Examined children's coping strategies when negative events befell them and when they observed others in negative situations. Younger children were more likely than older children to use social support and seek adult help to remedy others' distress. Older children used more direct problem-solving and cognitive strategies than younger children. (MM)

Students do not associate traditional word problems with their own experiences because they describe situations textually, rather than contextually, and seem artificially geared to specific number operations and single correct answers. Aided by a state grant, elementary teachers in one Minnesota district are using video anchors to simulate…

A conceptual framework and heuristic model for considering the existence, magnitude, and consequences of context effects are presented through an extension of some generalizability theory concepts. Context effects are often misunderstood, and current measurement models have serious limitations for examining them. Their importance needs to be…

Leader-succession research is refocused on its interactive roots whereas the advances of recent succession inquiry are explored in this synthesis of the literature. The approach capitalizes on efforts to understand leader-succession research from a multidimensional and social viewpoint. Organizational socialization is used to frame the discussion.…

Students generally do better on outcome-based performance tasks than on domain-specific tasks. Results on performance tasks must be interpreted in the context of instruction or guidance provided before or during their administration. Reliability is sometimes questionable, since teachers are highly influenced by students' overall academic…

In a preliminary ethnographic study, the developmental tasks of 23 first-year and 20 fourth-year medical students were assessed with reference to practical problem solving. Findings provide direct support for a relationship between practical intellectual development and life course contexts. (SLD)

Researchers examined foreign language teachers' perceptions of their work environment, specifically how teachers in differing school contexts defined instruction and how contextual definitions related to classroom behavior. The social organization determined how teachers' daily experiences affected their beliefs, cognitions, and behaviors and the…

Introduces this theme issue by suggesting that the problems teen parents present for school and society cannot be adequately addressed without an understanding of the cultural and social frameworks that have led to their prominence in national political discourse. Argues that successful prevention programs cannot be developed without this same…

Assessed classroom strategies using literature-based lesson models to facilitate empathy development in kindergarten and second grade. Concluded that commitment to core values such as justice, honesty, tolerance, and concern and respect for others should not be decontextualized but should be developed through direct personal experience. (Author/KB)

Discusses how modernization processes (rationalization, secularization, and individuation) produce continuous change in children's life conditions in the Scandinavian welfare states. Argues that scientific knowledge about early childhood fails because it abstracts children from their particular contexts. Proposes that "childhood" is the…

Discusses the treatment of idioms in language learning, specifically questions that need to be addressed when decisions are made on the role of idioms in language-learning programs. Particular emphasis is on the extent to which idioms present a particular source of misunderstanding and confusion for learners. (Author/VWL)

Argues that the context of counseling factors can make a difference in the counselor/client relationship and the process and outcome of counseling. Suggests that context has been ignored in counseling theory, research, and practice and that attention to context can contribute to more responsive and effective counseling services. (Author/MKA)

A meta-analysis of 21 instructional treatments aimed at enhancing the skill of deliberately deriving word meaning from context during reading shows a medium effect size of 0.43 standard deviation units. Exploratory multilevel regression shows that clue instruction appears more effective than other instruction types or practice alone. (Author/SLD)

Discusses situative perspective as a framework for integrating issues of theoretical assumptions, educational practices, and educational research. In this perspective, the focus of theoretical principles is at the level of interaction among people and between people and their environments. Contains three pages of references. (MMU)

Presents results of a study of the organizational and political context of internal and external school evaluation in four European countries, focusing on evaluation methods and the role of the inspectorate. Also presents a comparative analysis of four cases of school self-evaluation at the elementary level in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands,…