While some studies in Zimbabwe have examined the relevance of education in rural settings, very few have done so using a human development-oriented framework such as the capabilities approach, as this paper does. In linking education and human development, the capabilities approach facilitates an examination of intersecting individual contexts and…

Secondary education in Ireland includes an optional Transition Year (TY) between the junior and senior examination cycles, when students are typically about 15 years old. Transition Year is an innovative programme, unique to Irish education, which is intended as a non-academic year devoted to personal and social development in the absence of…

The landscape of music education in the UK is constantly shifting and developing. This book provides a timely and unique overview of this restless sector by considering the achievements of music education, analysing its current performance and setting out aspirations for the future. "Music Education in the 21st Century in the United…

Presents an essay review of "Conflict and Connection: The Psychology of Young Adult Literature" by Sharon A. Stringer. Considers how teens are victims of a culture that superficially embraces what their youth represents in image, but abandons them in what their age requires in substance. Discusses how Stringer's book suggests a way to…

Summarizes the assessment of four types of experiential education programs (volunteer service, career internships, outdoor adventure, community study/political action) on the psychological, social, and intellectual development of over 1,000 secondary students participating in 27 programs in independent, public, and parochial schools across the…

The authors construct a model of psychosocial maturity which specifies measurable attitudes and dispositions in personal and social growth for secondary school students. Through integrating sociological and psychological views, the model outlines the following general dimensions of maturity relevant in all societies: (a) the capacity to function…

"On the Level," a classroom video series developed for 14- to 17-year-olds, is being broadcast by many public television stations. The series was designed to promote personal and social growth among adolescents. Suggestions given for the effective use of the series by teachers include: (1) selecting appropriate questions and activities; and (2)…

Environmental education (EE) programs that include service-learning components have great potential to positively impact East African youth, their communities, and their ecology. This exploratory study describes 2 programs in East Africa, The Jane Goodall Institute's Roots & Shoots (R&S) and Wildlife Clubs of Uganda (WCU). The authors…

Super's self concept theory of vocational development has been criticized for its lack of attention to individual difference variables, particularly with regard to explaining why appropriate vocational behaviours are attained more readily by some individuals than by others. Partial explanation is provided here for the relationshp between locus of…

Questionnaires and interviews completed by 60 gifted adolescents indicated that both sexes were highly sensitive to societal pressures. Females accepted their body image, social image, and inner emotions better than the males who perceived themselves as having poorer peer relationships and less leadership potential. Case studies illustrate…

Although 1980s school reform efforts focused on improving student achievement, they overemphasized content coverage and testing for content retention. Future secondary reforms must transcend student "production" to reach all students consistently, emphasize application of curricular content, model critical thinking and decision-making, and foster…

Reports results of a poll of 900 Minnesota high school students regarding various educational issues and relates results to the findings in "A Nation at Risk." Includes a student letter to the education committee of the Minnesota legislature. (SB)

This report discusses a symposium held in Sweden in 1980 by the Council of Europe to explore ways for schools to help prepare teenagers for life. The specific objectives of the symposium were to discuss the aims and objectives of and approaches to social education in schools for students in the 14-19 age group and to make recommendations which…

To counter the claim that the values inherent in outdoor education are supported only by weak unsubstantiated assumptions, 14 empirical research projects are described that show that outdoor education has a positive influence on personal and social development and environmental awareness. (TD)

Reviews research on the effect of school climate on the social development of early adolescents and on three curricular programs (values clarification, moral development, and cooperative learning). Concludes that schools can positively influence socio-moral development through non-traditional schooling, i.e., open and democratic environments,…