Examines the response made by San Antonio (Texas) public schools to school violence and discusses the competing disciplinary views offered to address the problems. The author distinguishes between rhetorical and actual efforts to solve community problems in urban areas that surround urban schools and argues for mediation as a theory of social…

Behavior-disordered children account for major problems encountered in schools today. Researchers developed a comprehensive way of addressing child behavior problems by emphasizing school-home-community collaboration. The article presents a conceptual framework that describes the development of antisocial behavior and critical intervention points…

Influences of religion, gender, and social class on attitudes toward school and specific subjects were studied for 1,925 male and 1,837 female 11-year-old primary school students in England. Compared to others, children from higher socioeconomic backgrounds report more favorable attitudes toward school in general but not toward individual…

Reports on field study of school rituals in two U.S. southern private schools. Finds one school's rules and procedures promoted scientific analysis, abstract thinking, and individualism, whereas other saw itself as nurturing community, seeking organic and interdependent relationship with world. Concludes both schools engender commitment and belief…

A study used interviews, observations, and documents to examine perceptions of principals in eight accredited, independent schools in Alberta (Canada) about major factors affecting their leadership role. Factors included philosophical congruence enhanced by respect and trust, as well as personal relationships, school culture, symbolism, and…

Draws on an ethnographic study of Japanese middle schools and other data to analyze the Japanese educational concepts of "lifestyle guidance" and "group living," which promote students' egalitarian participation in the life of the school. Examines Japanese ideals of community and participation as the basis of an alternative…

Four high school students and one 1993 graduate interviewed about school shootings identify contributing factors: parent neglect, ignorance of emotional problems among students, peer pressure exerted by cliques, stress caused by pressure to excel, and alienation resulting from large schools and overworked teachers. Prevention measures include…

Interviews in 12 Scottish schools examined how teachers and staff perceived and responded to the culture and behavior of Traveller children--both Gypsies and occupational migrants. The findings raise issues about "difference" versus deviance and the extent to which schools can accommodate cultural diversity when it challenges norms of…

Examines ethos of sexual relations between students and faculty members, particularly as it relates to female students and professors. The discussion covers university policies, the imbalance of power and a betrayal of trust, opposition to and benefits of regulations, student-initiated relationships, professorial authority, gender and cultural…

Background for understanding the experience of Muslim immigrant students in French schools. Discusses the philosophy of equal education as equal access to the same knowledge (defined exclusively by the state and teachers); lack of teacher accountability; examination-based selection; and church-state separation. Describes government responses to…

Followup student interview about Kinokuni Children's Village, a Japanese residential free school modeled after Summerhill School. School features include voluntary lessons, self-government through schoolwide and dormitory meetings, and extensive project work. The school now has secondary programs and another campus. Eight-year-old Akira, in his…

Discusses what the author has learned in her job at an elementary school in Northeast Mississippi as liaison between English-speaking school personnel and Spanish-speaking students and parents, most of whom are recent immigrants from Mexico. Discusses what the author learned, through extensive talking and questioning of students and parents, about…

Examines fundamental tensions between the individual and community as manifested in the philosophy and practice of three progressive New York City Schools. The historical case studies of private progressive education demonstrate a tension between liberal and communitarian dimensions of progressive education, a tension implicit in progressive…

Examined the influence of faculty active-learning practices on student departure decisions in the context of Tinto's Theory of College Student Departure. Path analysis results of three surveys of 718 first-time, full-time, first-year students at a highly selective private research university found that active learning exerts statistically reliable…

Redefines professionalism in teaching as commitment to one's discipline and to students. In order to teach what they practice, the practicing of their disciplines should be a necessary use of teachers' in-school time. Commitment to students will require a defiance of the economic imperatives that drive the present system, so that students can be…