The theme focuses on the importance of teaching in vocational agriculture. Includes 10 articles on effective teaching, essential elements of the problem solving approach in teaching vocational agriculture, establishing a classroom climate for success, the economics of agriculture, dealing with student behavior problems, the importance of…

The article identifies some of the problems with current cooperative-learning strategies and implementation, links those limitations to both the wider cooperative-learning movement and the nature of middle schools, and calls for conceptualizing and structuring cooperative learning within a much larger educational, social, economic, and political…

The New Smyrna Beach Employability Skills Training Program in Florida offers emotionally and behaviorally disordered adolescents the opportunity to learn basic academic, social, employability, and business skills through participation in a school-based business that models an actual job site. Comparative data for suspensions, dropouts, and…

Explored the connection between emotional expression in the child's family environment and children's social competence with school peers using direct observation of affective dimensions in naturalistic environment (n=50). Reported expressiveness and observed parental affect were both found to be meaningful predictors of children's sociometric…

Discusses effects of violence on children, focusing on steps that educators and child development professionals can take to mitigate the effects of violence on the development of at-risk children. Suggests that educators and professionals need to foster a caring educational environment, promote self-discipline, provide children with outlets for…

A social skills program for learning disabled children consisting of coaching, role-playing, and information sharing was implemented over a 6-month period by a clinical psychologist in collaboration with classroom teachers. When compared to the control group, participants in the experimental program demonstrated greater social acceptance and…

According to a survey of Fortune 500 executives, American schools should teach analytical, higher order, conceptual, and problem-solving skills; reading and writing proficiencies; and effective communication skills. Schools should also provide apprenticeships for high schoolers and stress interpersonal skills (especially cooperation in diverse…

The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is focusing on interactive and multimedia technologies, within the framework of a virtual commons, to promote the study of people, their environments, and their resources. (AEF)

Observed the playground behavior and social interaction of 27 kindergarten children in a university laboratory school, focusing on the children's ability to successfully negotiate social interactions. Found that communication skills, ability to recognize and understand others' emotions and needs, and self-confidence are critical to positive social…

Social competence of elementary students (n=141) with learning disabilities, low achievement, or average to high achievement was examined. Ratings of social skills, peer acceptance, behavior problems, and self-perceptions were gathered from students, teachers, parents, and peers. Learning disability and low achievement groups were…

Teachers rated social competence and academic achievement of Bermudian children exposed to various amounts and qualities of day care. Found that quality of care was important to children's intellectual and social development while in day care but not after one to four years of primary schooling. Family background, not day care, predicted primary…

Children who are deficient in social skills or who have developed inappropriate communication skills may be at risk in school and disruptive to family dynamics. To prevent crises developing in adolescence, the Stop-Think-Do social skills program, first developed in Australia, provides a method of reinforcing cooperative behavior and…

Includes "Young Men Learning: Informal Education and Drug Abuse" (Ellis); "Young Women Learning: Participative Women-Only Group Work" (Gregory); "City Challenge and Capacity Building: Developing Communication Skills" (Smith); and "Social Education with Disaffected Young People: The Padstow Challenge and…

Two studies with four adolescents with behavior disorders investigated the relationship between antecedent events and aggressive behavior in school and home settings. The use of videotape recordings and behavioral rehearsal of alternative responses resulted in decreases in the frequency of aggressive behavior and associated antecedent events. (DB)

Investigates the relationship of children's self-understanding to social class, community type (modern or traditional), and teachers' ratings for 73 12 year olds in Reykjavik (Iceland) and 21 12 year olds in traditional villages in Iceland. Children in higher social classes offer more psychological descriptions. The inadvisability of generalizing…