Rejecting assimilationist notions, proposes Jewish education emphasize the Jewish minority status and sense of separateness. Recommends that Jewish education stress commands and customs that reassert ethnic identity as well as foods, fashion, festivals, and family. Defends this approach on sociological and theological grounds. (MJP)

Investigates teachers' interpretation and evaluation of historical documents and the teachers' construction of historical truth. Discovers teachers use a variety of approaches, including comparing historical sources, searching for accuracy, and attempting to discern a narrative or story. Discusses implications of this and poses questions for…

Debate over the Stanford University (California) freshman humanities requirement, hailed by some as the birth of multiculturalism, by others as the death of the Western canon, has been rekindled as Stanford reconsiders its curriculum. Some consider possible changes a political, not academic, action. Reformers favor focusing on development of…

Discusses research on transition out of high school, presenting a five-category model of transition practices to ensure that students with disabilities will attain positive outcomes when they leave high school. The practices are student focused planning, family involvement, interagency and interdisciplinary collaboration, student development, and…

Describes an introductory environmental engineering course that used a semester-long design project, team exercises, field trips and imaginative demonstrations, active learning strategies, and extensive discussions of environmental engineering practice to improve student learning and interest. Students performed well and gave the course good…

Describes the process by which objective tests utilizing an optical mark reader (OMR) were introduced into a number of first-year geography courses at the University of Plymouth (England). Presents the results of various statistical tests including a comparison of student performance in the objective and the traditional essay examinations. (MJP)

Reviews recent literature concerning subject choice and curriculum planning. Charts a centrist course between classical humanist ideology and radical reform that would place all power in the hands of students. Maintains that young people need a balanced mix of guidance and freedom. (MJP)

Discusses the use of a teaching fellows program (undergraduates teaching undergraduates) in a psychology laboratory class. Examines the goals, outcomes, curriculum, and implementation of the laboratory class and how these were impacted through the use of teaching fellows. Includes a table showing curriculum, content area, laboratory activities,…

Replicates a classic psychology laboratory experiment where students either endorsed or refuted personal statements and estimated how other people would respond. Students always overestimated an affirmative response on the statements they endorsed, thus illustrating the false consensus effect. Includes a list of the statements and statistical…

Provides some background on Frank Abbott Magruder and compares the 1917 and 1993 editions of his landmark textbook, "American Government." Although the text has gone through 76 editions it remains true to Magruder's original intention to portray the fluid and dynamic nature of U.S. democracy. (MJP)

Uses the example of New York State to illustrate how the rancorous political debate over education can render national standards irrelevant and contradictory. In appeasing so many factions the standards become inclusive to the point of obfuscation. Provides a brief overview of the controversy concerning national standards. (MJP)

Maintains that in the United Kingdom's educational policy, changes are threatening the status of geography in the curriculum. Notes the decision to exclude geography from the 14-19 core curriculum. Suggests greater dialog and joint school/higher education cooperation to ensure continuity and progression in the curriculum. (MJP)

Reprints the 1978 article as a representative example of thinking about art education during the 1970s. Provides a thorough overview of the state of art education at that time. Considers educational policies, national programs, conflicting philosophies, and cultural factors. Concludes with 10 recommendations for improving art education. (MJP)

Outlines six instructional approaches to aesthetics and discusses the instructional applications of these approaches. Assesses their feasibility for classroom practice and places them in relation to established educational rationales. Considers multicultural aesthetics, humanist applications, populist applications, studio instruction applications,…

Describes a course for junior and senior psychology majors which informs them about career options and graduate school opportunities in psychology. Discusses details about course planning and organization. Survey results indicate that student response has been consistently positive. (MJP)