As a result of court suits and affirmative action programs, occupations traditionally held by White males have become open to women and minorities. However, these two groups still face a number of barriers, some quite subtle, to advancement in these nontraditional occupations. These barriers are discussed in this journal issue. (RM)

Structured naturalistic observations and student surveys were analyzed to determine (1) the extent to which small group instruction was used in elementary school classrooms; (2) the academic conditions under which small group instruction was used; and (3) the effects of small group instruction on student attitudes, particularly those related to…

Concerns about declining political participation in the United States have once again raised the question of how young people get involved in politics. This project focuses on engaged youths and explores the personal trajectories, people and institutions that encouraged them to become engaged with their communities. The report also discusses how…

This paper draws on the stereotype threat hypothesis and social identity theory to examine the influence of positive and negative ability beliefs on Navajo students' achievement goals. Data were collected on 829 Navajo students in two reservation high schools. The results support the notion that Navajo students hold both positive and negative…

This paper describes a study of one middle school's experiences with a co-mentoring program for beginning teachers. The project involved teaming to develop a unit on tolerance in order to deal with racial tension among students. The team created a student learning week in which students would reflect upon their own cultural beliefs and views and…

This study examined the safe-sex practices of African-American colleges students in light of culturally-specific beliefs that stigmatize Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the African-American community. A total of 21 self-selected, sexually-active African-American students (15 females and 6 males) aged 18-22 completed the AIDS…

This issue of "Coordinators' Notebook" focuses on gender issues in early childhood. The first article, "Both Halves of the Sky: Gender Socialization in the Early Years," focuses on the arguments that have led to an international call for increased participation of girls in education, an introduction to studies which map young…

The role of male teachers in early childhood education can be examined from many perspectives, including the need for male teachers, advantages and disadvantages of being a male in the profession, or why there are not more of them. In order to find out what male teachers think about teaching at the early childhood level, a survey consisting of 26…

This book contains original essays that examine the interplay between women's education and development and how they affect women's status in selected nations in Asia. The volume focuses on how women in Asia use opportunities and challenge limits in education, the role of education in their economic participation, and the enhancement and tension…

Research indicates that others' perceptions of the success of a woman administrator are related to whether the woman fits into the range of expected behavior for women in our society, including the way in which she wields power. To explore this phenomenon, this study examined the leadership temperament of the woman administrator and how it…

Male teachers constitute only 12 percent of the elementary teaching workforce. This low number persists despite nearly a century of work to increase their numbers. This paper outlines various hypotheses generated from collaborative interviews with 15 Iowa elementary teachers. Section 1 examines the assumed advantage men have in affirmative hiring,…

A descriptive study of elementary students' and parents' attitudes towards science and other school subjects was conducted. Iowa students in grades K-6 and their parents completed attitude surveys. Different versions of the surveys were used for students in grades K-3, 4-6 and their parents. Younger (K-3) students were asked about four school…

The Commission on the Status of Women Division of the proceedings contains the following 9 papers: "Perfect Little Feminists: Resistance, Femininity, and Violence in the 'Powerpuff Girls'" (Spring-Serenity O'Neal); "Gender-Differentiated Media Coverage of Political Candidates: A Look at the Georgia 2002 Republican Primary for…

This study investigated effects of gender, emotion, and family expressiveness on preschool children's reactions to narrative characters' emotion expressions. Forty-five preschool children rank-ordered playmate preferences for male and female story characters who expressed happiness, anger, sadness, fear, and neutrality and indicated how much they…