Analyses of data for three cohorts of middle-school students (more than 5,600) show that communal organization was not related to mathematics achievement or attendance, but academic press was positively related to both mathematics achievement and attendance. Results call for more skepticism about the currently popular communitarian approach to…

In posttest results, 76 prealgebra students who learned about functions in a unit emphasizing multiple formats, anchoring learning in a thematic context, and problem solving in cooperative groups were more successful at problem solving and problem representation than were 56 comparison students conventionally taught. Similar results were found for…

Structural equation models were used to examine the paths from school grades and self-concept to subsequent course selection for 246 male 8th- and 10th-grade Catholic school students in Australia. Specific components of self-concept were more strongly related to course selection than were grades, a finding with implications for the study of…

Relationships between teachers' theoretical orientations toward reading, classroom process, and task assignment and student outcomes for students who had scored above or below the population median on a standardized test of early reading ability were studied for 11 kindergarten teachers and 132 students. Differences for whole-language and phonics…

Empirical research examining the social competence and affective functioning of children with mild disabilities was reviewed. Findings are interpreted in terms of social comparison theory, and methodological issues that should be addressed in considering social competence and affective characteristics of children with mild disabilities are…

A comprehensive review of the debate over the inclusion of children with disabilities in educational programs needs to explore research and issues beyond those considered by F. Gresham and D. MacMillan. Some of those issues are reviewed, focusing on a shift away from the medical deficit model. (SLD)

The criticism of the review of social competence and affective behaviors provided by D. Ferguson and P. Ferguson does not respond to the review so much as it presents a constructivist point of view about disabilities and inclusion and, as such, is a statement of an ideology rather than a critique of a review. (SLD)

This critical review focuses on 13 articles and 5 book chapters by special education scholars who express wariness about the concept of inclusion. This article challenges the supposed neutrality of these experts about special education and inclusion and calls for recognition of the impact of special educational practices on educational equity.…

Calls into question the validity and usefulness of classifying poor readers into learning disability and nonlearning disability categories on the basis of the discrepancy between their IQs and reading achievement scores. A review of the research indicates that the premises on which this classification rests are not valid. (SLD)

Research published since 1980 on the uses of technology in special education is reviewed, including observational and naturalistic studies. The diversity of research in special education stems from the multiple roles of the special education teacher, who has many responsibilities beyond instruction. (SLD)

Presents a brief overview of the theoretical and historical developments surrounding questions about grouping students by ability. Aims to extend theoretical positions further by examining the way in which setting and mixed-ability teaching influenced the motivations, perceptions, and eventual attainment of students in two British schools. (DSK)

Reports on an investigation of the attitudes of British children aged 6 through 7 from a variety of different backgrounds toward specific curricular areas. Reveals that three key dimensions can be used heuristically to conceptualize children's attitudes: interest versus boredom, the level of difficulty, and success versus failure. Discusses…

Assesses the value of looking at reading scores of cohorts of children to identify different changes in attainment. Analyses the reading standards of seven cohorts of Year 6 children from five British primary schools. Highlights the increasing numbers of poor readers and decreasing numbers of very good readers in upper-level cohorts. (DSK)

Examines gender association in the primary classroom and organizational strategies that may influence gender integration. Discusses the effects of strategies to increase gender integration in relation to cross-gender friendships and gender differentiation across subjects. Argues that classroom organization can be influential in the degree of…

Presents the results of a survey of primary teachers to assess the relationships among experience, attitudes, and practice in science and environmental education. Shows that science has a high status in the curriculum and receives substantial support while environmental education remains at the status of a personal concern. (DSK)