This monograph, informed by research on motivational and attitudinal perspectives of secondary school students learning foreign languages in the United Kingdom and Germany, provides information on how to motivate these students. The study focused on two factors that are central to the issue of motivation: the perceived usefulness and the perceived…

This report examines the development of Conduct Disorder (CD) in children and adolescents from the perspective of Hans Eysenck's bio-social theory of personality. The theory views personality as a product of the interaction of temperament and socialization. Eysenck's three-factor model of personality is comprised of Extroversion (E), Neuroticism…

Problems and issues encountered in adolescent West Indians' adjustment to living and learning in Canada are discussed, including parent-child separation, physical and social environment, home-school values conflicts, language habits and problems, rural-urban differences, and student reactions to these influences. Suggestions are made for assisting…

A sample of married Pennsylvania women with rural backgrounds and a national probability sample of women with urban backgrounds are compared in order to examine the effects of rural residence on the socioeconomic attainment process. Findings indicate rural backgrounds are associated with deficits in human capital resources and socioeconomic…

Discusses two situations dealing with juvenile delinquency: (1) prejudicial attitudes stemming from racism and how they are reflected in the service delivery infrastructure, service accessibility and utilization, and the development of more appropriate intervention strategies; and (2) the elements of small groups and families in a community…

Application of a grounded theory approach in a study of 18 minority students in professional programs at a research university found 3 strong influences in students' choice of professional field and likelihood in achieving educational goals: family support; ideal of service to community; and determination. Implications for minority recruitment and…

Reports on a study where students were given characteristics of a target pupil and then asked which career area that pupil would pursue. Although the given characteristics refuted traditional stereotypes (male/social interests, female/technical interests) the students maintained that the target pupil would choose traditional careers. (MJP)

Describes the influences of early childhood experiences, family, and education on the development of environmental concern and pro-environmental behaviors in environmental educators. Childhood experiences were more influential for older respondents while media had a greater influence on younger respondents. Also describes the nature of…

Shows how a working class Chinese-American family prepares its only child for school success. This bilingual child of immigrants is successful academically and socially. The importance of high family expectations and the goal directedness of the parents is emphasized, as is the ambivalence the parents feel toward school. (SLD)

Researchers observed relationships between exposure to home electronic technologies and classroom disposition and performance in secondary school students. Interviews to determine computer literacy and use suggested that successful performance and richness of technological environment correlated with declared home computer use. Home use did not…

The effects on children's school achievement of countercultural nonconventional family organization and parental values were studied in a 12-year longitudinal study of 146 nonconventional families and 43 2-parent conventional families. Strong commitment to meaningful values about the family lifestyle can protect children from risks that can…

Chapter two from V. V. Davydov's "Problems of Developmental Teaching" (1986) is excerpted. Analyzes Piagetian theory, finding it neglects the influence of teaching and child rearing on mental development. Builds from Lev S. Vygotsky's theories to delineate stages in personality and mental development during childhood. (CH)

A 2-year longitudinal study of 54 students in 4 urban high schools in California is used to develop a model of the interrelationships among family, peer, and school worlds as they combine to affect students' learning. Different categories of congruence between students' worlds illustrate the difficulties facing minority students. (SLD)

Results of two longitudinal studies in a southwestern city suggest that local interpretations of the legalization program of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act affected program outcomes by expanding the scope of the program beyond the participation rate projected by national policymakers. (SLD)

Uses data from the National Education Longitudinal Study (NELS) to reveal a detrimental contextual effect on 10th-grade mathematics and reading achievement associated with attending a school with a high concentration of children from single-parent homes. Maintains this effect is evident even when individual demographic characteristics and family…