Investigates the reliability of the Instructional Activity Questionnaire, Form 3, Revised, in measuring instructional leadership behaviors of special education supervisors, using a sample of 38 supervisors and 133 special education teachers. Using Cronbach's coefficient alpha, acceptable reliability is found for special education supervisors. (SLD)

Fifty-five eighth grade students in regular social studies classes participated in a study of the effects of the keyword mnemonic technique and distributed practice on learning social studies facts. The keyword mnemonic and distributed practice result in improved performance, and the effects are independent and cumulative. (SLD)

Examines the perspectives of 242 education majors on field work and other instructional experiences in teacher preparation. Implications of findings are discussed in terms of student preference for active modes of learning, appreciation of field experience, and the value placed on working with faculty in field work. (SLD)

Examines England's and Wales' problems with teacher supply, retention, and morale, outlining recent historical trends in teacher-state relations relevant to contemporary policy and the consequences of changing social and power relations. The paper reflects on the options available for a contemporary education policy informed by insights of…

Examines policy issues on teacher supply and retention in the United Kingdom. The paper discusses the contribution made by teacher education courses and notes emerging trends related to student recruitment. It describes three policy-related issues for analyzing recruitment statistics and considers methods to ameliorate the supply problem. (SM)

The 1988 Education Reform Act greatly impacted equal opportunities in recruitment and selection of black teachers in the United Kingdom. A case study examines recruitment and selection in London, noting that ad hoc practices (encouraged by the 1988 Act) perpetuates the poor position of black teachers. (SM)

A longtime teacher in the United Kingdom uses his own work experiences and those of his colleagues to describe teachers' attitudes regarding teaching terms and conditions. He examines the Secretary of State for Education's "Terms and Conditions of Service" document and its implications for teacher supply and quality. (SM)

Discusses British ideology, accountability, and teacher education improvement. Recent proposals for restructuring of teacher education do not acknowledge existing changes resulting from government initiatives and internal course reform following National Curriculum requirements. The paper recommends stressing course quality and content as…

Discussions of four periods in the history of the United Kingdom's teacher education policy highlight context-based teacher quality. The article examines how policymakers define teacher quality in policy changes or management action. It views teacher quality as the way changes in teacher recruitment, training, and work are managed. (SM)

Discusses the United Kingdom's current situation with teacher education, focusing on the teacher supply and demand crisis and responses from governmental and other quarters. The paper suggests that responses fail seriously to consider quality in teaching. It outlines principles and structure for ensuring continued maintenance and development of…

Explores academic self-efficacy of 382 male and 319 female Chapter 1 elementary school students using the Self-Efficacy for Academic Tasks scale. Factor analyses reveal no sex differences in factor structure. Verbal skills and compliance explain 66 percent of the covariation. Efficacy beliefs decline between second and fifth grades. (SLD)

Explores the relationship between teaching methods in elementary school social studies and development of critical thinking for 18 fifth and 18 sixth graders receiving direct instruction in critical thinking, contrasted with 17 fifth and 27 sixth graders traditionally instructed. Efficacy of direct instruction is not demonstrated. (SLD)

Describes the use of Rasch item statistics for curricular analysis and instructional decision making. Uses a case study of application of the Rasch model in the pilot testing of items selected for criterion-referenced tests developed for grades one through eight in Charleston (South Carolina) schools. (SLD)

Compares the performance of similar preschool students on Spanish and English versions of the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness--Revised. Results with samples of 129 rural, 788 disadvantaged, and 148 bilingual children support the construct validity of the instrument and its Spanish form. (SLD)

Uses the general linear model to develop an adjusted cumulative grade point average (GPA) that systematically models grading effects among courses. A validation study using 778 courses of 1,564 Stanford (California) University students shows an increase in predictability of the adjusted least-squares GPA over the unadjusted GPA. (SLD)