Criticizes self-esteem movement's role in education. Suggests movement's efforts to help people "feel good" result in dishonesty, intellectual exclusion, and inhibition of genuine discussion. Genuine self-esteem is a consequence of educational achievement. Portrays movement as panacea for budget cuts in children's services. Concludes self-esteem…

Examines cognitive elements used by 29 student teachers in solving problems involving instruction, discipline, supervisors, and time demands. Assesses relationship between problem types and teachers' strategies. Examines effect of experience and knowledge on problem-solving processes. Links problem-solving decisions to task environments…

Describes experiential learning instructional model and simulation for student principals. Describes interactive laser videodisc simulation. Reports preliminary findings about student principal learning from simulation. Examines learning approaches by unsuccessful and successful students and learning levels of model learners. Simulation's success…

Examines factors motivating 90 aspiring school administrators to pursue principalships and to enroll in a preservice training program. Personal motivations for challenge, responsibility, and knowledge figure prominently in career and preservice training decisions. Context and the influence of others were significant in training-program selection.…

Describes pedagogical content knowledge model. Uses interviews and observation to examine development of pedagogical content knowledge of two student teachers in a one-year elementary teacher education program. Concludes student-teacher success requires supervisors' understanding and support. (TES)

Describes transformational and transactional leadership constructs. Factor analysis used to examine constructs, as applied to school outcomes following British Columbia school reform efforts. Found transformational leadership influenced all school outcomes except teacher effects; transactional leadership influenced teacher effects favorably and…

Examines perceptions of 80 teacher interns and their supervising teachers for interrelationships between job satisfaction, job performance, and role clarity. Data show that interns' self-assessed performance mediates relationship between role clarity and job satisfaction. Emphasizes role of self-assessment scales and job restructuring to improve…

Seven chapters exhibit some of the viewpoints occurring in discussions of educational restructuring or redesign. Most of the writers assert that schools cannot meet growth and quality requirements if they continue to operate within the framework of existing operating practices. Dramatic systemwide delivery improvements must be demanded. (SLD)

The efficacy of small groups in performing school task work was studied for eight groups of Swedish ninth graders (n=35) videotaped in class. Three judges ranked the groups' cooperation. Videotape transcripts were analyzed for directional factors. Three groups functioned well. Directional factors resulting in good group functioning are discussed.…

The interactions of gender, culture, and attitudes about computers were studied for 266 male and 204 female Japanese and 159 male and 144 female Swedish ninth graders. Most differences are best explained by country and student gender variables. The overall country effects are influenced more by females than males. (SLD)

An attempt was made to improve the argumentation skills and scientific thinking skills of 24 Swedish college students through argumentative on-line (computer-mediated) studying. Comparison with about 200 students studying in traditional ways reveals better learning outcomes for the traditional group but better argumentation by the on-line group.…

How computer-mediated communication through international communications networks and electronic mail can be used in foreign language education was investigated in a multisite ethnographic case study of 134 Finnish secondary school students learning English and foreign participants from British and U.S. schools. Introducing these technological…

Describes methodology for using verbal reports of thinking to develop and validate multiple-choice tests of critical thinking. Procedure includes devising normative models of thinking for each item; collecting verbal reports of thinking from samples of subjects; using normative models to rate quality of thinking; comparing quality of thinking to…

Found that a preschool girls' microcomputer group did not show more positive gender-role attitudes toward computers on a posttest when compared with a girls' control group. With equivalent instruction designed to hold the interest of girls, boys completed a significantly greater number of LOGO tasks than girls after the intervention. (Author/KS)

Reports on in-service program for enhancing educational consultant effectiveness. In first year of the study, performance of 18 treatment consultants was compared with 18 matched controls. In second year, program was revised and delivered to 35 consultants. First year treatment group modestly outperformed controls, but, in second year, treatment…