This commentary on C. Addison Stone's paper on the scaffolding metaphor for the learning disabilities field identifies issues in the metaphor's use and concludes that effective special education has been inhibited by isolation of interventions from theory and by the way teacher education is structured. Use of the scaffolding metaphor to refocus…

Proposes six "commonplaces" characteristic of all forms of professional education, and critically examines Dewey's views of teacher education expressed in his essay "The Relation of Theory to Practice in Education" through those commonplaces. Offers proposals for conceptualizing the education of teachers in general and the…

Reviews research on the effects of nature, nurture, and developmental processes on psychological functioning. Considers real advances in knowledge, outlines some of the misleading claims, and notes the potential for research and science-led improvements in policies and practice, emphasizing the need for a better interpretation of genetic,…

Reviews recent literature on the quality of worklife on college and university campuses and offers a framework that conceptualizes these studies in three groups: those that describe and explore differences in the quality of worklife, those that determine the impact of worklife on attitudes, and those that attempt to explain behavioral outcomes.…

Social support, a key factor in determining physical and mental health, strongly predicted changes in outdoor adventure participants' psychological resilience. The support received from the least supportive person best predicted gains in resilience. Outdoor education programs should provide a learning environment that is both challenging and…

Recounts a personal journey--an effort to achieve balance and congruence in a master's level language arts course. Wrestles with theoretical and practical issues as the author gradually turned over much control of the curriculum to his graduate students. Delves into some thorny issues: student assessment, maintaining rigor and accountability, and…

Explored United Kingdom postgraduates' individual accounts of the experience of learning to see whether or not such descriptions of process reflected assumptions about "adults" appearing in some research literature. Found a diversity of approaches and experiences which did not fit with the idea of a distinctively "adult" way of…

Notes suburban Australian newspapers have traditionally relied on a junior workforce, which means they have a significant influence in training cadets and shaping the journalists of the future. Suggests lack of staff and resources mean that the loftier ideals of journalism often give way to more practical issues. Discusses the challenges facing…

Suggests recruits to the rural press face particular challenges that might inhibit their capacity to work to the professional standards of their metropolitan counterparts. Considers four ways to lift the standards of the rural press through education and training in universities to prepare students for the rural workplace. (RS)

Looks at how English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL). teachers might choose some aspects of second language acquisition research to apply in an adult ESL class and what information might be found in ESL textbooks to help. The method incorporates second language acquisition (SLA) research in a communicative classroom. (Author/VWL)

The history of prevention science reflects a commitment to using scholarship to improve quality of life for children and families. The integration of prevention and promotion approaches facilitates the design and delivery of policies and programs that may be effective in enhancing healthy youth development in directions that advance civil society.…

Discussion of research and development (R&D) in education focuses on educational computing R&D, which translates theory and research into practice and the creative design and development of new products. Suggests that as educational technology, accountability, and systemic reform change educational practice, the need for effective R&D…

Seven critical statements about special education are shown to actually demonstrate the positive aspects of special education and the importance of linking research and practice. Critical statements address special education as a separate system, as a system that stigmatizes students, as having no effective methods, and as returning few students…

This article reviews the current status of the behavior disorders field in the context of increasing criticisms of special education generally. It notes critical issues within the field and reviews its strengths, contributions, notable achievements, and capacity to produce high quality research. Challenges such as the need to translate research…

This review of the history of learning disabilities (LD) suggests that creation of the LD category has served scientific, if not always, policy purposes. It finds that 40 years of research have produced inventive, creative tools that benefit both investigation and intervention and, most importantly, a better understanding of individual…