Demographic influences on the makeup of urban university student populations are discussed, focusing on how demographic trends can shed light on some current debates in higher education. Issues discussed include welfare and education, ethnicity and poverty, migration patterns, the aging population, and children of Baby Boomers. (MSE)

Criticizes recent educational and sociological literature for its optimistic assessment of family-school programs. Maintains that these studies fail to address observable differences in parents' educational skills, occupational and economic flexibility, social networks, and positions of power. Illustrates these problems with examples from an…

Uses brief excerpts from Chinese and US history textbooks to compare the different representations of historical themes. The themes represented are British colonialism in North America, Native Americans, Chinese immigration, post-Civil War reconstruction, Spanish American War, Versailles (post-World War I), the Great Depression, and Hiroshima.…

This study examined the relation of parental involvement and empowerment to elementary student test performance. Surveys of parents and data on student achievement and on school and student characteristics indicated that parent involvement consistently correlated with student test performance, even when controlled for school or student…

Recent rapid economic and social development has brought more sophisticated leisure-based activities to a wide sector of Kuwait society. This article examines the development of leisure activities, and factors that affect recreation participation by Kuwait's population, noting the relationship between leisure and the government, education, the…

Reviews books and videos for multicultural education and cultural awareness in elementary and secondary classrooms. The 28 works reviewed focus on gender and minority experiences, U.S. history, multicultural mathematics, folklore, world literature, and the lives of distinguished Americans from minority groups. (SLD)

This study examined the psychometric properties of a multidimensional measure of prosocial behaviors, the Prosocial Tendencies Measure-Revised (PTM-R), with early and middle adolescents. Results showed adequate reliability and evidence of validity for the PTM-R. Discussion focused on individual differences in prosocial behaviors among early and…

Reflects on the experiences of an American teacher of a Japanese university education course that focused on reading selected works by Western educators and on alternative models of education. Includes student responses to class readings, nontraditional education, educational philosophy, and the value of academic freedom. (LP)

Peer response groups contribute to students' effectiveness as writers in any field, but cultural differences in communication affect interactions within the group. Culture-based dimensions on which communication may differ include individualism/collectivism, power distance, concept of "face," and communication style. Recommendations are…

International students have identified problems in the college classroom that hinder their learning, including listening difficulties, lack of understanding of differences in cultural background, poor oral communication skills, insufficient vocabulary, and poor writing skills. The students suggest both general and specific ways in which professors…

Describes an interdisciplinary curriculum on aging that incorporates intergenerational activities, inquiry-oriented research, narrative histories, and field trips. Includes separate questionnaires for older adults and primary grade students, an annotated bibliography, and a chart of activities emphasizing knowledge, comprehension, analysis,…

This study investigated how undergraduate students make meaning from instances of cultural conflict within juvenile novels. Student logs, discussion groups, postwriting, and classroom observations indicated that the case method had strengths and weaknesses, but overall, it encouraged reflection on critical issues. (SM)

Researchers used data from 8,100 high school students participating in the High School and Beyond Longitudinal Study to test a model of at-risk students' school learning. Results indicated that ability, quality of schooling, student motivation, and enrollment in academic coursework were important predictors of academic achievement. (SM)

Reports on a study where students were given characteristics of a target pupil and then asked which career area that pupil would pursue. Although the given characteristics refuted traditional stereotypes (male/social interests, female/technical interests) the students maintained that the target pupil would choose traditional careers. (MJP)

Describes an in-class exercise where students role-played members of a toy company's marketing staff. Participants received instructions identifying them as either "dominant" or "inexperienced," with corresponding suggestions they were to make concerning the product. The assigned identities resulted in a skewed representation and acceptance, of…