Focusing on research and its implications for classroom practice, this paper describes how students' comprehension of text can be enhanced by using a variety of easily available materials. The first section considers what successful reading involves in terms of the active nature of learning in general, the characteristics of skilled readers, and…

This study reviews literature on the education of teachers, lawyers, engineers, and other professions, providing comparison of the nature of expertise in the various professions and on how it is acquired. Four definitions of expertise are presented--expertise as technical skill; expertise as application of theory; expertise as critical analysis;…

The report of the National Commission on Excellence in Educational Administration recommended that educational administration preparation programs be planned around five strands--including supervised practice consisting of short- and long-term internships directed by research faculty and practitioners who are clinical faculty members. This idea is…

Raymond William's historical analysis of the "community" and the "individual" is useful for looking critically at the notion of "discourse communities." Recent "social" theories of writing have invoked the idea of community in ways that seem at once sweeping and vague, for they fail to state the operating…

Noting that librarians have long debated whether specific library functions may, or should, be scientifically examined, or whether they constitute an art not susceptible to scientific study, this paper reviews and critiques attempts to develop models of library material selection using the theories and methods of scientific investigation. First,…

A classroom research study investigated the effectiveness of an approach to financial accounting instruction that uses worksheets to bring together the conceptual and practical aspects of the field. Students were divided into two groups, one taught by traditional lecture method and the other taught with worksheet exercises and lectures stressing…

The expanding needs and growing expectations of employers make it very clear that vocational-technical education must give concentrated attention to critical thinking, problem solving, and decision making. The impetus for today's higher-order thinking skills movement can be traced to a number of sources, most of which gained prominence during the…

The one-page abstract summarizes "Brain Research: Implications for the Education of Exceptional Children," an ERIC Computer Search Reprint containing bibliographic information and abstracts of 115 documents. Citations are described in five sections: learning disabilities, autism, other learning handicaps, assessment techniques, and instructional…

Strategies are presented for fostering statewide program development and refinement in the field of special education. Sixteen observations about change are presented, with examples from various Washington statewide initiatives. Among the observations are the following: Reform should be promoted from within by empowering schools to explore…

The Educators' Forum is a seminar for teachers which supports them as they carry out investigations in their classrooms and schools. The investigations include studies of classroom issues, action research projects, and studies of individual students. Each member of the forum is encouraged to choose a topic of interest or concern which is directly…

To assess the value of professional writing internships, a pilot study at Michigan State University will administer pre- and post-tests to students involved in internships, as well as to control groups composed of professional writing majors who do not participate in internships, and other English majors following a traditional curriculum of…

Operational and organizational principles are suggested for guiding the establishment of networks to facilitate ongoing interactions between the practitioner and scholar communities in mathematics, science, and technology. These networks would define problems that need attention, carry out research on the problems, and incorporate the results of…

Psycholinguistic theoretical information provides the framework for the argument that talking books, taped books, shared book experiences and composing activities that include real text prepared for a specific audience provide an environment conducive to beginning reading. Six assumptions underlie the learning to read process: (1) children learn…

This paper describes efforts to develop a social studies methods course based on a foundation of critical theory in education. The literature concerning critical theory is discussed. Critical theory focuses on three areas of educational thought: (1) the relationship of school to society; (2) conceptions of knowledge and curriculum; and (3) the…

This monograph builds upon rapid developments in the field of learning styles during the past few years, providing useful information about the theory, research, instrumentation, and practice of learning style. The first section presents an overview of learning style and addresses the school learning process, learning style concept, cognitive…