A large survey supported the hypotheses that tolerance--measured by dogmatism, liberalism, conservatism, and authoritarianism--was higher among older than younger undergraduates; and that tolerance was higher in students who had shifted reference groups from home town to college. The role of college environment was discussed. (GDC)

Argues that the school community must create and adhere to policies and practices that respect and support positive peer relationships. Urges promoting a respect for diversity in terms of individuals, as well as providing opportunities for peer affiliation on activity-based and interest-based levels to promote pluralism. (SD)

Lookism, more pervasive than sexism or racism, is the ranking of persons that attributes worth based on random variations in supposed attributes of personal attractiveness. Presents the changes educators must bring about if girls--and boys--are to break free of the humiliation of societally determined unattractiveness. (LSR)

Develops a framework for understanding gender issues in the education of boys. Summarizes new masculinity research, examines educational research for evidence on the making of masculinities in schools, explores the logic of educational work with boys, examines public controversies about boys' education, and notes the prospects of changing gender…

Considers two complementary ways of teaching conflict resolution in schools: special training sessions focusing specifically on conflict resolution; and more diffuse but substantiated conflict resolution opportunities integrated into academic coursework. Vignettes from two schools illustrate the different strengths of curricular and…

Finds that, among 117 Mexican-American second and fifth graders from Spanish-dominant homes, reading comprehension gains were proportionately much smaller in summer than the school year, while summer and school year gains in auditory vocabulary were similar. Discusses family, peer, and classroom influences on distinct language skills. (SV)

The relationships among drug use, health beliefs, peer use, sex, and religion were examined using data collected from 265 seventh graders in rural northern Michigan and northeastern Wisconsin in January and February of 1984. Positive relationships were found between drug use and peer use and health beliefs. (TJH)

The implicit scripts of adolescents experiencing peer pressure to engage in misconduct were examined for 198 high school students interviewed about 6 scenarios in which one adolescent asks another to misbehave. Differences based on sex, community (urban, suburban, and ethnic composition), and learning status (learning disabled or nondisabled) are…

A follow-up study of college students' (n=474) cheating behaviors looked at extent of cheating, attitudes toward it, characteristics of cheaters/noncheaters, effectiveness of deterrents, and attitude changes from 1984-94. A significant rise in cheating was found, but with less rationalization. An additional 12 variables discriminating cheaters…

Discusses the effectiveness of a peer mediation program in a Midwestern suburban elementary school. Responses to questionnaires given to students and teachers suggested that the students successfully learned the procedures and applied them in conflict situations throughout the year. Includes a thorough description of the program's procedures. (MJP)

Students of religious development in youth tend to focus on characteristics of the child or adolescent and perhaps those of their parents. Although often reflecting standard disciplinary practices, this approach is also often the result of data limitations. This study used longitudinal data from adolescents, parents, friends, schools, and…

The article addresses the issue of "learning to elearn" in borderless programs in a globalised learning landscape and the associated problems of scaffolding the journey across the digital divide. The authors argue that the assumption underlying such courses is that cross-cultural programs are viable because they are conceived and…

In an effort to assess students' perceptions of victimization in their schools, as well as their schools' safety, over 1,900 students from elementary, middle, high, and alternative schools were administered a 154-item questionnaire. The responses on the items were used to establish the psychometric properties of 19 theoretically driven scales and…

It is well documented that perinatally HIV-infected children experience difficulty in learning as well as behavioral and social problems in the school setting. While the research is mixed on the effect of the HIV virus on behavioral and social problems, it is much clearer on the effect of this virus on learning. This exploratory study identifies…

This chapter examines the extent to which the composition of classes affects learning outcomes. The aim is to explore peer effects when students are organized into classes on the basis of ability, ethnicity, or gender, as well as the effects of multigrade and multi-age classes and class size. The argument is defended that these composition factors…