Fourth and fifth graders participated in a study comparing the effects of traditional and modified collaboration models on participation and productivity outcomes. Students in traditional, modified, and control groups completed cooperative projects. Unlike the other groups, control group students had no assigned task roles. The modified and…

This study tested the influence of writing self-efficacy, writing apprehension, perceived usefulness of writing, and writing aptitude on 218 fifth graders' essay-writing performance. Students' beliefs about their abilities directly influenced apprehension, perceived usefulness, and performance, and partially mediated the effects of gender and…

This study investigated the effects of a self-questioning intervention for Israeli kindergartners. Researchers used theory-based interventions (active processing and metacognitive intervention) and traditional methods to facilitate questioning, story comprehension, and self-directed learning. Theory-based training proved to be the most…

This study investigated differences in performance when sixth graders were presented with fractions in three contexts (understanding the meaning of fractions, computation with fractions, and solving word problems with fractions). Student performance varied significantly in different contexts, with the lowest performance observed on the…

This study examined 56 elementary students' verbalizations to identify instances of self-instruction and self-monitoring during reading and mathematics. Results indicated that half of the verbalizations were self-instructive, and one-quarter of those involved self-monitoring. There were gender differences and differences in students who perceived…

This study evaluated the effect of middle-to-high-school transition programs on educational progress (student performance and retention) in a nationally representative sample of public school students. Data from the National Educational Longitudinal Survey indicated that transition programs targeting students, parents, and school staff together…

Describes preservice teachers' selection and use of specific vocabulary and comprehension teaching strategies for a microteaching session in a field-based practicum attached to a required content area literacy course. Data from interviews showed that preservice teachers were clear on the sociocultural context of their practicum settings and the…

The relationship between social support and self-efficacy was investigated in teacher assistance team members and participating school staff members at 27 elementary schools. Social support factors examined were guidance, reliable alliance, and reassurance of worth. Findings showed reassurance of worth was strongly related to self-efficacy in…

Interviews with elementary students before and after tests in three subjects investigated how grade level and subject affected students' ability to predict test scores. Results found a significant grade-subject area interaction for predictions prior to testing. Posttest predictions differed only slightly from pretest. Prediction accuracy was…

Using data on variability in West Virginia high school dropout rates, this study examined contextual factors in teen pregnancy. Results indicated that teen pregnancy was explained in a similar way to dropping out. The presence or absence of opportunities and valued participation in a socially, culturally stable community affected both issues. (SM)

This study explored elementary teachers' and parents' satisfaction with their accessibility to each other. Information from parents and teachers participating in a voice mail telephone intervention versus traditional communication found that parents of older students were satisfied with voice mail and parents of younger students preferred…

Examined parental mastery orientation, performance orientation, and efficacy in involvement as predictors of parent involvement in education, noting those variables' ability to mediate the effects of amount of teacher communication, child achievement, and parent educational level and ethnicity on parent involvement. Parent surveys demonstrated the…

Reviews the past three decades of educational technology research and discusses future directions of the field and technology's role in education. Describes collaborative efforts of the Center for Children and Technology and the Union City (New Jersey) school district to coordinate educational technology research and systemic school improvement.…

Describes an evaluation program designed to assess the effectiveness of technology enhanced instruction within the context of the Technology Enhanced Secondary Science Instruction (TESSI) project, a field-based research program of technology integration into secondary science. Includes analyses of student enrollment and achievement, ethnographic…

Discusses problems with college student drinking, describes campus education and prevention efforts, and presents results of an evaluation of an interactive CD-ROM addressing harm reduction for alcohol use that show student learning about alcohol as measured by self-report was generally in the desired direction. (Contains 46 references.)…