The evolution of creative thought was examined, an examination that resulted in the construction of universal criteria for analysis and detailed evidence for the evolution of novelty, i.e. how children create knowledge. The collected data came from 200 students from the United States and 200 from Brazil. Each of the 10 age groups (from 4 to 13…

Noting that in recent years there has been an increase in the number of West Indian immigrants to the United States, this paper discusses factors affecting the acculturation of Jamaican immigrant children in the American educational system, highlighting factors relating to poor performance of these immigrant children. The paper first provides an…

Noting that the role of culture in the development of child attachment provides a provocative arena for debate among a wide array of scholars, this book details two studies of cultural differences in the meanings given to attachment behavior by middle- and working-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mothers. The book reviews the cultural adaptationism…

This study examined the practice of two science teachers who increased the participation of minority students who historically had not participated or succeeded in science. The two teachers were identified through a process of recommendation, personal interview, and observation. Researchers captured the practice of both teachers throughout one…

This paper presents an overview of 15 years of international study designed to determine the nature of motivational beliefs, values and goals held by students from different cultural groups, the comparability of these beliefs, values, and goals with those promoted by classrooms and schools, and the impact individual, cultural/social, peer, family,…

This action guide helps teachers understand student differences from an environmental and contextual perspective, explaining how to better engage students in the learning process so they can increase their academic performance. The guide focuses on students who are African American, American Indian, Mexican American, and Hmong. Section 1,…

This guide offers guidance for mentoring programs and relationships serving gifted and/or talented students from multicultural and/or disadvantaged environments. After an introductory chapter which defines the mentor concept, Chapter 2 considers the mentoring relationship, racial/cultural differences, characteristics of economically disadvantaged…

This case study of a program for Taiwanese students at Louisiana Tech University examined the challenges and rewards of working with international students. Data for the study come from the literature on international education, interviews with Taiwanese graduate students in the program, observations of classes, personal reflections of the…

At a time when crucial questions concerning the nature of early childhood and early childhood education are being increasingly examined worldwide, an exploration of the issues, priorities, and methodologies of research in early childhood education may provide valuable material for debate. This book focuses on research in early childhood education…

Until recently, culture (a collectively held set of values and assumptions) was not considered as a factor in the process of development. Now, however, culture is recognized as the heart of the development process. What policies promote a sustainable development process that encourages the flowering of human culture? Cultural freedom is a…

Recognizing the importance of providing high-quality preschool education for helping to ensure children's future educational success, this document presents guidelines for what constitutes high-quality programming across a broad spectrum of curriculum and practice for California preschools, taking into account the state's move toward higher…

The new edition of this text provides updated views, events, and research findings, including a study of extraordinarily successful career women, more attention to gifted education in rural areas, counseling of gay students, and suicide prevention. Chapters have the following titles: (1) "Gifted Education: Matching Instruction with Needs"; (2)…

This issue describes how researchers are studying ways to reduce the overrepresentation of students from minority backgrounds in special education. It begins by discussing problems associated with inappropriate classification and placement of minority students, including being denied access to the general education curriculum, being placed in…

This paper explored the attitudes of college faculty toward diversity and multiculturalism at the University of Guam, which is characterized by the Department of Education as a minority institution; the faculty, on the other hand, is less diverse (60 percent Caucasian). The research explored the dynamic between the ethnic composition of the…

Stressing that children's development in diverse cultures follows different paths, this book describes children's development in its cultural context. The book illustrates that the everyday work, school, and play activities provided for children vary from one culture to another depending on the social and economic structure of the cultures and…