This is one of the first studies of its kind to systematically examine processes influencing youth entry, retention, and dropout from sports. To accomplish this objective, the Women's Sports Foundation (WSF), in partnership with The DICK'S Sporting Goods Foundation, commissioned a national survey about the participation and experiences of youth in…

Research suggests that, to narrow the gender gap in engineering, we should focus on helping young girls identify with engineering both because gendered attitudes emerge around kindergarten and because identity is more predictive than performance on persistence in the field. This qualitative study sought to understand the impact of collaborative…

Upper elementary children today, while retaining many of the characteristics ascribed to them generations ago by theorists such as Piaget, Erikson, and Kohlberg, are different. Developmental characteristics across multiple domains remain relatively predictable for the upper elementary years, but they also reflect changes in society and school…

Investigates the beliefs held by kindergartners and second graders regarding the competence of boys v girls. Findings of this study support previous reports in that the sex-role stereotypic socialization process begins very early and that the learning increases with age. (Author)

Describes one program for diverting troubled children from the juvenile justice system. Reports on a social work education and agency collaboration to conduct an evaluation of participants' satisfaction with the program. (RMH)

In a study examining attachments to celebrity figures, 79 male and female fifth, eighth, and eleventh graders and college sophomores described themselves and their favorite celebrities. It was found that such attachments are equally important to males and females, and that gender and age affect the nature of the attachment. (DM)

The purpose of this paper is to review some of the current research in "modeling" or "imitation" learning that supports basic elements of social learning theory, its effects on overt behavior, and its relationship to subjects' self-evaluations. An attempt is made to point out the theoretical discrepancies that exist between social learning, social…

Self-modeling was studied in three experiments with a total of 148 elementary school children who had experienced difficulties in arithmetic. Observing self-model videotapes raised achievement outcome as well as viewing peer models. Self-model tapes showing skill acquisition were as effective as were tapes showing mastery. (SLD)

Although researchers have investigated the development of racially-mixed persons of backgrounds other than black, little attention has been given to children of black and white parents. For children to view their mixed-racial background positively, the family must nurture both parts of the child's background by providing the child with both black…

Electronic media, particularly television, influence children to develop composite, plastic personalities striving after unreal goals, but the teacher can help children identify and develop rational goals and role models without completely abandoning media. Television has influenced children, and many adults, to create personalities assembled from…

Parents, teachers, and peers play significant roles in a child's development of self-esteem. This report describes a program for improving the self-esteem of fourth-grade students in a large, multi-ethnic suburb. The researcher documented the students' low self-esteem through teacher observations and by the administration of a student self-esteem…

Examines the impact of mass media on children's choices of heroes and role models. Addresses questions of which cultural messages children attend to, whether role models vary according to ethnicity and gender, and the role played by educators in exposing children to previously unconsidered role models. (DLH)