Reviews two prevalent paradigms for language writing education: the social, using formalized methods to bring students of all backgrounds into mainstream academic literacy; and the developmental, emphasizing theories of language acquisition to enable students to approximate literacy through their cultural contexts. Argues against viewing these…

Examines the public's lack of understanding and interest in science. Places much of the blame on the perception of science as a dense yet pristine discipline divorced from everyday concerns. Criticizes the concept of science as independent of social construction and argues for instruction emphasizing relationships between science and society. (MJP)

Discusses the changing knowledge base for pedagogy, the domain of the pedagogical sciences, and the intersection between these pedagogical sciences and culture. The paper draws on cultural psychology as a basis for pedagogy and details the implications for teacher education of the view that knowledge is shaped by the cultural contexts in which it…

Barriers to Hmong adults' participation in adult basic education (ABE) include nonliterate tradition, age, cooperative-learning style, and stress. Various programs attempt bilingual English as a Second Language, vocational English as a Second Language, or multicultural training for ABE staff. The lack of Hmong educators makes the latter an…

The English-Zulu codeswitching behavior was studied of three senior teachers and the principal of a KwaZulu boarding school in their interactions with pupils. Switches into Zulu were shown to have important different kinds of academic and social functions in the classroom. Implications for teacher education in South Africa are discussed. (Contains…

Argues that dominant theories of first- and second-language acquisition treat language as though it were a culturally homogeneous phenomenon. Because language learners are taught a core variety of the target language, they are often unaware of the cultural differences within the language, tending to see the core language as representative of a…

Based on the inaugural Suzanne McConnell Memorial Lecture, this article focuses on the theme of action in complex contexts. The following topics are covered: the author's approach to this theme and the steps needed to progress from analysis of context to new debates and practical action; the changing context of ALBE; and opportunities for action.…

Explores the specific family practice of determining which family members share a bed or sleeping space. Discusses ways of extracting the moral principles implicit in the practice of arranging where family members sleep at night. Examines similarities and differences in the preferred moral goods of two culture regions--rural Hindu India and urban…

This article interprets epistemological bias in recent educational research. It examines the qualitative research text as a culture form; analyzes the concepts of voice, hearing, listening, reading, and text; critically appraises attempts to recover and re-present the "voice" of the other; and proposes how this voice and presence can be…

A questionnaire was completed by 67 gifted females and follow-up interviews were conducted with 25 of these women to explore their education, family life and influences, personal and professional achievements, and effects of marriage and children. Barriers to their talent development included their marriages and personal lives. (SW)

This study found that the community and parents in Tanzania were not involved in development of schools and services for persons with disabilities, but communities had good knowledge of characteristics of persons with disabilities. Success of special education is felt to depend on community involvement and assessment of the community's folk belief…

In communicative language teaching, one has to deal with both pragmalinguistic and sociopragmatic components of language. Too often, learners overlook the cultural inferences of a sentence. One has to favor a cultural verification phase because it is the cultural context that imparts meaning to an event and enables mastery of a discursive process.…

Non-Natives (or immigrants) wrongly adopt aspects of Native ceremonies out of ignorance and misunderstanding, a tendency to romanticize Native culture, and a desire to connect with the land. Non-Native outdoor educators should examine their own cultural traditions, develop new ceremonies, and learn from Native elders those Native cultural aspects…

Presents an interview with Bell Yung, a scholar of Chinese music and ethnomusicology. Maintains that world music (music from many nations and cultures) should be taught as early as possible in the schools and at home. Includes two lesson plans for teaching about Chinese music. (CFR)

A seven-year ethnographic study of Navajo and Ute youth in a border reservation community suggests the following factors in understanding why youth left school: (1) racial and economic relations in the community and school; (2) home child-rearing patterns of noninterference and early adulthood; and (3) cultural integrity and resistance. (KS)