An in-depth study of the experiences of Mexican American women at three Texas universities found that precollege factors such as early education and familial support had more impact on the students' experiences and success than did the ethnic or gender composition of the university. (Contains 20 references.) (Author/SV)

Presents a study intended to promote the development of socio-affective competencies in children in the first two years of primary school using a sample of 83 six- to eight- year olds and their fathers and mothers. Explores the mediating influence of the teachers' pedagogic practice, family's social class, and gender. (CMK)

Investigated whether living in a supportive family was an HIV/STD-protective factor for at-risk African American adolescent girls. Surveys supported the association between living in perceived supportive families and HIV/STD protective benefits. Supportive families enhanced girls' confidence in their ability to negotiate condom use and helped them…

Two projects provided learning activities in information and communications technologies for rural unemployed people in Britain, primarily women. Questionnaires and focus groups revealed that many were motivated by the desire to support their children's learning; most had not enjoyed early schooling; informal community networks reinforced and…

Examined sex-typing in child personality, interests, and activities as function of traditionality of parents' gender role attitudes and sex composition of sibling dyads. Found that sex-typing was most evident in children's interests and activities. Differences in children's sex-typing as a function of fathers' attitudes and sibling sex…

Identifies and estimates the influence of educational, psychological, and social factors on learning, using evidence from 61 research experts, 91 meta-analyses, and 179 handbook chapters and narrative reviews. Results suggest an emergent base for school learning, with proximal (psychological, instructional, and home environment) variables exerting…

Examined the relationship between Latino high school students' conceptions of their futures and their school engagement. Data from interviews with 30 students indicated that there was considerable consistency in students' conceptions of the future, their understanding of the procedural knowledge necessary to actualize those futures, and the…

Surveyed groups of Chinese, Malay and Tamil families, their use of community languages or mother tongue, and their speaking, reading, and writing proficiency. Found that when parents' community language proficiency in speaking is lower they tend to choose English as preferred language. Children's language confidence affected their language choice.…

The purpose of this study was to identify factors associated with early onset of sexual intercourse. Within an ecological system's conceptual framework, familial factors associated with early onset of sexual activity were identified in a sample of 425 adolescents from San Juan metro area schools. Measures included questions about sexual activity,…

The study examined relationships among family social status, perceptions of family and school learning environments, and measures of children's academic achievement, educational aspirations and self-concept. Data were collected from 261 (128 boys, 133 girls) 11-year-old Taiwanese children. The findings from structural equation modelling suggest…

The paper argues that the term "literacy" has become attached to too many disparate practices, and that renewed attention needs to be paid to how the acquisition and use of skills of written communication are conditioned by the core structures of the home, the classroom, and the state. It reviews the current usages of literacy and…

This chapter focuses on how the routine elements of family mealtimes such as assigned tasks and the more emotional ritual aspects such as recognition of feelings are related to children's well-being and the creation of a family identity. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

This study investigates the cumulative impact of sexual abuse in childhood and adult interpersonal violence in the past year on depressive symptoms in a nonclinical sample of 265 primarily African American (74%) women. The frequency of depressive symptoms, measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), was highest for…

The daily educational experiences of a young child affect not only the child but also the family. The time and energy a family invests to achieve optimal educational experiences will likely impact the whole family system. As such, early education service providers are responsible for decreasing the challenges that parents experience so that…

Prior studies have found remarkable similarity in the family characteristics across a wide range of child psychopathologies. This study investigated the unique relationships between symptoms of depression, conduct problems/aggression, and inattention/hyperactivity and characteristics of the family environment. Parents and teachers completed…