Illustrative case studies support a contingency approach to mixed-method evaluation in which the evaluation team bases its selection of methods on the information to be provided, the availability of data, and the degree to which the program environment is an open or closed system. (SLD)

Critiques four studies of morality and culture from the point of view of domain theory, based on distinctions between morality and social construal, domains of judgment (moral, social conventional, and personal), and perspectives within the social and power structure. (Author)

Generic power is the ability to anticipate elements in a predictable sequence in a communicative event. The article examines the role of such power in a crucial situation--the admission interview in the Republic of Singapore--and argues that generic conventions cannot be divorced from the institutional and cultural constraints peculiar to a speech…

This paper describes a rationale for, and conceptual framework of, learning via open-ended learning environments (OELEs). It highlights development of theories-in-action with OELEs, including the roles of context, system response/feedback, and levels of processing. Discussion also includes examples of theory building via OELEs and implications for…

Investigated young children's ability to use narrative contexts to infer the meanings of novel vocabulary terms. Two groups of 15 7-and 8-year-olds participated; children with normally developing reading comprehension skills and children with weak reading comprehension skill. Results are discussed. (Author/VWL)

Discusses performance-centered design (PCD) for developing countries and demonstrates how the process of internationalization and localization needs to go beyond the traditional functionality checklists of culture and language. Describes how the unique nature of developing country economic, human capacity, and infrastructure contexts has to be…

A model of conditional reasoning predicted that children under 12 would respond correctly to questions of uncertain logical form if premises and context enabled them to access counterexamples from memory, and that children's performance with uncertain logical forms would decrease when empirically true premises are presented in a fantasy context.…

Tested E. E. Sweetser's (1987) model of lying, which emphasizes critical contribution of social factors to definitions of lie. Presented vignettes to 12-, 16-, and 19-year olds--half with prototypic lie-telling, half with truth-telling--and asked them to indicate degree of agreement that statement was a lie. Found that effects of age, help-harm…

Examines some characteristics of "Mm," in particular its variants, as a weak acknowledging token, a continuer, and a weak assessment within the Australian context. Findings indicate that the most common "Mm" is best characterized as an acknowledging object used to mark unproblematic receipt of the immediately prior talk and no…

Focuses on the tensions existing between theory and practice and between homogeneity and diversity in applied linguistics (AL). Argues that theory and practice need not be seen as separate activities, and that diversity is an inevitable, desirable consequence of the interdisciplinary nature of AL. (26 references) (Author/CK)

Investigates possible gender differences in the nature and role of the contextual influences that shape multiple dimensions of identity during college. Findings suggest the existence of gender differences in the following areas: types of contextual influences that shape identity during college, reactions to those contextual influences, and…

School counseling has undergone a transformation to align the role and function of the school counselor more closely with the needs of students. Suggests that attention must now be directed toward seeking solutions to the limitations presented by the current, comprehensive developmental model, specifically by taking into account contextual factors…

Considered whether modeling and the type of an adult's request influenced children's ability at age 1 year and 8 months and 2 years and 2 months to comprehend gestures and replica objects as symbols for familiar objects. Evaluated whether modeling and type of request influenced children's ability at 1 year and 8 months to understand familiar…

Examined risk and protection for adolescent problem behavior and depressive symptomatology in an average-risk sample of 243 11th graders. Regression analyses using aggregated or summary measures of risk for several contexts showed that multiple contexts of risk contributed independently to both misconduct and depressed moods, and that protective…

Describes an experiment that investigated how relevance feedback could be used to build and adjust profiles to improve filtering system performance. Explains the use of the SIFTER (Smart Information Filtering Technology for Electronic Resources) filtering system by graduate students and discusses results that established the importance of context…