Describes a study that was conducted to investigate and describe the way in which people organize documents in their offices. Results from the investigation of eight faculty members are discussed and analyzed, the process used to make classification decisions is described, and implications for conventional systems of classification are suggested.…

Explores the authority of experience, the role it plays, and the limits it sets in teaching for diversity. Questions whether teachers can teach what they have never experienced. Discusses Nella Larsen's novel "Passing," with emphasis on the confusion of racial and sexual relations, as a difficult situation similar to the classroom. (HB)

Investigates main idea instruction in three basal reading series. Finds statistically significant differences in main idea instruction for the parameters "main idea task" and "acknowledgement of strategies mediating main idea task." Determines that basal reader materials rarely encourage students to monitor their main idea…

Presents the results of a study which investigated the views of religion offered in 40 young adult books published between 1983 and 1987. The study focused on the role of, and attitudes toward, religion presented in the books. It was found that religion has a definite presence in these books. (42 references) (MAB)

Presents a classification system for developmental psychology that was constructed by means of a survey of articles published in the journals "Child Development" and "Developmental Psychology" in 1969 and 1987. The survey found that eight empirical questions encompassed the full range of empirical interests expressed by…

Reports on an exploratory study of computer-mediated communication (CMC) that was conducted to provide empirical evidence of the emergence of social norms in computer conferencing. Results of a content analysis of transcripts of BITNET conferences are described, and a case study of one conference is included. (11 references) (LRW)

Examines the 21 most commonly used novels in English classrooms in Quebec, Canada. Finds that 86 percent of the novels were written by men, 82 percent of the main characters were men, and that female characters were more submissive than men. Notes that a qualitative analysis demonstrates the same gender bias as the quantitative results. (RS)

Effects of the following three variables on rating scale response were studied: (1) polarization of opinion regarding scale content; (2) intensity of item wording; and (3) psychological width of the scale. Results with 167 college students suggest best ways to balance polarization and item wording regardless of scale width. (SLD)

Analyzes 106 randomly selected school restructuring proposals from 1,600 submitted to the RJR Nabisco Foundation's Next Century Schools Program. The majority of these proposals emphasized student/parent support and curriculum improvement. Most avoided breadth versus depth and substantive discussion/inquiry issues and left governance structures…

Survey responses from 166 (35%) administrative support personnel and interviews with 55 revealed that technology enriched and upgraded their jobs; it enabled them to use thinking skills; and their success derived from overcoming computer anxiety and using initiative, flexibility, and confidence in their ability to learn. (JOW)

Qualitative content analysis of 112 articles in adult education journals identified 5 dominant perspectives of women as adult learners; deficient; coping with new social roles; marginalized; and collaborative learners. Women as feminist is an emerging sixth perspective. (SK)

Analyzes judicial rhetoric in U.S. Supreme Court civil liberties cases. Finds three related inventional strands: a rhetoric of efficiency, an evolving reasonableness standard, and appeals to tradition and majoritarian morality. Shows how these rhetorical turns have redefined the Court's role and transformed the Court from the guardian of…

Examines a sample of widely used elementary literature series to determine the extent to which they include the need achievement motive across gender and ethnic groups. Finds that the literature series differed in the presence of the need achievement motive. Finds that, when there are nontraditional male and female roles portrayed, need…

Notes that, although Native Americans show high rates of alcoholism, violence, suicide, and early death, these problems are seldom covered well in textbooks. Conducted content analysis of 26 textbooks on alcoholism and substance misuse. Found that only four provided detailed discussion of Native American drinking. Suggests need for greater…

Explored use of multiple orientations in moral reasoning among nine female and seven male community college presidents. Three orientations to moral reasoning were revealed. Self-orientation appeared to join with one or both of the justice and care models. Both men and women used all three orientations; however, how the orientations were used…