Examined 12 child caregivers' ability to articulate their beliefs concerning teacher practice, and personal and professional influences related to those beliefs. Found that 33 percent of teachers' rationales focused on children's socio-emotional development, 10 percent on cognitive development, and 6 percent on language development. Teachers with…

Compared reading, writing, and mathematics achievement of Title I and non-Title I third graders in comparable multiage and single-age classrooms in three school districts. Found higher achievement among non-Title I students in multiage settings when compared to those in a single-age setting. No setting differences were observed for Title I…

Examined teachers' interpersonal behavior and its association with affective and cognitive outcomes among 1,512 elementary mathematics students in Singapore. Validated a widely applicable and convenient questionnaire to assess teacher interpersonal behavior. Found that different data analysis methods yielded consistent associations between teacher…

Examined effectiveness of an 8-week "Wheel of Choice" intervention to discuss positive forms of conflict resolution among first graders. Found that students developed more positive strategies for solving conflicts. Physical and verbal aggression decreased from the first to the eighth week. Students used the "Wheel of Choice" when given opportunity…

Examined what one middle school teacher learned as she directed her students to complete a structural engineering task as a cooperative learning activity. Found that students were on task and collaborated to accomplish the goal, but that the teacher's decisions about how tasks were set up, carried out, and completed affected students' interactions…

Presents evidence that early and primary school learning exhibits features that previously were thought typical of adult learners only. Reconceptualizes child-centered primary education in light of theories on expertise, conceptual change, and epistemological development. Explores a theoretical approach to learning called progressive inquiry…

This study compared impact of traditional and experiential approaches to early childhood education on gender related patterns in activity choices. Findings confirmed gender related activity patterns previously reported. Compared to traditional settings, boys in experiential settings engaged more in doll play and expressed feelings of distress…

Presents case study of 4.5-year-old to highlight aspects of socialization for young bilingual children learning English as a second language. Identifies social rules/routines, child-adult interaction, and the stage of English language development as areas providing important educational insights. Highlights how children in early stages of second…

Outlines the policy context of New Zealand early childhood program evaluation and quality. Presents ethnographic research findings on key elements of program quality in relation to New Zealand National Early Childhood Curriculum; findings provide basis for self-evaluation framework through use of Teaching Stories as a focus for reflection and…

Compared arithmetic knowledge and calculation strategies of children in England and Slovenia in relation to existing policy and practice regarding school entry age. Found that English children scored significantly higher than Slovenes at age 6 on basic arithmetic; by 7 there were no differences. English 6 and 7-year-olds scored higher on…

Examined 5- and 6-year-olds' ideas about the functioning of common electrical appliances and properties of electric current. Found that children represented current in a static way, thinking it was included in the appliance, and confounded electric current and water flow, believing external electricity was different from internal. They were…

Investigated student teachers' experiences using a phenomenographically oriented pedagogic theory to develop a better understanding of preschool children's life questions. Found that, following the intervention study, the students emphasized the importance of finding the child's point of view and of tackling the child's questions together, more so…

Presents early findings of an ongoing project to learn preschool and kindergarten children's understanding and expression of spirituality. Categorizes children's responses and discusses them in the context of theories that spirituality may be an innate feature of human consciousness. (JPB)

Compared parent and teacher expectations concerning development and learning in 3- to 5-year-olds in Finland and Ireland. Found that both Irish and Finnish teachers consider social skills with peers the most important for preschoolers; however, Irish teachers stressed language and preacademic skills, while Finnish teachers stressed…

Investigated the potentialities of teaching the concept of measuring surfaces to primary school children. Children tested in covering the surface of an object using socially significant materials (e.g., cardboard rectangles vs. car pictures and a drawing of a parking lot) were found to complete the task at ages younger than expected. (JPB)