Students role-play one method the government uses to make decisions: a town council meeting. Groups express opinions for or against proposed resolutions and town council announces its decisions to the groups. Students learn how government resolves issues and develop criteria for making decisions. The example used is whether a limited deer hunt…

Presents a study on decision making in which Hong Kong (China) university students (n=80) participated. Focused on the effects of high expertise and a competitive social context on defending one's own beliefs. Reports that students who expected to disagree with an expert had less confidence and felt less knowledgeable. (CMK)

Examines elementary school teachers' (n=480) strategies for coping with socio-moral conflicts that arise in the classroom. Focuses on seven teaching strategies. Reports that teachers felt responsibility for dealing with socio-moral conflicts; while strategy choice varied according to the dilemma, teachers' belief system, and teaching contexts.…

This article describes the work of the Supported Learning Project (SLP), a program that provided personal support and development in self-advocacy to 31 British mothers with learning disabilities. The learning gains made by the mothers, the obstacles they encountered, and the project's success are discussed. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

This article provides a rationale for the use of choice in home and school environments, advocates for the systematic and careful use of choice as an intervention strategy, provides examples for embedding choice, and discusses guidelines for use and factors that may limit the use of choice. (Contains references.) (Author/CR)

Describes an instructional program focusing on the application of causal reasoning and related principles of the scientific method to problems that occur in daily life. Reports the results of a capstone exercise that investigated the changes in students' beliefs towards legalization of marijuana after reading persuasive communications. (CMK)

Examines types of decisions, how they are made, and how adverse conditions effect them all in the context of outdoor experiential learning. Compares these issues in light of related work done in psychology and sociology. (CW)

Tested effectiveness of parent training to facilitate adolescent child's decision-making ability. Results showed that trained parents (N=83) showed greater empathic and decision-making skills than did controls (N=39). Notes mothers performed higher on skills than fathers although both acquired skills equally well. Findings suggest implications for…

Defines engineering as the process of manipulating nature to benefit mankind and as a decision-making process rather than a problem-solving one. Describes the engineering decision-making process with a diagram. Suggests some changes in engineering education. (YP)

The 1980s reform movement has been top-down, with national commissions, state laws, bully-pulpit speakers, and buzzwords like "accountability" and "excellence." A new reform agenda will probably focus on human and social needs, rather than economic and military-industrial preoccupations. President George Bush represents the…

School board members can make bad decisions if they give in to peer pressure from the community and from within the board. Cites examples and suggests that board members who don't know enough about an issue can't make a reasonable decision. (MLF)

Describes survey of experienced child-care directors asked to prioritize skills essential for a novice director to have. Recommends that administrative skills considered essential by those in the field be compared to state standards for licensing. (ET)

Career decision making is a process that continues throughout the life span. But the process can be impeded by lack of occupational exploration, vocational indecision, and lack of realism in vocational choice. Each obstacle is examined and intervention strategies to assist in decision making are proposed. (Author)

Discusses how teachers can intervene to help elementary students make thoughtful decisions about their writing topics, noting that advocating student choice does not mean abdicating the role as classroom manager. The article describes choices that writers make and explains how to handle difficult situations. (SM)

Discusses "How Does a Community Work," a Junior Achievement economic education program for second graders. Explains that the lessons teach children about how people live together and the job choices available in a community. Describes how the program fits into a social studies curriculum on neighborhoods and communities. (DK)