Reports a study that identified the dimensional structure of mentoring and other support behaviors that occur among adults in elementary schools. A questionnaire about support relationships completed by 488 elementary teachers found 6 factors that were dimensions of support: mentoring, supporting, collaborating, career strategizing, supervising,…

Study investigated 5-7 year olds' understanding of electricity. Researchers collected data from students involved in a unit on flashlights both during and after the unit. The views children acquired (alternative or scientific) during the science unit were maintained after the unit's completion. Students did not hold sophisticated ideas about…

Results of a study of 23 7th-grade students revealed that underachievers are less self-confident, less socially and emotionally mature, less able to focus on one concern at a time, less accurate in their perceptions about themselves and their work, and less hardworking than achievers. (IAH)

A report is given of a study which examined the effects of computer-assisted instruction (CAI) in mathematics on 99 disadvantaged and 112 advantaged Israeli students. Higher performance levels and larger gains were found for advantaged over disadvantaged students, for high achievers over low achievers, and for boys over girls. (IAH)

Thirteen-year-olds' interest in writing is alterable in educational settings; and is significantly associated with the educational productivity factors of subjects' (N=28,405) peer group, gender, and quantity and quality of instruction. Essay writing performance appears to be associated significantly with a student's ability, peer group, and a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the home and school effects on science achievement of 12th-grade students (N=2,277) in Israel. Significant correlates of achievement included home environment, quantity of instruction, interest, and motivation. (IAH)

A study, involving 80 Israeli junior high mathematics classrooms, sought to establish some of the variables related to the classroom learning environment, with emphasis on teacher credentials. Results indicate that observed teaching effectiveness was the most powerful and most consistent predictor of the mathematics classroom learning environment.…

Primary-aged children (N=264) preferred cartoon style illustrations to representational and expressive style. They also equated cartoon style art with make-believe stories, whereas photographs were viewed as representing real life. Preferences for realism increased with age. (IAH)

Implications of Herzberg's motivation-hygiene theory for teacher reward programs were tested by comparing changes in teachers' (N=38) job-enrichment opportunities and recognition after the teachers had chosen one of two rewards (travel to professional training conferences or cash). Results were consistent with the motivation-hygiene theory. (IAH)

Concept mapping, which requires learners to plot concepts and their interrelationships in a meaningful organizational network, was compared with an established curriculum approach. The usefulness of the technique is discussed in terms of its ability to individualize and raise the quality of learning. (JD)

Describes in detail the nature and degree of picture dependence in first grade basal texts and examines its effects on children's reading. The existence of picture dependence appears to be an unintended consequence of vocabulary-control constraints. It is argued that picture-dependent text does not assist reading acquisition and may hinder it. (JD)

Reports the testing of hypotheses about principal vision generated from Blumberg and Greenfield's (1986) qualitative studies of effective principals. Teachers tend to associate a robust principal with freedom to select the techniques of their work; the relationship between teacher sense of autonomy and principal vision is less clear. (JD)

According to a study of second and third grade students (N=108), the best predictor for physical aggressive behavior, when sex, social class, and language were considered, appeared to be language immaturity. Results also indicated that verbal aggression may be associated with language maturity. (JD)

Middle school teachers are more active decision makers than their high school counterparts. However, the kinds of decisions that the two groups make are extremely similar. In contrast, secondary science teachers and elementary teachers make decisions at about the same interval--one decision every two minutes. (JD)

Three review articles, six essays, and nine empirical studies on peer tutoring were assessed. Mainstreamed or integrated classrooms were found to be ideal locations for peer tutoring, providing support for the integration process, positive effects on self-esteem and achievement, aid in classroom management, and a reinforcing system for learning.…