Chinese, Japanese, and American children at grades 1 and 5 were given a battery of 10 cognitive tasks and tests of achievement in reading and mathematics. Goals were to determine (1) possible differences in cognitive abilities and (2) the possible differential relation of scores on cognitive tasks to reading by children of the three cultures.…

Discusses the strong oral tradition in the Appalachia region. Examines conflicts that arise when educators stress the importance of reading and writing to Appalachian children while ignoring the home and regional influences that shape their lives. (FL)

Students everywhere are harder to reach and teach, their attention and motivation less reliable, their language and behavior more provocative. This is largely because parents, suffering a widespread loss of confidence and competence, are increasingly anxious about their children's success, yet increasingly unable to support and guide them and…

The purpose of this paper is to examine how mathematically talented children in a disadvantaged rural community experience mathematics, both as a discipline and as a school subject. The aim is to find answers to questions such as: "What do these children think mathematics is?" "What value do they attach to the study of…

This research assumes a relatively stable lifeworld for young people. For example, it assumes that the meaning of volunteering or service is sufficiently similar across multiple contexts to remain a valid and stable indicator. By extension, it also assumes that the lifeworld of young people today is not undergoing a period of rapid, and perhaps…

The participation of women in graduate studies and mathematics-related careers remains a social and economic problem in the United States. Part of a larger study to understand this lack of participation, here we present preliminary findings of girls who are high achievers in middle grades mathematics. This interpretive study documents girls'…

Mexican descent students leave school before completions at a much higher rate than other ethnic groups. Marginalization is one contributing factor. Thirty-two Mexican descent students were interviewed with two main objectives: What marginalization factors did they experience in their secondary schools? What factors allowed them to overcome…

This study examined the effects of caregiver stability on children's behavior in day care centers during a period of caregiver turnover. A total of 25 children, ages 2-5 years, in 7 day care centers who encountered caregiver turnover participated in the study. Baseline and turnover observations were conducted and scored, and correlated with…

Through naturalistic inquiry, the study reported in this book sought to determine the inner qualities that compel some black males to persist and overcome adversity, while others of their socioeconomic class quit and fail. The research was designed to identify the factors that led to the successful achievement of African American male students at…

A study examined the issues and experiences of 89 women teachers, head teachers, and girls in and out of school in two contrasting Ghanaian cultural contexts. Data were collected via life history interviews, analyzed, and presented around three domains: culture of the home; relationship between culture and the economy, and culture of the school.…

The National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, a nationally representative sample of 1988 eighth-graders who were followed up 2 years later in 1990 and again in 1992 and 1994, provides an opportunity to consider how motherhood and marriage were related to the educational attainment of 1988 eighth-grade females. Findings drawn from this report…

A study investigated tenacity of adult students who have once again made their way back to academia. The specific purpose was to discover how these students understood their own history of college enrollment and their perceptions of themselves as persisters. Participants were 63 "tenacious persisters" in three sections of an orientation class at a…

This monograph discusses how to protect adolescents by addressing health behaviors. Data come from the Add Health Survey, a comprehensive school-based study of adolescents' health-related behaviors. Secondary students answered surveys about their lives, health, friendships, self-esteem, and expectations for the future. School administrators…

School-based drug abuse prevention programs have been a standard approach in American Indian communities for three decades, but the evidence for their effectiveness is meager. However, it is unreasonable to expect that schools alone could have a major impact on a behavior that has multiple and interactive social causes. It would be folly to…

This paper examines whether an illiterate worker's earnings are affected by the literacy of other members of the household. Theory suggests that a member of a collective-action household may or may not share knowledge with others in the household. Shared income gains from shared knowledge may well be offset by a shift in the balance of power…