This paper addresses the evidence that secondary school students use to imply that they understand something in mathematics. As part of a larger study, an open-ended questionnaire probing several aspects of metacognitive self-knowledge, was administered to students (N=72) in four schools. Two previously identified types of understanding were…

This paper describes the actions of one secondary school mathematics teacher in establishing a community of mathematical practice within which students acquire not only knowledge and skills, but also the epistemological values of mathematics. Classroom observations over a period of 18 months, together with interview and questionnaire data, are…

In Johnson City, New York, the schools have sustained positive, meaningful educational change since 1964. The Johnson City schools have also given birth to the national movement of Outcome-Based Education (OBE). This book provides a cultural history of the relationship between community and school in school reform. The book describes the…

This book recounts the personal experiences of a woman who learned three languages (French, Italian, and English) in addition to her native Russian. She learned French as an emotional and intellectual escape from difficult conditions as a Jew in the Soviet Union, then learned Italian in Italy while she and her family waited to gain entrance into…

This report examines recruitment and retention of Aboriginal teachers in Saskatchewan (Canada) a decade after principles of equity were voluntarily adopted by some public school divisions. Data were gathered via questionnaires completed by 25 teachers of Aboriginal ancestry, 17 graduates of the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program,…

Ways that both cultural differences and learning styles affect a child's ability to learn and use language are discussed and applied to the situation faced by Native American students. Cultural differences are cited as holding the answer to questions about the Native American student's lack of success on standardized tests and in the American…

Recent developments in fertility control are presented in relation to the global demographic situation. Discussion focuses on changes in scientific knowledge and concepts that have shifted the focus from birth control to planned parenthood to the notion of controlled fertility. The place of family planning programs, including their socioeconomic…

At the center of the critical thinking movement is a far-reaching attempt at educational reform which sees critical thinking as a compelling educational ideal supported by moral concerns and practical considerations. This paper examines the theoretical basis for critical thinking and explores its component parts. The context of the discussion is a…

This paper describes the development of Turkish Children and Mothers, a project designed to help 5-year-old preschoolers in the Ruhr Valley of Germany develop linguistic, motor, cognitive, and social abilities. The paper also describes various aspects of the project, including those that relate to maternal involvement, educational facilities, the…

This paper provides a critical, analytical, and evaluative study of Samad Behrangi's educational life, writings, and thoughts by exploring the influence of Behrangi's ideas, theories, and educational practices on the past, present, and future of the Iranian education system. Samad Behrangi was an Iranian teacher who wrote extensively on a variety…

A study investigated beliefs about language learning held by American adult students of Arabic studying in two programs, one in Morocco and one in Yemen, and compared them with beliefs held by the teachers. Subjects were 44 students and 10 teachers from the Morocco program and 27 students and 7 teachers from the Yemen program. Subjects were…

The volume, which is part of a series providing a full account of the history of the English language, details the history of English from 1776 to 1997. An extensive introduction explains the changing socio-historic setting in which English has developed in response to a continuing background of diversity as it was transplanted to North America…

Although Allan Bloom in "The Closing of the American Mind" and Mike Rose in "Lives on the Boundary" reveal an almost endless list of obvious differences of perspective on literacy and higher education in America, both take divergent yet similar routes to create a permanent place for liberal education. Both Bloom and Rose use…

The autobiography "I, Rigoberta Menchu" is a complicated text--the conditions of its production, the complexity of its subject matter, and the wide range of possible responses among North American readers create challenges for composition students and instructors. A week of taped interviews with Rigoberta Menchu, a Guatemalan Indian…

American business education results in practitioners with high-level business skills but lacking the broader knowledge and habits of thought that enable them to use these skills in the complex global marketplace. This knowledge should include familiarity with the economic, political, social, and cultural diversity that is part of the human…