Though rooted in neo-Piagetian research, constructivism is an avenue of research that departed from the neo-Piagetian mainstream 20 years ago and has continued on a distinct path of development. For constructivists, learning is not knowledge written on, or transplanted to, a person's mind as if the mind were a blank slate waiting to be written on…

This document comprises three booklets that serve as a foundation for understanding the cultural diversity and values of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese students. Each booklet reviews the country's history and geography. "Introduction to Cambodian Culture" (S. Chhim) discusses the following topics: (1) the Khmer concept of individual…

This booklet about the cultural background of Vietnam is one of three booklets that serve as a foundation for understanding the cultural diversity and values of Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese students. Vietnam is located on the eastern coast of the Indochinese peninsula and has a population of 56 million. Its history is divided into the…

Family and intergenerational literacy programs are intended to improve the literacy of educationally disadvantaged parents and children, based on the assumption that improving the literacy skills of parents results in better educational experiences for their children. A typology for classifying family literacy programs has two dimensions: type of…

Experiences gleaned from teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to Soviet Jewish refugees in San Diego, California, revealed many Soviet misconceptions about U.S. culture, as well as a keen intellectual curiosity, and an eagerness for knowledge. Classroom occurrences illustrate the characteristics of this group. Student attitudes and…

Population studies show that teachers of the 21st century will be educating an urban clientele from a great variety of cultural, ethnic, socioeconomic, and family structures, and probably, more students who are living in poverty. In view of these projections, a Division of Teacher Education has been implemented at the University of Missouri…

Originally developed for the Department of Defense Schools (DoDDS) system, this learning package on using folk literature is designed for teachers who wish to upgrade or expand their teaching skills on their own. The package includes a comprehensive search of the ERIC database; a lecture giving an overview on the topic; the full text of several…

A case study used a social constructivist theoretical framework to study two students who participated in a writing process classroom in New York City. The teacher used literature to connect reading and writing in her lessons and conducted individual writing conferences with students. Students kept notebooks of their personal experiences and…

The background, research, development, and recommended use of a set of instructional materials for teaching listening comprehension to adult learners of English as a second language are outlined in detail. The materials were developed in response to a need for real-life language samples for use in teaching listening comprehension of English. A…

Methodologies for life course analyses must explain complex biological, psychosocial, and social factors which result in various patterns of life trajectories. Four problems are characteristic of current research: a seemingly endless list of potentially significant variables; a dearth of life course theory beyond childhood to assist in targeting…

Two concerns are explored here; the question of the existence and magnitude of contextual effects, and the possibility of an interaction between a school's context and a student's own SES background. Concludes that the large-scale manipulation of social contexts to secure increased academic performance may not be justifiable on grounds of…

The purpose of this paper is to bring together various elements that portray the complex conceptuality of cultural identity within technological society. It engages in a theoretical inquiry into the questions of how the wide ranging uses young people are now making of new information and communication technologies and global media may possess the…

A study examined Hispanic perceptions of discriminatory behavior by Anglos, exploring four dimensions of perceived discrimination: the contexts/situations where Hispanics discern discrimination, the attributes perceived by Hispanics as eliciting discriminatory behavior, the characteristics of those Anglos perceived to be most likely to…

Basic arts education must give students the essence of their civilization, the civilizations that contributed to it, and the more distant civilizations that enriched world civilizations as a whole. All students are potentially capable of experiencing and analyzing the fundamental qualitativeness of art; therefore, it is realistic to propose…

A study was conducted to examine the interdependence between "actors'" (persons responsible for solving problems within their municipalities) conceptions and local strategies for development. Two peripheral municipalities with development problems are compared. The municipalities have a shared history and culture and a similar economic…