This paper discusses the relationship between individual differences and educational practices by reviewing the historical models of teaching and past research on learner characteristics. The mental testing movement is reviewed in terms of the emergence of aptitude as a measurable concept. Learner motivation is also discussed along with the…

In connection with the formative evaluation of the Developing Mathematical Processes (DMP) curriculum, interviews were conducted with teachers in grades 1-3 at the beginning of the school year and after concluding each of the 10 topics on addition and subtraction. The topics had been especially prepared for a classroom observational study. The…

The intermediate practicum student's impact on the instructional process, the supervising teacher, and the school as a whole was studied. One hundred twenty-five Georgia College intermediate education students were placed in elementary schools for their practicum, a full-time, 3-week period. Questionnaires were given to both students and…

This report presents the results of a national survey of a selected group of college and university teachers of writing considered to be the best by the directors of their writing programs. The first chapter explains how the sample of teachers was selected, examines the distribution of the sample across types and sizes of institutions, summarizes…

The 14 articles in this journal issue provide suggestions for making language study interesting. Specific topics discussed in the articles include (1) metaphors, (2) expressing feelings, (3) grammar for speakers of nonstandard English dialects, (4) medical jargon, (5) grammar in the writing process, (6) the rhetoric of teacher comments, (7) slang,…

Empathy and prosocial moral values are often identified as antecedents of helping behavior, but interest in their relationship and joint operation has only recently emerged. To investigate the relative contribution of empathy and values to helping responses, 87 college students were confronted with a request for help delivered either in person or…

Covariance structure modelling is applied to the problem of estimating reliability and measurement error in survey data. To provide a basis for grouping certain question or variable types (data from questions), a simple typology based on the formal characteristics of the questions is outlined. From this classification, models for the different…

Literature and research studies concerning self-fulfilling prophecy effects are reviewed in this document. Works concerning the Pygmalion Controversy, the existence of self-fulfilling prophecy effects of teacher expectations, and the strength and reality of these effects are cited. The document's sections discuss the effects of teacher…

The influence of students' behavioral definitions on subsequent teacher behaviors was investigated with a simulation which allowed teachers using a microcomputer and video display terminal to verbally interact with four simulated students programmed to vary on knowledge and initiative. These "students," in turn, responded to teacher…

This study investigated the implementation of a 7th grade biology curriculum ("Animal and its Environment") in Israel. The curriculum has seven parts, each one with a dictated sequence including well-defined objectives, suitable activities, and assigned materials, with little degree of freedom for the teacher. A primary concern for the…

Procedures devised for computing factor matching statistics in questionnaire construction are described. In a study of the impact of vocational education on social, affective and nontechnical development of students, an attitude questionnaire to measure outcomes was developed. Each item in the final section had a six-point Likert type response…

A fundamental problem in social cognition and person perception is the issue of consistency in impressions. Some conditions encourage people to stereotype others while other conditions encourage people to abandon their stereotypes. A study was conducted to identify the different kinds of eliciting conditions for piecemeal vs. stereotype processing…

This paper reviews significant literature on teachers' beliefs, offers support for the contention that current research is moving in a more utilitarian direction than in the past, and argues that continuing research into teachers' beliefs could be useful in improving teaching practice. The review focuses on five areas: (1) the different ways that…

A longitudinal study was conducted to determine the extent to which the race of homicide suspects and victims influenced newspaper coverage of the crime and prosecution. Based on reader response, it was hypothesized that homicides involving members of minority groups would receive less newspaper coverage than those involving Whites. Coverage for…

To put the interdisciplinary Turko-Danish Fairytale Project, which is concerned with the dynamics of reader response to literature, into a theoretical framework, this paper first describes how modern aesthetics take an interdisciplinary approach and investigate--by cross cultural approaches and in human behavior terms--the phenomenon of art and…