Maintains that the idea of using literature in the sociology classroom is not new and can be used to teach sociological concepts in interdisciplinary classes. Asserts that literature provides student motivation and encourages sociological imagination. (CFR)

Introduces "The Concord Review," a journal that prints the works of students, usually from high school advanced-placement classes, and specializes in scholarly articles. Essays are submitted by public and private school students, with American history the most popular subject. As a showcase for student achievement the "Review" deserves support.…

This paper explores the relationship of personal and family factors to three types of achievement in a sample of 172 African-American and 105 Euro-American women. Results are presented based on questionnaires that assessed gender role attitudes, daydream achievement (Ach), daydream affiliation (Aff), n Ach and n Aff, and demographic profiles. (GLR)

Examined relationship of perceived harm of drugs, age, and reported drug use through analysis of free associations of students from elementary to graduate school. Results showed how subjective meanings and system of mental representation, including those characteristic of drug users and nonusers, evolve as function of age. Perceptual and…

Reports on a study of strategies used by U.S. History teachers at the eighth-grade level to motivate students to learn and student's views about teacher's strategies. Finds that teachers attribute less importance to the relevance of subject matter than to their attempts to stimulate student interest. (SR)

Temple-Inland Partnership in Schools (T.I.P.S.) is a pilot partnership between a rural Texas industry and school district intended to help prevent dropouts through tutoring and counseling. The goal is to help students develop skills, confidence, and pride in attaining an education and earning a high school diploma. (SM)

Lists the benefits of hands-on experiments that are both low-cost and high-tech. Details four examples which include the use of contact lenses and compact disks. (DDR)

Reviews literature related to gender, science discourse, and the discourse designed to enhance girls' post-school options through nontraditional choices. Contains 116 references. (DDR)

Addresses questions of how students learn to play the piano and what is the role of the teacher. Discusses a project in which piano students were allowed to set their own learning goals. Shows that most students had favorable opinions of the project and felt that their playing improved. (DSK)

This study examined, as part of a national retrospective study of high achieving women, factors affecting the life-span achievement of 15 Latina women identified as gifted. More than half did not evidence their potential through high grades in school. Participants cited racial or gender bias as a major obstacle but also reported a strong…

Investigates why children are attracted to scary books, and what they find scary. Addresses children's fears through scary books and the instructional value of scary books. Discusses successful classroom experiences with scary books and notes selection considerations. Offers literature study ideas and a 100-item bibliography of scary books. (SR)

Describes how the author used class letter writing to fulfill both academic functions and affective functions. Discusses the remarkably different results produced using two different methods (a class newsletter and an electronic forum), noting that circumstances of the class and the purpose of the instructor help determine which method is more…

Presents the alliance between Reading High School (Pennsylvania) and a local corporation as a case study of the potential for incentives and private-sector involvement to improve student attendance. The partnership, Reading's Excellence and Attendance Programs, used positive reinforcements, including lottery drawings and ice-cream socials, to…

To motivate students, teachers should involve students in setting objectives, individualize objectives, set priorities, demonstrate a subject's relevance, help students learn to learn, create positive first experiences, introduce the unfamiliar through the familiar, appeal to student interest and curiosity, reward success, vary strategies, and…

Describes a small-scale study into learners' attributions for success and failure in learning French. The study investigated the way in which learners conceptualize the notion of doing well, together with perceived reasons for successes and failures. Interviews were conducted with students (10-15 years of age) who were learning French in the…