Depository document selection in academic law libraries: A core list of items selected

This article reports the results of a study done of the item selection patterns of selective federal depositories in academic law libraries. Previously published core lists of documents for law school collections are reviewed, and the issue of a minimum percentage requirement for selection is clarified. The current study proposes a new list, one derived from research using data from the GPO Automated Item Number File. A magnetic tape of the item selections for the 143 law school libraries with depository status as of May 1983 was obtained by the author from the Government Printing Office. The tape was reformatted to show the number of libraries selecting each item. A list was then created of the 200 item numbers that appeared most frequently, and these were matched with SuDocs numbers using the List of Classes. The result is a core list of titles selected by three-fourths or more of the libraries. This list of basic titles is analyzed. Also discussed are the types of documents which appear on a list of 200 infrequently-selected item numbers (selected by 10 or 11 percent of the libraries), though the list is not reproduced here. It was found that over two-thirds of the available item numbers are selected by less than 10 percent of the libraries. Results of this research can serve as a guide to law-related documents perceived to be most useful for law school depository librarians.     

Effects of student-facilitated learning on instructional facilitators

We investigated perceptions about learning strategy use and instructional roles among a sample of high needs adolescents (n = 230) who acted as near-peer instructional facilitators. The sample was drawn from science and mathematics classes in nonselective public secondary schools in New York City. Students participated in an inschool intervention that draws on social constructivism, theory and research on metacognition and learning strategies, role theory, and empirical findings from the peer-to-peer learning literature to promote advanced achievement among students who act as facilitators. Using a pre- and post-test single group design, we surveyed student instructional facilitators before and after program participation and related their perceptions about learning strategy use and perceptions about teaching roles to data about academic achievement. We found no survey gains in student perceptions about learning strategies or instructional roles between pre-survey (fall) and post-survey (spring). We found small but significant effects of individual perceptions about learning strategies and teaching roles on academic gains among instructional facilitators. The study also suggests that an in-school near-peer facilitated learning program can be an effective means to raise achievement in urban high schools. The study provides partial support for theories that hold that metacognition and role perceptions are involved in the academic gains of instructional facilitators, as gains in these dimensions were small compared to achievement gains.     

Examining preservice teacher content and pedagogical content knowledge needed to teach reading in elementary school

Recently, increased attention has been placed on the importance of having knowledgeable and skilled teachers in order to influence reading achievement. Yet many international reports suggest that large numbers of children are not learning to read. How can we better prepare teachers with the necessary knowledge to teach reading? The current study examined the reading instructional knowledge of elementary education preservice teachers (N = 87) from two teacher education programmes. Programme A required five reading methods courses and Programme B required two methods courses. Findings indicate that the preservice teachers presented fairly robust levels of knowledge in the areas of phonological awareness, phonics, comprehension and vocabulary. However, we found statistically significant differences in knowledge based on the programme attended and the number of courses completed. Suggestions for improving reading teacher education are provided.