Following less than 8 hr of instruction in the use of strategies to facilitate planning, self-regulation, and revising while writing opinion essays, a group of 3 middle school students with learning disabilities (LD) made substantial gains in each of 5 quality traits on which their papers were scored. On average, posttest scores of students with…

Although researchers have demonstrated a link between teacher autonomy and teacher motivation, job satisfaction, stress (burnout), professionalism, and empowerment, the task of identifying the underlying theoretical dimensions of teacher autonomy has met with varied results. The authors verified the existing 2-factor structure of the Teaching…

Students who aspire to become school principals and superintendents must be prepared to lead schools committed to serving boys and girls equitably. In this qualitative study, 122 graduate students in a cultural diversity course maintained journals of their experiences. The authors kept records of teaching the course and of selected written…

The authors used a new multidimensional coding scheme to assess student learning engagement during 3 Grade 4 reading lessons. Students in 3 classes--2 in which students received integrated reading-science instruction and 1 in which they received traditional instruction--demonstrated moderate to high engagement in learning. However, students in the…

The authors present results of a generalizability study of running record assessment. They conducted 2 decision studies to ascertain the number of raters and passages necessary to obtain a reliable estimate of a student's reading ability on the basis of a running record assessment. Ten teachers completed running record assessments of 10…

The author examined the effectiveness of a vocabulary intervention that employed structured, supplemental story read-alouds and related oral-language activities. Within each of 7 Title I schools across 2 sites, 15 third-grade teachers were randomly assigned to either use the intervention (treatment condition) or continue their usual practice…

The authors investigated the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on reading achievement for urban middle school students. The authors initially developed a research-based theoretical model representing interrelationships among students' ethnicity, gender, grade level, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, and reading achievement.…

In 3 quasi-experiments using intact classrooms and 1 true experiment using random assignment, students completed partially complete graphic organizers (GOs) or studied complete GOs that covered course content. The partial task led to increased overall examination performance in all experiments. Also, the authors measured students' note-taking…

In a 3-year longitudinal study, the authors examined the effect of Direct Instruction (DI) on students' reading achievement, teacher perceptions, nature of the classroom, and special education referral rate. Urban and suburban students completed the Gates-MacGinitie Reading Tests in the fall of Grade 1 and spring of Grades 1, 2, and 3. Teachers…

The authors examined a model of instruction for English-language learners (ELLs) who were learning academic English while they tried to meet content standards required by the nation's education reform movement. In previous work (J. Echevarria, M. E. Vogt, & D. Short, 2000), the authors developed and validated a model of instruction (Sheltered…

One theoretical approach for increasing intrinsic motivation for reading consists of teachers using situational interest to encourage the development of long-term individual interest in reading. The authors investigated that possibility by using stimulating tasks, such as hands-on science observations and experiments, to increase situational…

The authors explored the relationship between motivation and affect in upper elementary mathematics classes from the perspective of flow theory. They also investigated the relationship between students' motivation and teachers' instructional practices. Students' reported classroom experiences formed 4 factors--Social Affect, Personal Affect,…

The authors analyzed mathematics achievement data from a longitudinally matched student cohort from a large southwestern U.S. school district to investigate school context and practice effects on the academic performance and growth of middle school students. Investigation of the degree to which aspects of the school environment related to…

In this multi-stage mixed analysis study, the views of 437 Hispanic students enrolled at two Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the Southwest were obtained concerning characteristics of effective elementary school teachers. Through the method of constant comparison (qualitative phase), 20 dominant themes were determined to be present in respondents'…

This study explored preservice teachers' perceptions of an electronic portfolio intended to develop their reflective skills and to serve as a basis for initial teacher certification. Eight preservice teachers in a teacher education program participated in a semi-structured interview. Most participants thought that the portfolio served as a record…