Provides a critical overview of research on play and cognitive development and an analysis of the two major theoretical frameworks (from Piaget and Vygotsky) that have informed it. Outlines the key features of a more powerful research perspective that defines and shapes the context of play as a social activity. (Author/BB)

The history of the concept of intelligence is reviewed, and the construction and uses of psychological tests are explored. Skills consist of a large number of abilities. It is argued that the psychological entity, intelligence, is determined by particular contexts, contexts often induced by social demands. (SLD)

Study investigated the detection of teacher expectancy effects across language and cultural boundaries. Students and teachers rated taped samples of foreign teachers talking about or to high-expectancy and low-expectancy students, focusing on facial expressions and body language. Teachers had distinctive nonverbal styles, even when language and…

This article comments on a paper (EC 231 901) calling for reduced preoccupation with the physical settings used for interventions with mentally retarded individuals. It recommends the application of normalization to both: (1) the social-psychological dimensions of environments and (2) the physical characteristics and strategies of service…

Project FIEL, Family Initiative for English Literacy, was designed to provide participatory literacy and biliteracy development opportunities for (Hispanic-American) families in El Paso. This article discusses program goals; theoretical perspectives; project design rationale; population characteristics; curriculum development, implementation, and…

Uses a multilevel, integrative approach to show the desirability of modeling science learning products and processes simultaneously within an educational structure and specific learning context. Probes inequality and inequity in science teaching and learning at the sixth-form (grade-12) level in 272 Hong Kong schools. School provision, teacher…

The Second International Mathematics Study tested mathematics knowledge and skills among 13-year-olds and final-year secondary students in 17 countries. Discusses population definitions; research administration; research design in relation to mathematics curricula; context variables (ethnic composition, language of instruction, tracking, rurality,…

The IEA's Classroom Environment Study, implemented in grades 5-9 in 9 countries, examined effects on student outcomes of home, community, school, teacher, and student characteristics and classroom practices. Across countries, course content varied widely, but teachers relied on relatively few classroom behaviors. Student learning was affected by…

Describes an exercise of parallel text analysis or production in German as a foreign language, which demonstrates to the students that contextual factors influence the selection of specific variants. The variants must be chosen out of so-called macroprogrammes. A macroprogramme lists the linguistic and extralinguistic means a language offers to…

Examined stability of first graders' conceptions of personal prerogative at home and school and their responses to regulations. Found that children identified areas of prerogative at school and considered school to be more restrictive than home; were willing to cede authority to teachers for many personal issues, but reserved rightful decision…

Used a goodness-of-fit model and an exploration-based/perspective-taking model to examine identity formation among Jewish adolescents. Found that ideological identity diffusion was higher among students living in Jewish nondominant neighborhoods, and ethnic behaviors and practices and total ethnic identity were higher among adolescents living in…

Examines how researchers can study children's interaction with literature, discussing various perspectives that can be taken on children's literary responses and suggesting lines of inquiry and concepts that might be useful for the continued examination of children's responses. Focuses on the author, the literary text itself, the reader, and the…

Investigated the relationships among three types of vocabulary knowledge (passive, controlled active, and free active) within the same individuals, taking four variables into consideration: passive vocabulary size, language learning context, second (L2) for foreign (FL), length of residence in L2 context, and, among the Canadians, knowledge of…

Adult native speakers of English and German were asked to give subjective reactions to common conversational routines presented in context (such as "Oh, I'm very sorry"), using new adaptation of Osgood's Differential Scale called the Pragmatic Differential. Analysis of ratings showed similarities and differences in how the two groups react to…

Investigates the effect of music training on 34 preschoolers' (n=175) Performance IQs based on commonalties among spatial and musical developmental progressions. Finds significantly less gain in IQ for older children in the control group; the relationship of Performance IQ to age was not significant for the treatment group. (CMK)