A survey of 183 University of Malta education graduates teaching in Maltese elementary and secondary schools investigated the interest and perceived relevance of 45 topics in the curriculum. Differences were found between the interest and perceived relevance of most topics. Elementary and secondary teachers disagreed significantly about only nine…

The study investigated the attitudes, perceptions, emotional reactions, and affective dispositions of 100 students at the University of Haifa (Israel) toward various test formats, item types, and methods of test administration. The use of examinee feedback systems in college student evaluation, applications of feedback inventories for assessing…

A peer evaluation experiment in a British polytechnic institute found peer grading correlated positively with teacher grading. A survey of participants (n=70) found that five advantages of peer marking had been achieved and that students believed their work had been marked fairly and the marks should count toward final grades. (Author/MSE)

A study compared university chemistry students' (n=19) performances in creativity exercises, concept mapping, and traditional examinations. Performance in all three correlated with deep study strategy, but low correlations between the three methods suggests that they test different aspects of chemistry knowledge. Use and integration of all three…

The first year of an innovative British partnership between elementary schools, the school district, the teacher training institution, and teacher trainees is evaluated. The program integrates the needs of institutions, students, and professionals. Guiding principles relevant to the development of such partnerships and evaluation issues are…

Use of peer assessment as a method of differentiating between individual students on a group project is examined. A peer appraisal questionnaire and a method for calculating a peer assessment factor from it are presented. The method's use in a large course and some possible modifications are discussed. The questionnaire is appended. (Author/MSE)

The Enterprise Awareness in Teacher Education program incorporates enterprise, economic, and industrial issues into all preservice teacher education in England, Scotland, and Wales through an extensive program of faculty development. One of three proposed levels of program evaluation is currently in place in the institutions. (Author/MSE)

Considers three main components of self-directed learning: (1) topic knowledge; (2) procedural skills; and (3) self-monitoring. The role of computer-assisted instruction in autonomous learning is discussed, software that fosters independent problem solving is reviewed, and it is recommended that computers be incorporated in courses emphasizing…

Describes a study that investigated the demographic characteristics of faculty who require and who do not require the use of computers in courses they teach. The utilization of computers for specific purposes is examined, perceived obstacles to computer integration into the curriculum are discussed, and the instructional materials used are…

Examination of interviews and surveys provides an overview of the problems and needs of rural school teachers in multigrade classrooms. A review of research and teacher reports in the U.S. and other countries compares instructional methods in multigrade and single grade classrooms. Implications for teacher preparation, classroom organization, and…

Examination of 19 school district consolidations in 10 states, 1980-84, revealed that, of 6 expenditure categories, only administration showed significant savings 3 years after consolidation, when compared to changes in state average costs during that period. Changes in other expenditure categories varied widely among districts. Contains 22…

Commission on Country Life recommendations (1911) for rural education reforms have been misinterpreted as attempts to urbanize rural schools. Reexamination of the Country Life movement might help researchers move from such defensive positions to one that exposes corporate forces profiting from the decline of rural America. Contains 30 references.…

Among 1,247 Ohio seniors, 74 percent of rural and 84 percent of urban students planned postsecondary education. Rural and urban students had similar levels of occupational aspirations but different occupational choices; rural students had lower income expectations. Student, family, and school characteristics differed significantly between the two…

Among 74 rural respondents to an adult education questionnaire, most favored group instruction offered at traditional locations on practical, economically relevant subjects. The most frequently cited barriers to participation were situational, with cost predominant. The greatest resistance to adult education was centered in the neediest…

Australian farmers have traditionally been opposed to sending their sons to agricultural colleges, an attitude that partially changed after Victoria introduced a farm apprenticeship scheme. Structured interviews with apprentices and employers in the scheme and nonparticipating young farm workers and employers clarified their motives and…