Describes a five-year project in which British Columbia secondary teachers and university educators met regularly to discuss teaching and learning. Analyzes substantive features of group deliberations, group dynamics, and participant communication. Discusses "community of inquiry" features: sharing of knowledge, support in knowledge construction,…

In an urban elementary school, teachers trained in the Comer school development approach attempted to reform school discipline practices and plan conflict resolution efforts for students. Time constraints and teachers' aversion to coping with conflicting views inhibited the open democratic discussion needed as a foundation of change and limited…

Teacher survey at 93 Saskatchewan schools involved in school improvement programs found that in the initiation phase, institutionalization of changes was associated with personal knowledge of successful innovations at other schools. The nature and quality of leadership behavior, extent of collaboration and staff involvement, and alignment with…

Describes an ongoing three-year research project comparing the purposes, antecedents, and consequences of large-scale educational reforms in Alberta, Manitoba, Minnesota, England, and New Zealand. Comparative analysis focuses on policy origins and the role of ideology in reform proposals, codification of reform into law or regulation,…

Examined the generalizability of written-response scores on the English 30 diploma examination administered to Alberta 12th-grade students. Student scores differed as a function of rater, but this variance component was small across two tasks and two administrations; score generalizability was high using a two-rater system; and scale variability…

Among 207 Australian final-year nursing students, higher academic grades in the senior year were related to student intention to understand the material or to "achieve," and to the ability to generate alternative learning strategies with changing task demands. Relationships between scores on the Study Process Questionnaire and the Strategic…

A "want ad" describing a student reading helper was read to four groups of students in grades 5-6 using "he,""she,""they," or "he or she." Using the generic "he" did not affect boys' or girls' expectations of girls' job performance. Although half the children realized that "he" could represent either gender, only two could explain the convention.…

Ounce of Prevention in Schools, an early intervention program in a Quebec elementary school, includes a family support component to increase parents' involvement and assistance with their children's school work. Interviews showed that, compared to control parents, parents in the program helped their children more with homework but had lower…

A study of 91 college students aged 20-27, representing the mid-range of the Generation-X cohort, examined their technological attitudes, knowledge, and usage in comparison to those of the Baby Boom cohort. Generational differences in technology learning experiences, information-seeking behaviors, and comfort with technology and technological…

Demonstrates the merging of cognitive psychology, psychology of mathematics, and special education. Various models of children's addition strategies are reviewed and critiqued. Addition strategy with poor learners should be comprehensive and include interactions between strategies, knowledge, metacognition, motivation, and social factors. (MAK)

The dimensionality of school marks in compulsory schools was examined using databases (BACE72 and BACE73) on 200,000 Swedes born in 1972 and 1973 who had received a school-leaving certificate. Marks for 17 subject areas were analyzed for multidimensionality, and gender differences in ranked abilities were noted. Factors affecting achievement were…

Demonstrates how perspectives from covariance structural modeling and generalizability theory can be combined for a comprehensive assessment of latent constructs. This approach to examining variance components is illustrated by one- and two- facet designs, and can be extended to more complex designs. (MAK)

Icelandic students' knowledge of literary culture (sagas, folktales, mythology, modern literature) was analyzed using a 75- item questionnaire administered to 299 students in grades 7-12. Results were analyzed with between-subject factors of age, sex, socioeconomic status, and geographical area. (MAK)

Selection effects in the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test due to socioeconomic status (SES) were studied using data from longitudinal studies (n=8,222). Results show that subjects from low SES groups constitute the most positively-selected group even though they obtain the lowest test scores. Gender and grade differences are discussed. (MAK)

The year 1998 was one of immense change for adult learning and literacy, as significant new legislation was passed and the field headed more deeply into the mainstream. Along with these developments came greater demands for program accountability, expanded strategic alliances and partnerships, new instructional methodologies, changes in public…