Impoverished pregnant teenagers were distinguished from matched or random controls by an inability to cope; by identification of family, school, and peer relationships as self-devaluing experiences; by an attraction to deviant identity as a source of self-esteem; and by adoption of deviant behaviors. (Author/CP)

Investigated student teacher beliefs about developmentally appropriate practice in relation to socialization influences. Findings include early childhood student teachers endorsed developmentally-based practices more than did elementary student teachers; strong preservice experience influenced beliefs; students maintained a continuity in beliefs…

Analysis of questionnaire responses of 44 minority (African American, Hispanic, or Filipino) gifted students attending a high school preparatory program, and follow-up interviews with 24 students, identified themes of locus of control, peer relations, leadership, and community orientation. Responses differed between genders. The role of school…

Discussion of achievement motivation and children's ideas about themselves as learners focuses on a study of third graders that examined the effects of LOGO programing on performance. Incremental and entity theories of intelligence are explained, and treatment of the experimental group and the control group are described. (26 references) (LRW)

Reports on a study examining how well several personal variables predict elementary school teachers' use of computers for teaching. Variables examined included innovativeness, teacher locus of control, perceived relevance of computers, and self-competence in using computers. Data on age, gender, and years of computer experience were also…

Examined culturally based differences in the perceptions of causal attributions for athletic achievement in Germany and China. Results show that the Chinese perceive success and failure to be more internal and controllable than the Germans. This result is discussed from the perspective of traditional Chinese culture and from today's social…

Uses data from black male 8th and 10th graders to explore key issues affecting their achievement and engagement in school. Findings show a need to rethink current secondary-school disciplinary policies, especially suspension, extra-help delivery, and remedial courses because these areas explain important differences in engagement and achievement…

Describes a study that was designed to investigate the interaction between three levels of instructional control (i.e., linear, mixed, and learner) and provision of an orienting activity on college students' learning of factual and procedural knowledge via interactive video. Instructional time and recall of facts and procedures are examined. (35…

Describes a study that examined the extent to which different levels of instructional control and varied learner characteristics affected performance and time on task, using interactive video in a college biochemistry course. Prior knowledge and learner internality/externality are discussed, and interaction between learner ability and…

Longitudinal data in St. Paul (Minnesota) for 1,001 ninth graders and 962 of them as tenth graders show that part-time work experience and mastery orientation are reciprocally related for adolescents. Youth more internally oriented in grade 9 had less stressful jobs in grade 10. Extrinsic work conditions are sources of control orientation. (SLD)

Criticizes the use of blame analysis rather than scientific analysis in sociological studies. Defines blame analysis as an approach to social science that (1) evaluates theories according to the extent that they blame protected groups; (2) equates cause with blame; (3) and rejects theoretical arguments that posit any causal role for the protected…

Investigation of relations among children's perceptions of their parents, motivation, and school performance for 456 children in grades 3 through 6 suggests that perceived maternal support and involvement are associated with perceived competence, control understanding, and perceptions of autonomy, whereas paternal support is related to perceived…

Polish and Finnish high school students (n=352) from academic and vocational tracks reported on the future planning they did in different contexts and completed measures of self-esteem and control over the future. Findings suggest that future planning reflects general developmental patterns in both countries, while self-evaluation reflects…

Reflects on purposes of education, emphasizing that motivation, locus of control, self-esteem, and causal attribution are vital components of a sensitive curriculum. Discusses the role of formal education and the state, ambiguities underlying formal education, and the need for a person-centered approach to curriculum. Concludes with assertions…

This study examined the approaches and expectations about personal and professional balance among senior student affairs officers. Demographic variables were also examined to determine how they affected the relationships between the main variables. (Contains 1 figure.)