This dissertation documents the different ways in which specialists approach science fiction. Descriptions of courses are presented for four universities, two four-year colleges, and one two-year community college. At all the schools, science fiction is a medium for social criticism. Otherwise the courses differ in content, format, and the methods…

The purpose of this investigation was to analyze the preferences of fourth, fifth, and sixth grade urban black children with regard to characters, type of setting and story in books and the relationship between these preferences and grade level, sex, and socioeconomic status. Three hundred seven black students were read to from 15 books of five…

This paper outlines the details of a series of lessons for teaching the passive voice to speakers of other languages. A specific plan entitled "From Repetition to Meaningful Use: A Suggested Progression" includes a series of yes/no questions and progresses both from teacher-directed conversation to student-student conversation and from the reality…

This study examined the written product in several literary forms by boys and girls of junior high school age. Approximately 875 written items from 238 student authors were collected and examined. It was found that there was more variation in creativity in writing among the boys than among the girls. No significant differences between the sexes in…

Within the scope of the English program in the Cleveland Heights-University Heights (Ohio) junior high schools, three areas of concentration have been defined: literature, language, and composition. Correlation of these three areas is the focal point of this English course guide supplement for grades seven, eight, and nine. In the literature…

This study tested the effects of two distinct methods of instruction on the self-concept and English/language arts achievement of seventh and eighth graders divided into two experimental and one control group. The first instructional method was devoid of certain traditional constraints--grades, tests, homogeneous grouping, grade-level grouping,…

The obvious necessity for a freshman English course which is geared to the individual student's needs, prior preparation, and writing behavior prompted the formation of an experimental course at the University of Texas. Three major components--diagnostic tests, contracts, and computer-assisted instruction--provide the framework for a…

The kinds of spaces needed to house the learning activities of today's school English program are discussed in this paper. The following spaces are recommended in the planning of new buildings or in the remodeling of existing buildings: (1) a space capable of seating several hundred persons for viewing plays and films and for large-group…

The following four areas relating to black literature courses were explored in this study: course content, methods of instruction, instructor background and effectiveness, and effect of the course on the students. Instructors and students involved in black literature courses offered at institutions of higher education in New York State during…

This study attempted to construct an instrument--the Poetry Methods Rating Scale (PMRS)--for assessing 10th-grade teachers' opinions of poetry teaching methods and to validate it by comparing the scores on the PMRS to the teachers' attitudes, personality, performance, and success in the classroom. The PMRS (a 38-item, seven category…

Observations of American instructors and students in England, as well as English publications, reveal that English primary teachers treat writing as a way for children to share their personal experiences, and they correspondingly emphasize freedom of expression, fluency, and the retention and development of imaginative responses. Teachers enrich…

The purposes of this study were to identify teacher competencies and practices recommended by authorities for promoting interest in reading, and to determine if there were any observable differences in students' reporting of the amount of books read and "really liked" between classes whose teachers were ranked high in competencies and practices,…

This article proposes to teach writing from the hypothesis that true writing and good prose are only end products rather than the primary objectives. The author suggests that producing an effect in a reader and revealing the self in words are prior achievements in the process of learning to write well. Criteria for judging writing are based…

Twelve high school curriculum guides for English grammar, rated superior by a committee of the National Council of Teachers of English, were examined. An effort was made to define the grammatical position of each guide as agreeing with school grammar, scholarly traditional grammar, structural linguistic grammar, or transformational generative…

This study was designed to determine whether a student's level of critical thinking would be increased by exposure to programmed materials which emphasized the use of qualifying words in avoiding over-generalizations. Seventy 8th graders were randomly divided into two groups--one experimental, the other control--which were judged to be equivalent…