Although women have made remarkable gains during the present century in terms of voting rights, education, and recreational and employment opportunities, the fact remains that their metamorphosis from "fair sex" to "full persons" is still an ongoing process. This paper examines certain historic educational and scientific…

Presents propositions fundamental to a comprehensive Marxist theory of personality: five premises about the ontological nature of the person and four about underlying expresssive personality characteristics. Differences between the proposed theory and traditional theories are discussed in terms of sociohistorical influence, the nature of…

Traditionally, social psychology has conceptualized sex and gender as subject variables with sex as a biological substrate and gender as a sociocultural consequence of sex. These ideas rest on the assumption of two distinct biological categories. However, gender is better thought of in dialectical rather than oppositional terms. Gender is both…

This paper reviews how sociocultural theory conceptualizes teaching and learning, fundamental constructs of the theory and methodology, and basic guidelines for discourse analysis. It applies these concepts to three research areas: the social construction of disability, contingent instruction between adults and learners, and miscommunication…

One of the most important myths in education is that of progress. The idea derives from a specifically Western messianic tradition and contains the belief in the growth and the development of an organism. That belief emerges from Greek and Hebraic thought, is modified in Christian theology, and then is secularized in science. The persistence and…

Contends that for 30 years the study of moral development has been prominent in psychology and education. Argues that there are two major cognitive components underlying moral action: (1) the interpretation of moral situations; and (2) the resolution of moral conflicts. Discusses this viewpoint in relation to moral orientation and moral character.…

This paper provides a critical review essay of Ajay Sharma's "Portrait of a science teacher as a bricoleur: A case study from India." The main focus is two fold. First, arguments are presented to draw attention to how little advances in science teaching and science learning research have impacted teachers' practice and student…

Efforts to reform teacher education should include careful reconsideration of what teachers learn about curriculum design and instructional methodology. The selection and organization of school knowledge have significant social, political, and ethical implications that are ignored by traditional, rationalistic assumptions about educational…

Contends that the concept of levels of moral maturity in psychology focuses on character formation in children's development. Asserts that virtue theory in ethics can be helpful in pointing out the ethical implications of current work with children. Argues for the usefulness of ancient ethical concepts. (CFR)

In this paper, in response to Ajay Sharma's paper titled "Portrait of a science teacher as a bricoleur: A case study from India" and associated reviews, I address the value of bridging two narrative styles for describing teacher development, discuss questions of over-essentializing an Indian school context, propose that teacher and…

Although "A Nation at Risk" identifies many legitimate problems, the report misconstrues their causes and proposes inappropriate solutions. By blaming schools for America's economic, military, and moral shortcomings, it deflects criticism from education's social, economic, and political context, which we must analyze if we seek a more…

In this response to commentaries by Ali Sammel, Jhumki Basu and Alberto Rodriguez, I present my perspective on three important issues raised by the commentators. These issues relate to the role of a researcher in her field settings and society, the critique of science and science education as oppressive dominant discourses, and co-opting…

Contends that postmodernism has influenced profoundly the direction of visual art in contemporary society. However, art education has not been affected by these social and philosophical changes. Summarizes components of postmodernism and defines connections between them and the art education field. (CFR)

Maintains that contemporary Russian historical research, particularly educational history research, faces complex problems. Asserts that this is a result of the transition from one dominant methodology and world view to pluralistic approaches. Argues that the methodological potential of Marxist teachings is far from exhausted. (CFR)

Despite theoretical weaknesses, postmodernism offers educators important insights that can be incorporated in a broader theory of schooling and critical pedagogy. Argues that the best elements of modernist and postmodernist discourses should be combined to create a pedagogy and politics that reclaim and reinvigorate the possibilities of a radical…