The effect of the perceived quality of academic advising on student attrition was studied for 1,033 first-time freshmen at a public urban university. High quality advising reduced attrition. Low-quality advising was less successful in reducing attrition, but was associated with less attrition than was no advising at all. (SLD)

Asserts that educational research always has suffered from severe underfunding by comparison with research in the natural sciences. Argues that educational researchers have an obligation to raise the "educational literacy" of the general public. Discusses the need to improve the quality of educational research. (CFR)

Asserts that the technique of "Stories at Work," or fictional-critical writing, is an emerging discipline within professional development and educational research. Discusses ways in which the technique can be used to enhance self-concept and improve teacher effectiveness. (CFR)

Reports on in-depth interviews with two Australian, secondary school, social studies teachers regarding beliefs and practices about questioning techniques. Finds that the teachers hold implicit theories regarding questioning that are unique, idiosyncratic, and incomplete. (CFR)

Reports on the role of children in assessing their special needs and their perceptions of this process. Finds that the participation of the children was minimal and their perception of the process was negative. Raises questions about the relationship between professional special educators and the representation of childhood needs. (CFR)

Reports on a study of school subcultures and their impact on 16 ex-public school British students, age 18-21. Finds that subcultures are genuine interactive units grounded in shared ideological positions. States that the subcultures fit within a hierarchical pattern and the higher the subculture the greater the level of exclusion. (CFR)

Reports on the relationship between the seating patterns of students and their observed attitudes toward class activities in an English-as-a-Second-Language class. Discusses issues of physical territoriality, psycholinguistic territoriality, and active participation by students. (CFR)

One hundred seven principals were sampled using the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results suggest that principals experience low to moderate levels of burnout, with those in the 35-44 age group scoring higher in depersonalization than other principals. Twenty-six percent do not plan to remain as principals until retirement. (SLD)

Moonlighting practices of 416 elementary and secondary school teachers were studied, comparing those who moonlight with those who do not. Results show that moonlighters tend to be younger, better educated, and less satisfied with current employment but no more likely to plan to quit than other teachers. (SLD)

This article reconceptualizes performance as a generative metaphor for educational research based on theoretical and methodological points of contact between instructional communication and performance studies. Asking which aspects of educational experience are open to performance-centered research, it considers new research agendas. (SLD)

A multimethod study of the service ethic among over 400 candidates for secondary education certificates shows service aims to be potent factors in attracting traditional college-age students to teaching. Interview data suggest that students interpret the service ethic chiefly in terms of promoting student academic and personal interest. (SLD)

The roles and relationships of clinical faculty (experienced teachers who work with students in teacher education) in university teacher-education programs are examined to see how they might contribute to improvement of teacher education and what obstacles may exist. Implications for education reform are discussed. (SLD)

Effects of previous training and experience in peer tutoring on student interactions were studied for 16 elementary school classes. Student dyads with experience and training in peer tutoring provided more interactional explanations and incorporated sounder instructional principles. In both situations, student explanations tended to be algorithmic…

Effects of 2 cooperative conditions on group discussions and metacognitive awareness of 206 fourth- and fifth-graders were examined. Discussions for those in the strategy condition (which emphasized the connection between strategy use and learning) were more focused toward substantive task content than for those in the reward-receiving condition.…

To study the knowledge that teachers use to understand and interpret teaching and learning, 28 respondents from 4 levels of teaching experience were asked to explain their understanding of videotaped classroom scenes. The increasing complexity of understanding with teacher experience is supported by the findings. (SLD)