Compared goals and values of early childhood educators in six Moscow child care centers to those held before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Determined current goals and values from interviews, observations, and recent Russian pedagogical books. Found that changes include more emphasis on individualistic goals, more attention to fostering…

John Holt was a key figure in the free school movement. His belief that school procedures worked against children's natural ways of learning came from his own experiences. Recognizing that genuine democracy can only happen within a genuine community, he felt that social institutions, particularly education, must nourish experiences of belonging,…

Reports on the outcomes of a comparative research project examining teacher and student attitudes about affective education across Europe. Defines affective education as concern for feelings, values, beliefs, attitudes, and emotional well-being of learners. Considers some of the conceptual issues in affective education as a basis for stressing…

Presents the definition of culture within the context of early childhood curricula and briefly outlines the history of early childhood education. Claims that culture and child development are closely related. Examines early childhood education programs around the world and describes how the culture of each country influences the content of early…

Addresses similarities and differences in educational philosophy and practice among alternative schools such as the Free School (Albany, New York) and Summerhill (England). Discusses philosophies of Summerhill's founder A. S. Neill and his belief that children should be loved and accepted and allowed to participate within the school's power…

Reveals significant changes in the attitudes of female students toward the single lifestyle and careers outside the home after completing a psychology of women course. Results of the "Life Styles for Women Attitude Scale" showed the greatest change among students with moderate or conservative attitudes. (MJP)

At Horizonte, an alternative Utah high school, students help direct their own learning. The five guiding principles resemble fundamental beliefs more than specific strategies. Curriculum is shaped to meet student needs and learning styles, technology access is universal, the program is inclusive and multicultural, students are assisted to meet…

Argues that synergetic counseling efforts with Native American Indian students, where the environment is balanced with the client's psychological aspects, increase counseling effectiveness. Outlines how the spiritual and secular concerns of Native American Indian students force school counselors to become more empathic and competent. A vignette…

The second in three-part series on how the principals in 10 low-performing/high-poverty schools met the challenge of Florida's 1999 high-stakes testing and accountability initiative. Examines the challenges principals faced in trying to build organizational capacity from three perspectives: principals' beliefs and values, "it takes a whole…

Argues for the need to adopt a more participatory and research-based approach to teacher development in India. Describes the democratizing opportunities offered by a research-based collaborative approach to teacher educator development in a 2-year project in three states. Concludes that this approach requires individual development of autonomy and…

Studies involving 635 Hong Kong undergraduates found Chinese and foreign creators who distinguished themselves in meritorious salience of a person's creativity were more likely to be nominated and were rated higher on social contribution than on creativity. Scientists, inventors, and politicians were the most often nominated figures of creativity.…

Instrumental aims in vocational education pose a genuine threat to democratic citizenship by undermining student critique of prevailing social circumstances. By employing a broadened Aristotelian framework, career education can combine work-related subject matter with critical learning objectives, but that would require significant reform in…

Explains teaching methods for literature classes for seventh and eighth grades. Proposes that writing is a major tool in teaching literature. Outlines techniques which encourage students to look at other cultures. Concludes that reading has many cultural values, and that short stories have an impact on young minds. (PM)

Elected school boards' skeptical eyes can guard against bad management practices and ensure that different voices get heard. Problems with board governance are a product of too little democracy. A democratic reform strategy would make board elections partisan, hold them on the same day as elections for more prominent state or national offices,…

Suggests a dilemma confronts sociologists in the review and publication of their works. Claims that relying on peer review impedes the practice of open and fair judgments because social networks bind people to one another. Observes that peer review can limit new and critical thinking. Urges that manuscripts be judged on their own merits. (NL)