Discusses how students at the end of the French primary school-cycle (10- to 11-year-old pupils) resolve multiplication and related division problems within an assessment perspective taking into account the 3 factors of the problem's representational structure, the numerical values used, and the context of the problem statement. (25 references)…

Argues that the debate about media attributes versus instructional methods should be shifted from instruction- and media-centered to a learner-centered conception of learning. Learning with media should be explored on the macro level (where learning is situationally dependent) and on the micro level (where design should support, instead of…

Research findings and theories regarding adolescent contraceptive use are reviewed to propose an alternative framework relying on social learning theory. Environmental context, cognitive influences, and behavior execution constraints are suggested as the foundation for contraceptive behaviors. The behavioral skills teenagers need to use birth…

Extends research on factors promoting or undermining school effectiveness. Employs two dimensions of effective internal organization (teacher community and principal leadership) to examine effects of school context variables generally excluded from prior research. Explores whether models of context effects on internal school conditions differ for…

Provides a critical overview of research on play and cognitive development and an analysis of the two major theoretical frameworks (from Piaget and Vygotsky) that have informed it. Outlines the key features of a more powerful research perspective that defines and shapes the context of play as a social activity. (Author/BB)

The history of the concept of intelligence is reviewed, and the construction and uses of psychological tests are explored. Skills consist of a large number of abilities. It is argued that the psychological entity, intelligence, is determined by particular contexts, contexts often induced by social demands. (SLD)

Study investigated the detection of teacher expectancy effects across language and cultural boundaries. Students and teachers rated taped samples of foreign teachers talking about or to high-expectancy and low-expectancy students, focusing on facial expressions and body language. Teachers had distinctive nonverbal styles, even when language and…

This article comments on a paper (EC 231 901) calling for reduced preoccupation with the physical settings used for interventions with mentally retarded individuals. It recommends the application of normalization to both: (1) the social-psychological dimensions of environments and (2) the physical characteristics and strategies of service…

Project FIEL, Family Initiative for English Literacy, was designed to provide participatory literacy and biliteracy development opportunities for (Hispanic-American) families in El Paso. This article discusses program goals; theoretical perspectives; project design rationale; population characteristics; curriculum development, implementation, and…

Uses a multilevel, integrative approach to show the desirability of modeling science learning products and processes simultaneously within an educational structure and specific learning context. Probes inequality and inequity in science teaching and learning at the sixth-form (grade-12) level in 272 Hong Kong schools. School provision, teacher…

The Second International Mathematics Study tested mathematics knowledge and skills among 13-year-olds and final-year secondary students in 17 countries. Discusses population definitions; research administration; research design in relation to mathematics curricula; context variables (ethnic composition, language of instruction, tracking, rurality,…

The IEA's Classroom Environment Study, implemented in grades 5-9 in 9 countries, examined effects on student outcomes of home, community, school, teacher, and student characteristics and classroom practices. Across countries, course content varied widely, but teachers relied on relatively few classroom behaviors. Student learning was affected by…

Describes an exercise of parallel text analysis or production in German as a foreign language, which demonstrates to the students that contextual factors influence the selection of specific variants. The variants must be chosen out of so-called macroprogrammes. A macroprogramme lists the linguistic and extralinguistic means a language offers to…

Examined stability of first graders' conceptions of personal prerogative at home and school and their responses to regulations. Found that children identified areas of prerogative at school and considered school to be more restrictive than home; were willing to cede authority to teachers for many personal issues, but reserved rightful decision…

Used a goodness-of-fit model and an exploration-based/perspective-taking model to examine identity formation among Jewish adolescents. Found that ideological identity diffusion was higher among students living in Jewish nondominant neighborhoods, and ethnic behaviors and practices and total ethnic identity were higher among adolescents living in…