Explores the most visible expression of a writer's presence in a text: the use of exclusive first person pronouns. Shows that not all disciplines follow the same conventions of impersonality, and that there is considerable scope for negotiation of identity in academic writing. (Author/VWL)

The disciplinary hierarchy in which natural sciences take funding priority over the humanities, and the sometimes confrontational debate between academic cultures, are examined. It is concluded that no area of knowledge is more "useful" than another, and attempts to understand the universe must be broad, interactive, and cooperative, not…

At a recent conference, it was proposed that college teaching will be considered a scholarly activity only when professors conceptualize pedagogy as tightly linked to scholarship, that the core curriculum provides an opportunity to communicate about pedagogy, and that faculty should discuss instruction as freely as they do research. (MSE)

Research and undergraduate teaching need not be mutually exclusive. Research is tied to a seventeenth-century conception of knowledge that divides the disciplines into disconnected chunks and thereby impedes education. The demands of knowledge are beginning to break down the partitions of the research university, hence interdisciplinary programs.…

Data from a study of 70 student teachers suggest that success on the NTE Core Battery tests is more closely related to required college course work than to student teaching performance. In addition, the tests screen out more physical education majors than most other secondary majors. (IAH)

Illustrates the diversity and complexity of the issues arising from new communication technologies. Traces the development of two of these issues: computer communication networks at home and the demand by Third World nations for a "New World Information Order." (MS)

Discusses problems in research methodology inherent in studying teachers' career paths. Demonstrates the use of proportional hazards modeling to identify overlooked factors in research on teachers' career persistence other problems in educational research. (FMW)

Drawing on a number of studies of college student learning, this review concludes that students in different disciplines develop characteristic ways of learning based on their perceptions of what is required in their academic work. Within a discipline, effective learning involves an interplay between the characteristics of the student and the…

Discusses a survey conducted to understand the gender imbalance and high level of female attrition in computer science. Suggests that factors influencing the rate of attrition are lack of previous experience with computers, gender-biased attitudes and behavior, interactions with other computer science students, and the nature of computer science…

Compares publication patterns in four academic disciplines--chemistry, economics, philosophy, and sociology--to identify structural factors that influence publication patterns. Three general categories of publication outcomes were examined: academic affiliations, peripheral status, and the bureaucratization of science. Findings showed that the…

Use of instructor-mediated student journals in college courses helps students overcome fear of writing, enhances critical thinking, and raises the level of student discourse within the discipline. The approach differs from conventional journals in that the teacher provides active guidance, in class, concerning writing process and technique. (MSE)

Reports on a survey of international periodicals' cost history, country of origin information, and currency exchange rate to assist in identifying trends in the cost of periodicals and to project costs for the coming year. Tables present cost data by subject, continent/country or origin, and type of library. (SLW)

Content analysis of task force reports on improving the undergraduate major in 10 liberal arts disciplines revealed that each discipline's epistemological character strongly influenced methodology, pedagogy, and curricular innovation, consistent with previous theory and research on disciplines. The role of these factors and pragmatic…

Reviews research and presents the results of a case study on the effects of subject knowledge and its place within the British National Curriculum for early childhood students. The importance of foundation subjects as a vehicle for the acquisition and development of basic skills in literacy and numeracy is a major finding of the research. (MDM)

A synthesis of ideas on talent development is presented, based on 10 interviews previously conducted with masters in arts and sciences. The six themes include: age at which the individual identifies with a discipline, early schooling experiences, skills and characteristics associated with great expertise, mentors, skills and characteristics…