A study of 185 undergraduate students withdrawing from a publicly-funded Canadian university compared student characteristics and experiences (demography, academic performance, employment, financial support, social integration, personal circumstances, and perception of university learning experience) for three discipline areas (arts, education,…

Discovers distinct differences and a few similarities between men and women concerning values and expectations associated with employment. Women attach greater importance to intrinsic, altruistic, and social rewards. Earlier research suggested significant gender differences regarding extrinsic rewards; however, this category revealed no…

Examines the relationship between story-telling and children's construction of meaning. Includes transcripts of children's discussions of a story involving Vietnamese refugee children. Maintains that children, especially when given encouraging contexts, can construct and discover meaningful insights. Discusses the role of the teacher in this…

Comparison of the responses of Asian, black, and white honors students attending a first-year seminar at a large research university found that Asians differed most often from white and black students on all issues. Academic issues most often engendered group differences. Results suggest that racial subgroups in the honors student population have…

Compared success at Virginia Commonwealth University pharmacy school of native English-speakers and of students with other first languages, by assessing admissions data/test scores, pharmacy school science and math grades, English skills, and pharmacy grade point average (GPA). Found that first language was not predictive of either number of…

Case studies of 10 Navajo families and their children revealed several factors as to why the children did not speak Navajo, including the amount of exposure the child had to Navajo speakers, the importance of Native language within the family, and lack of parental encouragement for learning Navajo. Includes recommendations of parents for…

The Texas legislature has provided funding for the initiation of professional development schools, locally known as centers for professional development and technology. This article examines the concept from the perspective of resources that will be needed to institutionalize field-based, technology-intensive teacher education programs. (Author/SM)

A study examined the potential role of Scotland's New Community Schools (NCS) program in dealing with pupils with social, emotional, and behavioral difficulties (SEBD). Interviews with 15 parents of children with SEBD found common experiences of poor coordination of services and nonproductive engagement with professionals. NCS could promote…

Combines independent reading and teacher-directed lessons to teach geographic concepts through picture books and children's literature in a third grade class. Outlines learning activities that emphasize the geographical perspectives of five picture books. Describes the class project in which students develop a puzzlelike map of the United States…

Describes the following teaching ideas: note writing; books supplementing a unit on measuring; parents' activities calendars; quick phonics inventory; map reading; language experience chart stories; predicting activities with titles; summer mail for learning disabled students; role playing; teaching guides for novels; sentence transformation; and…

A study profiled freshmen with diagnosed learning disabilities at a large, state-supported university. Results are summarized concerning this population's educational aspirations, self-reported study habits and academic weaknesses, decision to attend college, adjustment expectations, anticipated involvement or affiliation with campus groups, study…

A study of Head Start preschoolers and families suggests emergent literacy is supported by the Home Based Reading Project, but only when teachers teach parents strategies in simple language, offer a library of quality books, and provide materials highlighting reading practices and effective literacy interactions. Parents play a crucial role in…

Discusses the Close Up Foundation's sponsorship of social studies students' trips to Washington, D.C. Describes one school's experience of planning and financing the trip, as well as its public forums and club for students to gain experience in politics and citizenship. Reports a study of Close Up participants, their political attitude…

Interviews 40 British parents and their children's nursery school teachers, concerning parental involvement in children's preschool reading and writing. Reveals parents frequently assist and direct their children in language arts activities but do not feel confident and teachers expressed doubts about parental interest. Shows need for greater…

Four particularly troublesome problems for beginning teachers are imitation, isolation, transfer, and teaching technique. The structure of many teacher education programs contributes to such problems. The article describes the changes in the teacher education program at the Catholic University of America to overcome such problems. (SM)