A sample of 120 Thai fruit growers reported that agricultural extension workers were influential in their adoption of integrated pest management, which balances cultural tradition and progressive practice. Extension workers used discussion and reflection on practical experience, a participatory and collaborative approach to the adoption of…

Discusses ways in which early childhood programs can support families of minority children in White adoptive homes. (PCB)

Investigated relationships among family environment, demographic measures, decision made by unintentionally pregnant adolescents regarding postdelivery plans and certainty with which decisions made. Findings from 175 pregnant women aged 14 through 22 who intended to carry their pregnancies to term revealed that subjects choosing adoption were more…

Reports results of an analysis of differences in functioning in families able to sustain special needs adoption placements and families in which placements were disrupted. The father was found to play the pivotal role in maintaining placements. Active involvement in parenting and nurturance and support of mother helped sustain placements.…

Reviews common approaches to instructional materials development used at distance education institutions with the team approach considered in some detail. Management of the team is emphasized, the process of change is discussed, and a model for adopting educational innovations--the Concerns Based Adoption Model--is explained. (12 references)…

There is a vast difference between factual information and a sense of understanding that comes from the organization of knowledge in a way in which it can be used in decision processes. Recognition of interdependencies and interrelatedness leads to understanding and utilization. (JD)

A review of five obstacles to teacher change (poorly planned staff development, reluctance to change, teacher isolation, failure to address adult learner needs, and rigid expectations) offers suggestions for combatting them and describes one school district's program which overcame these obstacles. (Author/CB)

Discusses findings from two studies of coping and adaptation in families who adopted children with developmental disabilities. Focuses on two sets of factors that emerged from both studies as central influences on parents' management of their children and adoption outcomes, specifically, the availability of resources and supports, and…

Provides general outline of the provisions of Scotland's Children Act of 1995. Touches on three of the four parts of the Act: (1) parental responsibilities and rights; (2) promotion of children's welfare; and (3) adoption. (AJH)

On this journal's 30th anniversary, the editor reflects on the development of the field of comparative education and its "infrastructure" (scholars and practitioners, scholarly journals, book publishers, and international agencies); the field's internationalization; influence of international aid donors on research; symbiosis of comparative and…

A survey of 340 7th- and 8th-grade home economics teachers and supervisors received 280 responses indicating they were highly receptive to New York State's Home and Family Curriculum and had implemented it. Receptivity was related to perception of status benefits such as competence, inservice training, increased resources, and job security. (SK)

Notes that literature has been found to be creative tool for helping children cope with changes in their lives. Illustrates how bibliotherapy can be used to help adolescents cope with family breakdown, foster care, and adoption placement. Books are presented that can be useful in clinical practice. (Author/NB)

Surveyed adoptive families, most of whom had adopted special-needs children, to determine changes in child and family functioning. The study's core finding is that "problems" in special-needs adoption do not dissipate over time but exist over the course of adoption. Findings also support the need for enhanced postadoptive services. (AS)

Discussion of language planning focuses on a study that addressed the effects of the introduction of Portuguese as the official language by the newly independent government of Mozambique on a target audience that spoke eight various other languages. Relationships between national language policies and popular language usage are discussed. (37…

Examines the economic policies that led to the institutionalization of large numbers of children under inhuman conditions during the Ceausescu regime in Romania. Also examines the efforts of the present Romanian government, national and international organizations, and private groups to place such children with adoptive families both in Romania…