In spite of increasing ethnic, linguistic, and socioeconomic diversity, educational reform efforts continue to target mainstream English-speaking U.S. public. The educational plans of the America 2000 initiative are no exception. This theme issue provides examples of classroom-based research in which educators try to improve literacy education for…

Scaffolding is a conceptual framework through which educators rethink the in-school learning experience. The following three models of culturally sensitive scaffolding offer important lessons for literacy education: (1) signifying and interpreting "speakerly texts"; (2) talk story, turn taking, and classroom discussion; and (3) community…

Explores relationships between various types of research and the implications for teacher/student dialogue. Discusses H. F. Gadamar's view of tradition as text. Suggests Active Tutorial Work strategies may not be engaging student/teacher dialogue. States teachers must take a more active role in initiating dialogue. (NL)

Both teachers believe that the most important student outcome is factual knowledge, middle-grade students learn through repeated drill and practice, and these students require a great deal of direction. Their beliefs differ from the philosophy of an intended curriculum, thus hampering its successful implementation. (PR)

Teaching portfolios, now largely used for evaluation of college teaching, can also be viewed as a form of action research, opening their use to other purposes, including examination of institutional, faculty, and student needs and demands; the dynamics of race, gender, and sexuality in structuring classroom interactions; and the relationship of…

Case teaching has the potential to involve students in complex decision settings, enhancing their identification with protagonists facing difficult challenges. This article explores the impact of teaching a printed leadership case study with and without the appearance of the CEO in class--by video or in person. Our investigation shows, via…

The importance of using data collection and analysis procedures to monitor academic and social behavior progress of students with emotional and behavioral disorders is the focus of this article. After reviewing literature supporting the efficacy of data collection procedures used in classrooms for students with disabilities, issues regarding the…

This document consists of the six newsletter issues published during the 1994-1995 volume year. Intended for teachers and tutors of adult English as a Second Language (ESL), issues contain articles, book and materials reviews, letters, classroom techniques and activities, and announcements concerning the teaching of adult ESL. Articles address…

In fall 1991, the faculty and staff of New Mexico State University-Alamogordo (NMSU-A) designed and implemented a strategic planning process which incorporates a comprehensive annual review of various aspects of student academic achievement (SAA). The faculty-based SAA assessment process includes activities focused on classroom instruction,…

Designed to provide comprehensive, research-based coverage of classroom issues, this book is a synthesis of the research base on classroom management and discipline. Factors for establishing an effective classroom management system are presented, and specific actions are offered to restore order if misbehavior occurs. The content is applicable for…

This document comprises four papers from a symposium on using an inquiry-based observation tool for assessing teaching and learning on various educational levels. The first paper, "Introduction, and Overview and Use of the Tool for K-12 Science, Mathematics, and Technology Program Evaluation" (M. Jean Young), presents an overview of the tool…

This study explored the potential for enhancing the effectiveness of young children's early learning experiences as a consequence of a genuine collaboration between researchers and teachers. An 18-month fieldwork period involved a critical analysis and evaluation of the relationship between 4-year-old children and teachers in effective early…

Four issues of the newsletter of the Elementary Education Interest Section (EEIS) of Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) are presented in this document. Issue number 1 of volume 15, focussed on defining "who we are," describes the nature and purposes of EEIS and contains brief accounts by parents, students, and…

The author conducted a year-long study of his own fifth-grade classroom as a teacher-researcher. The intent was to create a theme study classroom, organizing curriculum around the problems, needs, and interests of students through interdisciplinary investigations of themes. Using action research, implementation processes and constraints were…

The second volume of a three-volume report on a three-year study of the use of computers in secondary school classrooms, this document contains the principal investigators' reports in five sub-project areas. The overall purpose of the project, which was conducted by the education faculty at the University of Western Ontario, was to examine the…