The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the research literature relating to the acquisition of literacy. Its focus is on empirical studies that identify the processes underlying the acquisition of literacy, and the instructional strategies that are most effective in developing effective literacy. Its specific focus is on the…

This paper was prepared for the Ministerial Council on Education, Employment and Training Taskforce on Teacher Quality & Educational Leadership. It covers the following broad areas: (1) How can a national definition of "Good Teaching" be developed, and what should it include?; (2) What should a "National Standards Framework" look like, and what…

Educational policy makers in many countries recognize the need to focus their policies more directly on factors affecting the quality of teachers. Common to these policies are attempts to reform teachers' pay systems and career paths to place greater value on teachers' work and give stronger incentives for professional development. Investing in…

Unsupported assumptions that dyslexics differ from other poor readers by having higher intelligence are challenged by a developmental model proposing that reading difficulty results from early language delays and environmental factors. A mixed transactional model that incorporates early language problems and IQ may be more appropriate. (SK)

Examination of interviews and role plays of 81 girls and 64 boys aged 7-11 found that children position genders as oppositional to one another. Choice of traditional gender roles results from gender category maintenance within symbolic gender cultures. (SK)

Children viewed pictures of children with mild, severe, or no facial disfigurement before and after 62 participated in an educational program. The pilot group greatly improved knowledge scores compared to 39 controls. The control group did have some attitudinal improvement, perhaps due to exposure to disfigurement. (SK)

Test results were compared for 925 11-year-olds who completed Summer Literacy Schools before transfer to secondary education and 1,097 controls. Both groups declined significantly between pre- and posttesting, with no significant differences between groups. Anxiety about transition may lead to decline in achievement. (SK)

For 58 college students, high self-concept and learning processes scores were related to positive attitudes toward open-ended tests, negative toward multiple choice. Low test anxiety scores were related to positive attitudes toward open-ended tests. Males were more favorable to multiple choice than females were. (SK)

British high school students (n=178) who used the Universities and Colleges Admission Service for college application mostly used a wide range of sources and the help of a career counselor when available. However, most felt that colleges and employers were not interested in the national Records of Achievement. (SK)

A survey of preservice teachers in a part-time distance learning program (n=76) and a full-time university program (n=87) in Britain revealed that the part-time course recruits different types of students; both groups felt their training was of a high quality; and barriers to entry into teaching were related to age, family situation, and…

A British study of 93 male and 35 female students taking advanced-level (A-level) physics showed that females who had chosen to pursue A-levels tended to have higher ability, preferred contextualized teaching and learning, and were more person oriented in their career choices. (SK)

Review of research using data from five British national demographic surveys showed that secondary analyses occurred less often in education; such analyses focused on the effect of educational qualifications on employment; and some data remain relatively unexploited. (SK)

Pre/posttest data from six elementary teachers who received inservice training in science showed that the training enabled them to acquire a scientific view of the concept of energy efficiency. Before training, they tended to confuse it with energy conservation. (SK)

Comparison of responses from 38 U.S. and 27 British preservice teachers on the Ethics Position Questionnaire indicated that both groups had high idealism. U.S. teachers had lower relativism scores. (SK)

Northern Ireland requires that all secondary students have access to a broad curriculum, including languages. Surveys of special education and secondary teachers revealed negative reactions about the requirement's effects on special needs students. Despite difficulties, second-language learning can help these students improve self-esteem and…