neglect the second, although children first experience language in an aesthetic way. Reading instruction should emphasize both types of reading.…

Provides some insight into the statistical scope of the single father phenomenon. Pinpoints psychological, interpersonal and environmental stresses in the single father's life. Presents major characteristics of the single father and notes some counseling recommendations. (RC)

Observation, in-depth structured and unstructured interviews, and open-ended questionnaires were used to determine what being a teacher means to 35 public school teachers. Results focus on teachers' skills and development related to instructional mastery, classroom control, and social relations with students. (JN)

In two experiments, children were subjected to a delay of gratification procedure in which higher levels of reward were contingent upon maintaining waiting behavior. Results from both experiments indicated that the impact of a positive affect induction procedure on delay of gratification varied with age. (Author/DB)

Discusses a new alcohol education program offered to all the school boards in Ontario, Canada. Describes what initially seemed to be a simple process that became a series of barriers to overcome. Includes recommendations for future projects. (Author)

Three possible ways to link teachers with research on teaching and teaching practices are described: (1) rules, (2) evidence, and (3) schemata (which provide a way to "see" a phenomenon and to think about it). Illustrations are drawn from the Beginning Teacher Evaluation Study. Schemata on classroom time and teacher behavior are…

Teachers' judgments of the aptitudes of hypothetical students and decisions about classroom organization and management were examined using a policy-capturing approach. Teachers' decision policies could not be represented by a single set of common regression weights. Rather, for each judgment, teachers' decision policies were essentially…

Examines the effects of stressing three phases of the composing process (feedback, revision, and invention) in the teaching of composition. (HOD)

A narrative account of what might occur the first day of a nuclear war is interspersed with facts about the nuclear arms race and about the destructive power of weapons already stockpiled in the United States and the Soviet Union. A plea is made for preserving civilization from such a catastrophe. (PP)

The impact of seat position on teachers' initial judgments of students was investigated. Students sitting forward in the classroom were regarded more favorably than those at the rear. Results indicated a significant effect for seating and a three-way interaction between chosen seat, sex, and grade. (Author/GK)

Studied the use of the drug coca paste by high school students in Los Angeles. Of 11th- and 12th-grade males (N=228), four claimed to have recently used coca paste, and of (N=460) females, five reported using the drug. Also studied comparative usage with other substances, and attitudes. (Author/RC)

Reviews research on teacher attitudes towards sexual differences as they affect their response to student behavior and potential. Since research findings refute many sexual stereotypes, the author recommends individualized instruction to encourage the highest development of individual capacities. A checklist for evaluating teaching sex fairness is…

Investigated the usefulness of Carey's Revised Infant Temperament Questionnaire in the Chinese culture and used the questionnaire to assess the temperamental characteristics of Chinese babies. While the general pattern of results resembled data from Carey's American sample, differences were found, which could be interpreted in terms of response…