An institutional political process model for comparing social welfare policies is presented. Principal elements include each country's societal values, government institutions (operationalized as the role of interest groups), policy goals, and welfare system type. The model is demonstrated through a comparison of the dissimilar social welfare…

Connects the concept of diversity to the symbiotic relationship between individuality and community in the United States. Maintains that cultural awareness is a valid and realistic response to global interdependence and changing demographics. Criticizes the notion of ethnic pluralism as a "balkanizing" influence on communities and the…

Describes politically driven, educational changes in Nicaragua, 1979-93, since education was used first to promote social change and later to restore elements of the previous status quo. Discusses the church-state relationship, curricula and textbooks, recent moves toward site-based management, funding of higher education, and the possibility of…

Contends that what a society does publicly to entertain itself reveals shared values. Maintains that public entertainment in Worcester (Massachusetts) prior to the War of 1812 was limited largely to Sundays, court days, and the Fourth of July. Describes changes in entertainment and social values after the War of 1812. (CFR)

Maintains that research indicates that age is the primary factor influencing aesthetic response. Reports on a study of aesthetic preferences among 24 students at ages 8, 10, and 12. Finds that response style was a more significant factor than age. (CFR)

Agrees with John Goodlad and others that teacher education programs do not include discourse about the moral dimensions of teaching. Offers suggestions for developing such curricula. Presents evidence that the curriculum was successful and that a program of modest duration can influence ethical development. (CFR)

Discusses research on teacher beliefs, highlighting teacher attitudes toward mainstreaming students with disabilities. It proposes a conceptualized approach to teacher preparation and suggests drawing methods from the counseling education discipline, for example, clarifying processes and bibliotherapy. (SM)

This article examines the teacher researcher movement, discussing ethical matters related to action research. In the medical domain, biomedical ethics directs human interventions resulting from clinical and research practice. The paper suggests a discipline called "bioteaching ethics" could help direct human interventionary actions of teachers…

A survey of 100 preservice teachers in a public teacher training institution in California examined their educational values and beliefs regarding what schools are for. Results indicated that progressive and liberal beliefs were dominant, though those beliefs were not the real emphases within public schools, where practices tended to be guided by…

Addresses the question, "What is Indian about Indian education?" as a move toward a theory of Indian education. Interviews with American Indian and Alaska Native graduate education students at Harvard suggested 12 standards for shaping Indian education: spirituality, service to community, identity, culture, continuity with tradition, respect,…

Maintains that the movement toward an integrated elementary school curriculum is growing. Describes the planning, implementation, and evaluation of an instructional unit about the Costa Rican rain forests that integrates foreign language and social studies content. Uses the four goal areas from a National Council for the Social Studies model. (CFR)

Examines how divergent values and belief systems operate within educational politics. Reviews five questions (concerning educational quality and equality, schooling's purpose, curriculum decisions, school policy making, and financial responsibility for schools) and their underlying value tensions within the research areas of micropolitics, school…

Examined how children of different cultural backgrounds weigh competing considerations when presented with conflicts between two concerns: Justice-Authority; Justice-Interpersonal; Personal-Interpersonal; Personal-Authority. For each concern, subjects selected the course of action to be followed and weighed alternatives. Found differences between…

Focuses on the importance of developing public appreciation for and association with the law. Argues that positive incentives to abide by the law are consistent with democratic values and supported by learning theories and child development research. Concludes that democracy works best when its citizens act according to their own will. (CFR)

Special education teachers (n=407) were surveyed regarding coverage of 45 controversial or sensitive topics in their instruction of students with learning disabilities, mental retardation, or behavior disorders. Topical issues were addressed only to a very limited extent, but were addressed more with students having behavioral disorders and at the…