Symbolic interactionism, or the interactional perspective, provides the broadest overview of the major theoretical divisions in the field of speech communication. It is neither too abstract nor overly concrete and is directly linked to communicative behavior, and thus does not impose an inappropriate mechanism on the discipline in order to create…

Despite certain challenges to current practice, little attention has been given to the importance of training educational administrators in research as a process of inquiry. In fact, the inquiry process should be at the core of graduate training for all school administrators. The National Commission on Excellence in Educational Administration…

A curriculum based on "anchored instruction" was developed to enhance students' literacy development and acquisition of knowledge. The curriculum was designed to create a rich, shared environment that generates interest and enables students to identify and define problems while they explore the content from many perspectives. Based on…

This book highlights the use of research and other forms of knowledge for meaningful school reform by faculties engaged in the National Education Association's "Mastery in Learning Project" (MIL). This project is a school-based education reform initiative designed to help school faculties take an active role in directing school renewal…

The hypothesis tested in this study was the statement that teachers reflect what they have been taught--that teaching is a direct presentation of a specified curriculum and the direct reinforcement of students' correct responses to the curriculum. A survey of 455 graduate students called for scale responses about several theories of learning as…

Maxims derived from recent theory in learning and instruction and from reflection on excellent practice can be applied to teacher education, not only to improve the training of prospective teachers, but also to improve their ability to teach others. Especially useful are examples from Reading Recovery, a successful literacy training program. Some…

A description is given of a course in educational psychology in which students learn to apply the principles of educational psychology in understanding their own learning before they are expected to understand and apply these principles to children's learning. The course focuses on the application of the principles of educational psychology, i.e.,…

This document describes and assesses the process of adapting Paulo Friere's ideas in a Western European urban context. The Adult Learning Project (ALP), in the Gorgie Dalry section of Edinburgh, Scotland, is a sustained experiment in the application of Freire's educational principles. Following an introduction, chapter 1 describes the history of…

This guide to the development of reading and reading-related materials for newly literate individuals is designed for use in developing nations in the Asian Pacific region with relatively large neo-literate populations who may have little opportunity to practice and improve literacy skills. The guide consists of three sections. The first section…

Research has indicated that current information about reading and the effective teaching of reading has not yet made much impact on content area textbooks. As a result, there is much room for improvement in how textbooks are written. Recent research has yielded a great deal of information about what makes a text more understandable and supportive…

This monograph provides an overview of the field of second and foreign language reading research and theories. The intent of the monograph is to provoke thought about future directions for investigating the second or foreign language reading process, and to suggest productive reading pedagogy. In Part I, pertinent first language theory and…

The relative newness of the field of adult education and the newness of its research has been one of the problems in the research-to-practice dilemma. Edcuators have a sense of uncertainty and hence uneasiness in their role as social scientists. Others feel that adult education research is too flawed or impoverished for adoption. Dissemination…

Content and critical analyses of 40 speed reading books were undertaken to determine to what extent discussion and teaching reflected current research. Particular attention was given to the information provided on eye movements, span of recognition, and the upper rates of speed attainable through practice. Content analysis revealed the following:…

All 24 of Maryland's county school systems participated in a voluntary school improvement program that involved the adoption and implementation of one or more of four research-based, instructional processes: Active Teaching, Mastery Learning, Student Team Learning, and Teaching Variables. A 5-year study of this program produced findings on a…

At the Institute of Education in Singapore, two disjunctions in teacher preparation were identified. The first was the gap between theoretical knowledge propounded in teacher education programs and the experience of students in the practicum. The second was the gap between both the theoretical and experiential learning of the students and the real…