This digest focuses on the evolution of beginning teacher induction programs over the past two decades, and discusses the reasons why such programs are essential to the professional development of teachers. An overview is presented of existing induction programs, and observed outcomes of these programs are briefly discussed. In considering what…

Gangs have become a fixture in the Mexican American populations of southern California and other regions, spreading from low-income neighborhoods in the Southwest to working class and lower-middle class suburban areas. The development and institutionalization of gangs have involved many factors, including racial discrimination and economic…

Planned mentoring programs, which purposefully link disadvantaged youth with someone older and more experienced, have become a popular means of providing adolescents with adult contacts, counselors, and role models. Mentoring programs vary widely in their objectives, and in the duration, frequency, and intensity of the planned relationship. The…

Research on the development of social competence in children is reviewed in this ERIC digest. The focus is on the social development of infants and toddlers which takes place in the family, in peer groups, and in preschool. The importance of infant bonding with at least one particular adult, socialization of the developming child within the family…

This digest offers background information on home schooling and discusses conflicting viewpoints culled from research on the socialization of home-schooled children. The digest first notes the rapidly escalating numbers of children who are being home schooled in the 1990s and comments upon the professionalization of resources offered for parents…

Place-based education, which draws from local culture, history, and geography to create a meaningful curriculum, holds particular promise for rural homeschooling. Following a brief review of the homeschooling phenomenon, this digest identifies ways that rural place-based education can counter common concerns about homeschooling. In 1999 about 1.7…

This digest is a brief summary of a longer monograph of the same title on the importance of understanding faculty socialization as a cultural process in the context of the current changes urged on higher education. A section on how faculty socialization is conceptualized adopts a view of culture in which culture shapes and is shaped by social…

Beginning principals are often overwhelmed by their job. Traditionally, they have been left to fend for themselves. For this reason, schools and districts have been implementing formal induction programs to help the principals during their first year on the job. This digest examines the challenges faced by new administrators and the steps that…

Children of active parents tend to be more active. This Digest describes the various socialization factors that influence a child's interest and involvement in physical activity. While role modeling exerts some effect, recent research suggests that the nature of parental influence may be much more complex. A useful theoretical model to explain…

The purpose of multicultural career education and development is to foster positive self-concepts and career choices regardless of cultural background, encourage understanding of cultural groups' contributions, and develop effective intercultural communication skills. The attitudes, values, opinions, and beliefs with which a person perceives the…

The concept of social capital refers to the resources of networks, norms or shared values, and trust to which individuals have access as community members. A reason to consider intergenerational learning in the context of social capital is awareness of unequal access to positive social capital and the risk that social exclusion and disadvantage…

This Digest reviews common teaching practices and methods of communication in the classroom to indicate the treatment of female students that inhibits their ability to successfully learn mathematics as well as identifying some negative attitudes about female mathematics achievement held by teachers and parents that may deter girls from continuing…

Coping with students who display social adjustment problems can be frustrating. However, teachers can take actions toward minimizing classroom conflicts by socializing students into a classroom environment conducive to learning. Modeling prosocial behavior is the most basic element for enhancing student socialization. In situations in which…

This Digest of a larger report with the same title examines the application of learning theory to the quality of learning in undergraduate college classrooms. Relevant theories are identified, including theories which address college students' attributions for success or failure, self-efficacy, social constructivism, conscientization, multiple…

Aspects of professional competence and professional socialization that are being emphasized in professional education programs are summarized. Of concern are generic outcomes of professional preparation, outcome-related issues and trends common to professional education in diverse fields, some problems that concern professional educators, and…