The state of the art of research in second language acquisition is reviewed. A framework is first established for the examination of second language learning. The concept of proficiency is addressed with respect to its theoretical basis, rating scales, formal tests, and interlanguage studies. The social context of second language acquisition is…

The papers in this collection provide a brief state-of-the-art statement on the role of non-standard dialects of English in education and on some implications of the Ann Arbor decision. The following papers are included: (1) "Vernacular Black English: Setting the Issues in Time," by Roger W. Shuy; (2) "Beyond Black English:…

This investigation of a methodology for evaluating the reference effectiveness of academic libraries in New South Wales tests the answering of questions with a set of 10 questions seeking general background information on a range of topics. Student volunteers pose the questions by unobtrusive methods to reference staff at three college libraries.…

Presented are 54 papers offered during the 1980 Workshop of the Association of Interpretive Naturalists at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. These papers, which relate to the conference theme "Integrating Natural and Cultural Interpretation," are organized into three categories: (1) Operations, (2) Management, and (3) Research. Representative of…

Presented is the third in a three-volume report detailing the evaluation of the National Science Foundation Comprehensive Assistance to Undergraduate Science Education (CAUSE) program, a program developed to encourage the improvement in quality and effectiveness of undergraduate science education in institutions of higher education. This volume…

This final report describes the activities, methodology, and outcomes of the dissemination phase of the Knowledge Interpretation Program for Citizenship Education of Research for Better Schools, Inc. (RBS). The report also outlines a number of issues associated with the planning and conduct of the RBS Program and addresses these issues from RBS'…

This paper explores research on problem solving and suggests a problem-solving approach to elementary school social studies, using a culture study of the ancient Egyptians and King Tut as a sample unit. The premise is that problem solving is particularly effective in dealing with problems which do not have one simple and correct answer but rather…

An evaluation of a student sourcebook which contains quotations of 51 individuals from varying ethnic backgrounds and with varying degrees of ethnicity is reported. The primary objective of the source book is to illustrate that people who identify with ethnic groups are individuals and not merely members of the group. Separate sections of the…

A review of selected literature and data from specific experiments consistently indicates both the causes of poor memory performance by retarded children and the ways this performance can be improved. When memory tasks requiring the use of any of a number of mnemonic strategies are presented to retarded children, they seem to remain passive and…

This paper reviews some of the physiological characteristics of the reading act, including the structure of the eye and the limits and focusing area of eye fixations. It then outlines a four-part method for increasing reading rates of reading both easy and study-type materials, a method that can be used over 20 one-hour sessions with students who…

As part of the United States Navy's efforts to enlarge its pool of personnel who are qualified for service and who will seek long-term careers in the Navy, the research branch of the Chief of Naval Education and Training contracted Research for Better Schools (RBS), Inc., to examine two areas related to personnel development: basic skills…

A study investigated whether comprehension of a text could be enhanced by careful structuring of the lesson elements surrounding it. One group of ten second grade children received a reading lesson as prescribed in a basal series that directed attention to irrelevant content while failing to highlight consistently important story elements. A…

Sentence combining exercises present material to the students to be mastered by processes similar to memorization. By taking ideas in short sentences and compacting them into larger sentences, students become familiar with the relationships between the ideas in the short sentences. At its best, sentence combining is a process that requires the…

A study of the implementation of a rational/bureaucratic model of knowledge in classrooms suggests that current modes of educational administration are based on control, via rational planning, of social relations, individual consciousness, and epistemology. Bureaucratic organization and professionalism enjoy a symbiotic relationship, combined with…

This paper is a first report from the project "Activity Learning and Cooperation," financed by the Swedish Board of Education. The aim of the project is to establish a theoretical basis for a field study of locally initiated experiments using various teaching strategies. More specifically, this paper is restricted to a discussion of the…