Asserts that governance of U.S. schools is decentralized, and extremism not a part of the curriculum. However, American schools would be more effective if students understood their place and behaved more politely, if trying hard were routine behavior, and if public education were more highly valued. (23 references) (MLH)

Examined the impact of behavioral, personal, and environmental factors on fourth graders' dietary practices, using a social cognitive theory framework. Survey results highlighted social cognitive variables that significantly influenced dietary behaviors: gender, race, socioeconomic status, fruit and vegetable availability at home, nutrition…

Used focus groups with 23 Head Start staff from 5 urban programs to identify naturally occurring strategies to cope with children's inappropriate behavior. Found that horizontally managed centers used a more collaborative approach, whereas vertically managed centers required that teachers consult with a gatekeeper before consulting with others.…

A study of 56 inner-city Canadian teachers found they believed that student behavior and attitude combined with familial situations were strongly related to students becoming at risk for school failure. School violence and gangs, large class sizes, and limited school resources and programs were rated as moderately contributing to student risk. (CR)

Describes a faculty-development program designed to change teacher attitudes, behavior, and instruction and, thus, improve the achievement of language-minority students in two New York state secondary schools. Examines challenges to creating and maintaining school structures that promote immigrant students' success and identifies factors that lead…

A total of 87 inservice teachers and 99 preservice teachers viewed videotapes depicting inappropriate behavior of an African-American female, an African-American male, a white female, and a white male. The gender of the teacher and the gender of the student had the most influence on teachers' perceptions of behavior. (Contains references.)…

Describes a study of Australian independent schools that assessed the use of laptop computers in science classrooms in grades eight and nine. Highlights include students' perceptions of teachers' interpersonal behavior; associations between teacher-student interpersonal behavior and students' attitudes to science and their enquiry skill…

Outlines the cognitive theories influencing the Science Library Catalog's (SLC) design; describes the catalog itself; explains research based on the SLC; and discusses research results, emphasizing findings that are most relevant to school library media specialists developing children's information skills. An annotated bibliography of 14 related…

Examined the empirical validity of a model of human motivation as it applies to school success and failure, assessing how indicators of context, self, and action related to measures of risk and resiliency. Subjects were 10- to 16-year-old African American youth in 3 independent samples. Found that parental engagement predicted school performance…

Library staff at State University of New York at Albany surveyed 96 patrons in a 2-month period regarding their Internet usage. Gender, college status, and prior experience were sources of differences in searching and browsing behavior and in attitudes toward Internet usefulness. Libraries should actively create new Internet access points and…

Explores the impact of a personal development project on the attitudes, behavior, and understanding of British high school students. The study circulated questionnaires to students from nine different locations in two districts. Responses clearly demonstrated that Personal Development Planning results in more appropriate choices being made at key…

Examines the results of a survey presented to students, administrators, teachers, and social scientists in Russia, Canada, United States, Germany, and Austria. The survey investigated attitudes, causal factors, social background, and prevention efforts concerning antisocial behavior in adolescents. The Russian responses reflected a more punitive…

Focuses on the Chinese as an American ethnic group and the socialization of Chinese American children. Considers four main socialization environments shaping members of the Chinese American population: traditional China, the People's Republic of China (PRC), the PRC in the era of communist decline, and Chinese American communities. Presents…

Longitudinally examined the effects of foster care placement versus remaining at home upon the psychological function of 64 African American, sexually abused girls 5-16 years old. Both groups showed declines in affective distress and depression. Overall, there were no significant differences in the psychological function of the girls who remained…

The culturally relevant factors of ethnic identification, intergenerational support, and church support were investigated in relation to high-risk exposure on maladjustment in 147 urban African-American adolescents with mild mental retardation. The factors were associated with better adjustment and ethnic identification, which appeared to protect…