The United States is experiencing a shortage of STEM workers, with many students leaving the pipeline before attaining a career in STEM. STEM education researchers have identified factors at the high school and college level that contribute to attrition, but earlier life events remain underexplored. In this work-in-progress paper, we examine…

It is broadly admitted that social contexts of reasoning may prompt children and adolescents to improve the quality of their reasoning. However, it is not clear how this quality may be assessed when it comes to arguments expressed within oral interactions in diverse settings (whole-class or small-group discussions) by students of different ages…

Objective: To explore teachers' beliefs, experiences and barriers influencing teaching related to sexual health education. Methods, Design and Setting: Descriptive, cross-sectional study design. Rhode Island certified health teachers (n=190) completed an online sexual health education survey. Teacher perceptions about the need and benefits of…

This research examines academic experiences of African American males (ages 18-25) who attended urban schools in southern California. The participants were incarcerated for at least one year prior to being housed in a pre-release program where they reflected on their academic experiences and perceptions of the school environment. The participants'…

A research questionnaire was distributed to assess how extensively aging is taught within the schools. It was more common in secondary schools. Respondents felt that it was a nontraditional topic, and that previous attempts to teach it were unsuccessful. The same percentage of respondents felt that the interest existed as did not. (LPG)

Interview responses of 72 fifth-, eighth-, and eleventh-graders revealed developmental changes in the scope and nature of perceived peer influence and in the extent to which peer group reactions have an impact on self-evaluations. Developmental changes in the apparent reference-group functions of peer groups for adolescent identity formation are…

Connects the imagination with one's affective states as related to 8- to 15-year-old students' engagement in a story or narrative. Discusses particular characteristics of narratives that engage students' imagination during these years and characteristics that are imaginatively engaging but in which the narrative component is less prominent. (BB)

In a visual recognition masking experiment, a target stimulus to be identified is either preceded or followed by a second stimulus called a masking stimulus. The experiments described here provide estimates of both developmental and aging differences in visual backward masking under conditions which maximize interference in the central visual…

The ways in which infants, toddlers, children, and adolescents learn social behaviors, through role models, social rules, and rewards and punishment, are described. A four-step social skills training program for preschoolers is discussed. A list of resource materials is provided. (JL)

Spatial thinking is a cognitive skill that can be used in everyday life, the workplace, and science to structure problems, find answers, and express solutions using the properties of space. It can be learned and taught formally to students using appropriately designed tools, technologies, and curricula. This report explains the nature and…

Employing a child-centered approach to the growth and development of children from birth to age 16, this book describes in detail the personal, social, and intellectual development of children as they progress from infancy through adolescence. It contains anecdotes and examples that capture the unique qualities of each age and stage of child…

Freedom is subject to a variety of conceptions in life because people think of it from where they are in life. Psychological literature contains a great deal about freedom but it is almost always found under the rubric of freedom versus determinism. This study examined the concepts of freedom in subjects (N=450) who ranged in age from 7 to 21…

Examines research on developmental differences among groups of older preservice teachers and how those groups differ in relation to more traditional students. Student teachers completed questionnaires about their experiences, attitudes, and expectations. Results indicated differences were minimal, but those that did exist were age-related…

This study examines the reactions of children and adolescents to stories about fictional boys and girls who act across three behavioral episodes in either masculine-stereotyped or feminine-stereotyped ways. Trait dimensions chosen for investigation were: (1) logical and steady versus excitable and emotional; (2) adventurous and risk-taking versus…

Information about adulthood that evaluators need to consider as they help others grow is presented as a series of templates of development and change. Examples are given of growth receptivity at different ages and positions in life. In self-development evaluation, the individual might write an Individual Development Plan. (SLD)