Reports on a survey of 247 education inspectors who built a portrait of conditions in Nigerian primary schools from their visits to and supervision of teachers. Results suggest that many teachers are undertrained, additional classrooms are needed, and basic teaching aids and textbooks are in short supply. (RJC)

Describes a case study of exemplary mathematics teaching in an Australian first-grade classroom. Highlights a teacher's ability to integrate different subject areas, flair for communication, concern for children, and skills in capitalizing on unexpected situations. (RJC)

Investigated whether positive female traits were attributed to male main characters in six basal readers. Although positive female traits appeared in the male characters, the overall composite and depiction of individual characters indicate that male personalities are dominated by male-linked virtues such as independence and a willingness to take…

Reviews contents of the Fall/Winter 1989 edition of JOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN CHILDHOOD EDUCATION. Topics include: differences in the psychosocial work environment of schools; possession and exchange of materials in Chinese and American preschools; primary education in Nigeria; exemplary grade 1 mathematics teaching; and priorities for kindergarten…

Uses extant musical examples as stimuli in order to assess the effect of melodic rhythm as a determinant of relative tempo as perceived by college undergraduates and elementary students. Results indicate that subjects responded to the melodic rhythm as well as the beat when making tempo judgments. (LS)

Investigates the relationships among applied music teaching behaviors and personality variables as measured by the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). Suggests that personality variables may be important factors underlying four applied music teaching behaviors: approvals, rate of reinforcement, teacher model/performance, and pace. (LS)

Tests whether aural discrimination is significantly better when visual-spatial stimuli are paired with melodic phrases. Results suggest that the use of visual clues paired with melodies is generally an effective aid to aural discrimination among fourth-grade subjects. Recommends further research on the use of different visual stimuli. (LS)

Looks at the institutional factors that may be related to the relatively high rate of turnover among college level music administrators. Reveals significant results in three instances: administrator turnover and reorganization within the unit, administrator length of service and reorganization, and length of service and reduction of nonacademic…

Measures the ability of three groups of musicians to detect tempo change while reading and performing music. Compares this ability with that of the same musicians to detect tempo change while listening only. Found that for all groups the ability to detect tempo changes was inhibited by the playing task, although to different degrees for each…

Discusses four types of historical understanding and argues for a developmental sequence in historical understanding. Suggests two frameworks: (1) the story-form framework (ages up to 8) and; (2) a romantic framework (ages 8-15), sketching a curriculum based on each. Argues that these forms are necessary for acquiring more sophisticated levels of…

Advocates combining fundamental ideas from the fields of geography and environmental sociology that contribute to the field of human ecology in order to form a suprastructure for the analysis of current issues that are critical to global well-being. Illustrates concepts in a flow-chart that results in a cohesive structure revealing interrelated…

Reports on an exploratory study examining the conditions that contribute to the frequency with which social studies teachers use groupwork. Uses both quantitative and qualitative methods. Finds that the factors contributing to use of groupwork are school and classroom factors, and teaching objectives. (SLM)

Presents a descriptive study of the influence of the learner's cultural schemata on instruction. Finds that students interpret new information in the light of cultural knowledge already possessed. Implications are that instructional designs that ignore the influence of background knowledge take a naive approach to the development of a…

Examined children's notions about segments of written sentences. Subjects watched a sentence being written and listened to it being read. The interviewer then asked questions about each word--whether or not it was written and, if so, where. Found that children used word order before phonics to figure out what was written in each segment of the…

Compared the early literacy development of English-speaking preschoolers and kindergartners to that of Spanish-speaking children. Subjects wrote at least six words and one sentence, then interpreted their own productions. Found that syllabic writings in English-speaking children were like those of Spanish speakers; found differences in how…