This study examined teachers' literacy and technology integration in their design of Internet-based lessons for Grade 1-6 students using a tool that scaffolds the design process to focus on Internet resources and reading strategies. Twenty-six teachers' lessons on a public database were analyzed for design orientation, goals, curricular…

Reflection is considered a vital tool in shaping and informing preservice teachers' understanding of teaching and learning, especially in the context of field-based experiences. In this qualitative study, the field experience reflective journals of 2 groups of elementary education preservice teachers provided data to determine the influence of…

In this study, we explored 3 Grade 4 English Language Learners' (ELLs) perceptions of teacher autonomy-supporting practices in literacy instruction in science. The support of autonomy in literacy classes is central to students' internal motivation for reading. Given that many ELLs are at risk for reading failure, understanding autonomous learning…

The impact of the accountability system on perceptions and practices of elementary teachers in South Texas was examined. A mixed methods approach was utilized in this descriptive study. Participants were randomly selected and included 192 educators from 12 campuses, from various districts. Teachers stated that they experienced a great deal of…

Adolescents learn best when actively engaged with the content; yet, many teachers rely on passive learning strategies in their classrooms. This study investigated teacher (n = 6) use and adoption of an active learning instructional strategy (Role, Audience, Format, Topic). The study purposes were to: (a) determine how and to what extent teachers…

Biofunctional cognitive theory describes learning as a dynamic cycle of reflection between the brain, which coordinates contributions from multiple biological sources, and the mind, which selects and organizes them into wholethemes. The children in the lead author's third-grade class participated in a study of how the theory supported learning in…

This journal publishes articles that focus on the results of applied educational research, scholarly reviews of research, descriptions of classroom techniques, studies of assessments, and other topics of interest to educational researchers. Issue number 1 of Volume 6 contains these articles: (1) "'More than Having a Vision': The Emergence of…

Components of effective teaching considered most essential and most difficult for beginning teachers were studied by asking 52 principals, 108 teachers, 16 college teachers, 93 pre-intern teachers, and 292 intern teachers. Differences in opinions among the groups and ways teacher education can address them are discussed. (SLD)

This document consists of the first five volumes (10 issues) of the serial "Research in the Schools," a nationally refereed journal published by the Mid-South Educational Research Association and the University of Alabama. It publishes original contributions related to research in practice, topical issues in education, methods and techniques,…

Compares and contrasts piecemeal and whole-theme approaches to learning and teaching, considering the implications of simplifying learning tasks through isolation. Concludes that a whole-theme approach can enable educators to rethink existing ways of going about learning and teaching, and can lead to organizing learning environments in a radically…