There is considerable evidence of impending teacher shortages throughout Australia and indeed most nations. Research so far has generally concentrated on how to improve the satisfaction of the current teachers and reduce the resignation rate, especially of early career teachers. This paper looks at the factors that influence the decisions of…

This study investigated the relation of peer interactions, family social environment and personality to prosocial orientation in Chinese adolescents. The results indicated no sex differences in general prosocial orientation and inclination to help others, but sex differences in inclination to maintain an affective relationship and inclination to…

Collaborative learning methods which emphasize peer interaction have been widely applied to increase the intensity and effectiveness of EFL reading programs. However, simply grouping students heterogeneously and assigning them group goals does not guarantee that effective collaborative learning will ensue. The present research includes two…

The effectiveness of an existing peer mediation program in a diverse, suburban elementary school was examined. Peer mediation was available to all students (N = 825). Three-year longitudinal data showed significant reductions in the school's out-of-school suspensions after implementation of the peer mediation program. Mediation training also…

This article examines the poetry, prose, and rap lyrics written by nine low-income, African American and Latino urban youths. The study is based on a 3-year research project using ethnographic methods including field observations, informal interviews, and collection of written artifacts. Part of a larger study of these youths' writing practices,…

Early adolescent alcohol use and abuse has become a public health issue. Research studies indicate that early adolescent drinking may lead to emotional, social, and academic impairments, health and developmental problems, and even death. This study emphasized the need to better understand the predisposing triggers of adolescent alcohol use…

This study investigated the relationship between sexual aggression and date rape and the character traits of anger, hostility, impulsivity, psychopathology, peer pressure, and pornography use. Male college students (N=480) completed a questionnaire that consisted of 10 instruments measuring character traits and sexual aggressive behavior. Areas…

This study explored the interaction of multiracial identity development and college campus contexts in the experience of 24 biracial or multiracial college students attending three institutions an Ivy League university, a Catholic university, and a liberal arts college. The study applied qualitative grounded theory as framed by postmodern racial…

To encourage students of an upper division writing class to recognize the nuances of voice or tone in their written work, one instructor began the first day of each class by discussing voice and tone. After the instructor reviewed their first-day writings, students were paired with a peer partner. At the end of each semester students were…

This study examined the role of colleges and universities, particularly faculty environment and student social groups, in shaping the attitudes of students about race. Specifically, the study analyzed the relative importance of the effects of the peer environment, the environment created by faculty, and student involvement in a variety of college…

Older job seekers are more likely than younger individuals to discontinue their search efforts because of the frustration inherent in job finding. Because of its ability to effectively increase job placement among other groups, due in part to the support and tangible assistance available in its small group format, a job club program was developed…

While data on the onset of cigarette smoking among younger adolescents has been investigated extensively, it is less clear whether the same social factors influence older adolescents. To examine these social factors, as well as the influence of personality and beliefs, 1,977 high school participants in an anti-smoking study completed a…

This document was conceived and developed to provide a better understanding of the pressures and tasks associated with adolescence, the empirically-based evidence of factors associated with drug use and other forms of problem behavior, different peer program approaches, and ways in which peer programs can be implemented. In Chapter I, "The…

Drug and alcohol abuse remains one of the most serious problems facing our society today. This study proposed that expected consequences of resisting peer pressure to drink alcohol may be important influences on actual drinking behavior and focused on describing these expectations. Sixth-graders (N=70) were presented with a hypothetical dilemma…

This paper offers a synthesized review of the literature on student peer facilitator programs, in order to investigate and substantiate many of the ways in which peer facilitator programs extend and strengthen a guidance counselor's mission in the school. After an introductory discussion of the foundations and goals of successful peer facilitator…