James H. Thomason Library

EDUCATION Subject Guide
Reference Sources




The Naughty School Children
(detail), 19th Century,  Theophile Emmanuel Duverger
Bridgeman Art Library Archive

 

  Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Thesauri
  Handbooks
  Tests & Measures
  Bibliographies
  Children's Literature
Locating Books
Locating Articles
  Article Databases & Indexes
  K-12 Databases
  Key Journals
Web Sites
  Activity Guides, Lesson Plans, Curricula
  Assessment
  Educational Statistics
  State Depts of Ed & School Directories
  Professional Associations
Get Help

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Reference Sources:    
Dictionaries, Encyclopedias, Thesauri   back to top

Early Childhood Education: An International Encyclopedia, Praeger Publishers, 2007.
Main Level, Reference: R 372.2103 Ea76E  [4 vols]

Encyclopedia of American Education, Facts on File, 2001.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.973 Un3E  [3 vols]
This set contains over 2,000 entries covering topics such as the evolution of school curriculum, education funding, and church-state controversies, multiculturalism. Appendices include an extensive bibliography for each subject area; a general chronology of American education since 1607; a summary of significant federal education legislation.

Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media [SAGE eReference], SAGE Publishers, 2006.
Covers the traditional and electronic media and their impact on children and adolescents with state-of-the-art research and ready-to-use facts.

Encyclopedia of Education, Macmillan Reference USA, 2003.  
Main Level, Reference: R 370.3 En19E3 [8 vols]
This set covers a wide range of educational topics. The primary focus is on U.S. practices and institutions, from preschool to higher education. However, international coverage can be found throughout the set in articles on countries or regions.

  Encyclopedia of Children, Adolescents, and the Media Bookcover

Encyclopedia of Educational Leadership and Administration [SAGE eReference], SAGE Publishers, 2006.
Describes the theories, research, terms, concepts, ideas, and histories that represent educational leadership and school administration as it is taught in preparation programs and practiced in schools today.

Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Macmillan, 1992.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.78 En19E 1992 [4vols]

Encyclopedia of Learning Disabilities, Facts on File, 2006.
Main Level, Reference: R 371.903 T847E

Encyclopedia of School Psychology
[SAGE eReference], SAGE Publishers, 2005.
A comprehensive guide to this field, featuring the latest research on school learning, motivation, educational assessment, behavior disorders, intelligence testing, learning disabilities, and strategies to improve academic skills

The Greenwood Dictionary of Education
, Greenwood Press, 2003.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.3 G856G

Learning Theories, A to Z, Oryx Press, 2002.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.3 L553L 
Provides definitions for 500 terms and identifies the major area of learning theory under which each term falls: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, humanism, organizational learning, or educational technology.

A Critical Dictionary of Educational Concepts: An Appraisal of Selected  
Ideas and Issues in Educational Theory and Practice
, St. Martin’s Press, 1986.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.321 B279C

A Dictionary of Psychology [Oxford Reference Online], Oxford University Press, 2006.
Includes definitions of terms related to developmental psychology, cognition, etc.

Thesaurus of ERIC Descriptors, Oryx Press, 2001.
Main Level, Reference: RR 025.4937 T343T
Provides terms for use as controlled vocabulary (descriptors) in searching the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) database. Brief scope notes or definitions within an educational context are provided for many terms. Broader (BT), narrower (NT), and related terms (NT) direct users to other relevant descriptors. Also available online in the ERIC database via EBSCO (click on Thesaurus link below “Advanced Search” tab) and from the free government ERIC.ed.gov site


Handbooks   back to top

NEA Handbook, National Education Association of the United States, 2008. 
Main Level, Reference: R 370.973 N213N
Provides key NEA governance documents, as well as general information about the association’s structure, programs, membership, etc.

Handbook of Research on Teaching, MacMillan, 1986
Main Level, Reference: R 371 G121H 1986
The handbook contains 35 original essays grouped under the following categories: theory & method of research on teaching;  research on teaching and teachers; the social & institutional context of teaching;  adapting teaching to differences among learners; research on the teaching of subjects & grade levels.

Handbook of Research on the Education of Young Children [CREDO Reference]. Bernard Spodek, Olivia N. Saracho, editors. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 2006

Tests & Measures   back to top

Mental Measurements Yearbook, Buros Institute, 2007 (plus earlier editions).
Main Level, Reference: R 016.1512 B937M 2007
From the Buros Institute, contains descriptive information & critical reviews of commercially available standardized English-language educational, personality, aptitude, neuropsychological, achievement &  intelligence tests. Each entry includes test name and classification; author(s); publisher, publication date; price; time requirements; existence of validity and reliability data; score descriptions; levels and intended populations

Tests in Print VII , Buros Institute, 2006 (plus earlier editions).
Main Level, Reference: R 016.1512 B937T8
Also published by Buros Institute. Provides indexing for the Mental Measurements Yearbook. Information provided includes the authors, publishers, cost of published tests and references to reviews.

 

Bibliographies   back to top

Education: A Guide to Reference and Information Sources, Libraries Unlimited, 2000.
Main Level, Reference: R 370.72 Ob6E 
This annotated listing of resources includes journals as well as dictionaries, handbooks, directories, etc.

 

Children's Literature   back to top

Children's Catalog,  H.W. Wilson Co., 2006 (plus supplements).
Main Level, Reference: R 028.5 W693C

Middle and Junior High Core Collection , H.W. Wilson Co., 2009.
Main Level, Reference: R 028.52 M584M

Senior High Core Collection: A Selection Guide , H.W. Wilson, 2007 (plus supplements).
Main Level, Reference: R 028.52 Se57S  

 

Beacham’s Guide to Literature for Young Adults,  Beacham Pub., 1989-2001. 
Main Level, Reference: R 028.162 B353B [11 vols]
A multi-volume compilation of more than 200 analytical essays on and study activities for fictional and biographical works written for young adults. Includes a short biography for the author of each analyzed work.

 

Locating Books   back to top


ThomCat

Use the online catalog to locate books in Thomason Library. You can search by author, title, word, or subject.

  • Search for a person, as AUTHOR or SUBJECT, with last name, first name:              
 

Sendak, Maurice [as AUTHOR]

 
  Sendak, Maurice [as SUBJECT]  
  • SUBJECT searching requires use of Library of Congress Subject Headings. The terms below are examples of subject headings related to education:
               
  Classroom Management
  Early Childhood Education
  Music Instruction and Study
  • Materials relevant to the study of education may also be found by specifying the era or dates, geographic area, or the material type in which you are interested:
  Early Childhood Education--United States
  Education--African Americans--Georgia--History--19th Century
  Education--African Americans--Pictorial Works  
  Middle Schools--North Carolina--Case Studies
  Reading--Research--United States--Methodology

Subject searching is an effective and precise method of searching the catalog, however, KEYWORD searching has benefits, also.

  • If you are unsure of the exact title or the correct subject heading to use, try a KEYWORD search using two or three of the most significant words from the title or subject you are trying to find. Place phrases in "quotation marks."
  • Connect words with AND, OR, NOT to focus your search.
  • Try truncation at the end of a word stem to retrieve singular, plural, and other variations of the word.  Use an asterisk (*) to truncate from 1 to 5 characters. Use a double asterisk (**) to include word endings with an unlimited number of characters.
KEYWORD Searching Tips



· Use AND between words to narrow your search:
active learning AND classroom techniques
developmentally appropriate AND activities

· Use OR between words to expand your search and
group words with parentheses:
assessment OR evaluation
(high school* OR secondary education)
AND language arts

· Add * to the root of a word to truncate or expand
a term:
evaluat* = evaluate, evaluates, evaluation, evaluations

Try WORD searching with ThomCat, other library catalogs & library databases

PASCALCAT - Now available! If you need books in addition to those found at Thomason Library, try your search here for books in other academic libraries in SC. Through PASCAL Delivers, you can order books online for delivery within 3-4 working days. This service for current PC students, faculty, and staff is a project of PASCAL- Partnership Among SC Academic Libraries. Borrowers will be notified by e-mail when requested items arrive at Thomason Library. Click here for searching and ordering tips.

WorldCat – A catalog of books and materials at libraries worldwide. Try searching here to find ALL books available on a topic. Materials available at Thomason Library are highlighted and others can be borrowed through ILL or searched in PASCALCAT.

Interlibrary Loan - ILL is available to PC students, faculty and staff in order to share resources between libraries. Check link for instructions.


Locating Articles:    
Article Databases & Indexes back to top

The following journal databases are available to PC students, faculty, and staff from on- and off-campus locations.  Search using terms dealing with your topic.

ERIC Educational Resource Information Clearinghouse [EBSCOhost]
The most comprehensive index to materials in education, ERIC provides full-text of more than 2,200 digests along with references for additional information and citations and abstracts from over 1,000 educational and education-related journals. Also provides indexing/abstracts for ERIC Documents, which include conference proceedings, research reports, speeches, curriculum guides, etc.  Use the ERIC Thesaurus (online or print) as an aid in selecting descriptors (subject terms) for searching this database.  Linked full-text provided for articles available in Academic Search Premier database.

Academic Search Premier [EBSCOhost]
provides coverage for a broad range of disciplines, including education, educational psychology, etcIncludes a large number of full-text articles, as well as citations with abstracts.

Academic OneFile [Thomson Gale]
provides coverage for a broad range of disciplines, including education, educational psychology, etc. A large number of full-text articles, as well as citations with abstracts.

PsycINFO [EBSCOhost]
This databases provides citations with abstracts and some linked full text for journals and other publications in psychology, and includes coverage for developmental psychology and  educational psychology .

PsycARTICLES  [EBSCOhost]
Full-text articles from psychology journals, most of which are published by the American Psychological Association. Includes coverage of educational psychology and developmental psychology articles.

 
K-12 Databases   back to top

DISCUS Databases by Grade Level    
View
databases by subject or grade level along left side. List of subscription databases funded through the SC General Assembly. The South Carolina State Library administers DISCUS, South Carolina’s Virtual Library, in cooperation with the state’s school, college and public libraries. DISCUS databases are available to all SC residents and college students.

InfoTrac Student Edition [DISCUS]
This periodical database is designed for high-school students with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.

InfoTrac Junior Edition [DISCUS]
This periodical database is designed for students in junior high and middle school with access to a variety of indexed and full-text magazines, newspapers and reference books for information on current events, the arts, science, popular culture, health, people, government, history, sports and more.   

Kid’s InfoBits [DISCUS]
Developed especially for beginning researchers in Kindergarten through Grade 5. Featuring a developmentally appropriate, visually graphic interface, the most popular search method is moving from a broad subject to a narrower topic using the subject-based topic tree. The curriculum-related, age appropriate, full-text content is from the best elementary reference sources and magazines. This database covers geography, current events, the arts, science, health, people, government, history, sports and more.   

MAS Ultra: School Edition [EBSCOhost]
Full text for more than 700 popular high school level magazines.

New Book of Knowledge (Grolier) [DISCUS]
Encyclopedia intended for juvenile audience (especially middle school level). Provides informative articles, maps and illustrations, facts and figures, Wonder Questions, and projects and activities. NBK News feature provides weekly current events stories plus special features geared especially for young students.

SIRS Knowledge Source  [DISCUS]
Resource suitable for secondary school students Comprised of four modules: SIRS Researcher, SIRS Government Reporter, SIRS Renaissance, and SIRS WebSelect. With both browse and search capabilities, SIRS Researcher offers categories such as World Maps, Leading Issues, Suggested Research Topics, etc.

SIRS Discoverer [DISCUS]
Resource suitable for primary students Features include:  Maps of the world (geographic, political, outline maps); Pathfinders on a variety of topics, Educators’ Resources.  Use “Browse Subject Tree” icons to browse categories such as Animals, Arts, Environment, Science, etc. for a list of full-text articles from sources such as Weekly Reader, National Geographic Kids, Scholastic News, etc.

Books & Authors (Previously known as What Do I Read Next?) [DISCUS]
Includes over 125,100 recommended titles, more than 67,900 plot summaries, & awards information from 568 awards, all to help users uncover new reading adventures, find long-remembered favorites, & discover award-winning titles. Search by genre, subject, author, title, series, & more. A monthly highlights page allows the user to see selections of award winners, upcoming titles, and titles that revolve around different subjects each month.

 

Key Journals   back to top

American Journal of Education 
Bridging the span between research , theory, & implementation, this journal addresses all areas of education, particularly as they relate to policy, practice, & philosophy.

Childhood Education 
Written for educators working with children from birth to age 13, the journal supports a child-centered approach to education that incorporates the influence of school, home, & the community. Classroom activities, research articles, reviews of children’s & professional books, & association information are included in each issue.

Comparative Education
Publishes refereed articles that address multicultural, comparative, & international education concerns.

Early Childhood Education 
Directed to early childhood educators, child care providers, researchers, & early childhood program administrators, the contents of this journal include refereed articles, case studies, program descriptions, and print  & non-print media reviews.

Education
Concerned with all levels of education, the focus is on teaching and innovative practices. Research-based, theoretical, or essay articles are included.

Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities
Focuses on identification & assessment, educational programming, characteristics, teacher training, prevention, community interactions, and legislation as they affect the education & welfare of persons with developmental disabilities.

Educational Forum
Published by Kappa Delta Pi, with a focus on educational improvement. Provides scholarly articles related to practice, current issues, the teaching profession.

Educational Leadership  
Published by the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD). Provides association information, books reviews, essay and opinion articles. Directed to elementary, middle school, and secondary school leaders. Topics include curriculum instruction, supervision, and leadership.

The Elementary School Journal 
Focuses  on educational theory & research and its impact on teaching within the elementary and middle school classroom.

Intervention in School and Clinic 
Practical methods & techniques for working with special needs individuals. Includes research articles, teaching tips, and book & product reviews.

Journal of Education  
Each issue of this general education journal has a thematic focus. Publishes scholarly, analytical, and reflective articles related to pre-K through higher education.

Journal of Educational Psychology 
Articles cover cognition, motivation, special populations, learning styles, etc.

Journal of Educational Research 
Focused on elementary & secondary education, this journal includes research articles and syntheses that address all area. Experimental, evaluative, ethnographic, and replicative studies are included, as are reviews of methodologies and products.

Journal of Research in Childhood Education 
With its emphasis on childhood education through early adolescence, this journal includes a mixture of empirical and theoretical articles, case studies, observation studies, ethnographic and cross-cultural studies, and international research reports.

NASSP Bulletin
Published by the National Association of Secondary School Principals.

Phi Delta Kappan 
Contains articles related to educational research, leadership, & service. Regular features include legal cases, federal activity, and editorial commentaries.

Principal 

Reading Teacher  
Focused on reading and literacy learning, this journal incorporates reviews of children’s books, research, theory & practice articles, essays, and program & practice reports.

Remedial and Special Education 
Emphasizing research articles with practical applications, RASE includes information useful to the practitioner, administrator, teacher educator, and teacher-in-training.

Teaching Exceptional Children (Council for Exceptional Children)
Association information, reviews of relevant ERIC items, and practical methods & materials for working with children with disabilities.

Theory Into Practice 
Each issue has a thematic focus, and presents diverse views on a single topic related to educational issues, policies, or theories.



Web Sites   back to top
Activity Guides, Lesson Plans, Curricula    

 

Awesome Library
Provides links to a selective list of resources, including lesson plans, homework helpers, professional resources, etc.

Gateway to Educational Materials  [U.S. Department of Education]
Provides access to lesson plans, instructional units, and other resources.

The Educator’s Reference Desk  [AskERIC]
This collection contains more than 2,000 unique lesson plans which were written and submitted by teachers from all over the United States and the world.

Discovery Channel Lesson Plans K-12   

Web English Teacher
Well-organized, high-quality source for English/Language Arts online teaching resources. Aimed primarily at middle and high school levels.   

Education World
Comprehensive resources include lesson plans, practical information, information on integrating technology into the classroom, site reviews, features and columns, teacher and principal profiles, chats, and job listings.

FREE: Federal Resources for Educational Excellence [U.S. Dept. of Education]
Covers arts, music, health, physical education, history, social studies, language arts, math, & sciences.

Blue Web’n  
Outstanding Internet sites categorized by subject, grade level, and format (tools, references, lessons, hotlists, resources, tutorials, activities, projects). You can also browse by broad subject area (Content Areas) or specific sub-categories (Subject Area).



Assessment  

back to top


ERICAE.NET: Clearinghouse on Assessment & Evaluation
Provides links to full-text books, reports, journal articles, newsletter articles and papers that address educational measurement, evaluation and learning theory.

Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation: A Peer-Reviewed Electronic Journal (open access)  http://pareonline.net/

 

Educational Statistics   back to top

Digest of Education Statistics 
This annual report provides a compilation of statistical information covering the broad field of education from prekindergarten through graduate school. Topics in the Digest include: the number of schools and colleges; teachers; enrollments; graduates; educational attainment; finances; federal funds for education; employment and income of graduates; libraries; technology; and international comparisons.

The Condition of Education  [Institute of Education Sciences, NCES]
A congressionally mandated report that provides an annual portrait of education in the United States. There are 49 indicators in this year's report covering all aspects of education, including early childhood through postsecondary education, student achievement and educational outcomes, and school environments and resources. Highlights of the 2010 report which includes features a special section that examines high-poverty schools.

National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) [U.S. Department of Education & Institute of Education Sciences]

 

State Departments of Education & School Directories   back to top

State Education Departments and Boards 
Web page from the site State and Local Government on the Net, a directory of state, county and city government web sites.

South Carolina Department of Education

Schools and Districts in South Carolina (Directory) Directory of South Carolina Schools, from the SC Dept. of Education’s web site.  Provides information about public schools and school districts, along with staff contact information. Also provides listings of private schools.

 

Professional Associations   back to top

American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance

American Federation of Teachers   

Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development 
International organization that addresses all aspects of teaching and learning. Look under "Education Topics" for information on a variety of important issues.

Council for Exceptional Children 

International Reading Association

MENC: National Association for Music Education 

National Association for the Education of Young Children

National Association of Elementary School Principals 

National Association of Secondary School Principals

National Council for History Education 

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics 

National Education Association  

National Council of Teachers of English  

National Science Teachers Association
   

 

Get Help   back to top
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