To study knowledge teachers acquire about students, researchers had student teachers describe several pupils at three points in time. Evaluations of professional growth indicated elementary teachers were more intimately involved with pupils and perceived them in more multifaceted terms. Secondary novices remained aloof and approached student…

Applied ethics courses in education emphasize an analytical or rules/principles approach to resolving ethical dilemmas, whereas character/structure and background beliefs/ideals tend to be minimized. The article describes the importance of all three approaches, noting their implications for developing teachers' capacities to make caring and…

A study (n=139 students) used hierarchical structural equation modeling to examine the relationship between intellectual development and identity from the beginning of the freshman year through the end of the sophomore year. Results suggest that the college freshman's sense of identity is important in later intellectual development. Intervention…

Discusses an evolutionary approach to human morality. Emphasizes the rapid development of brain weight, neural circuits, and synaptic systems during early childhood. Concludes that the human brain has resources for generating responsible, caring behavior but must be nurtured and educated. Urges that moral training in a proper social climate be…

A survey of parents of 174 gifted students identified specific parenting skills that respondents felt had influenced their children's personal and social development. Skills identified included support and help; respect, valuing, honesty; praise, encouragement, rewards; strong work ethic and high expectations; love and affection; and communication…

Describes the development of teachers' pedagogical thinking based on a five-year study of four beginning elementary teachers involved in the University of California Berkeley's Developmental Teacher Education Program. All four teachers developed in their pedagogical thinking during preservice and continued to develop during their first three years…

A study examined the growth and development of graduate students holding teaching assistantships and research assistantships and compared it with that of nonassistants. In general, teaching assistantships contributed less to student professional development than did research assistantships. Students who had experienced both types of assistantships…

Assessed impact of persuasive, value-based career counseling intervention on development of purpose and identity in college students. Found in first study that students who received intervention showed gains in development of purpose and identity and in second study that students who experienced intervention gained more than control group in…

Reports an exploratory study on the acquisition of one type of nonnarrative writing by 10 fifth grade beginning English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) students, including a description of 6 lessons leading up to the writing. The findings support the position that young children learning ESL can cope with linguistic and cognitive demands of…

A longitudinal sample of 3,454 urban and rural school students in grades 6 through 8 at baseline was used to examine developmental changes in peer factors and their influence on marijuana initiation. Friends' drug-related behaviors, rather then attitudes, were more strongly related to respondents' likelihood of initiating drug use. (TJH)

Two studies using the Student Developmental Task and Lifestyles Inventory are presented. The impact of resident assistant (RA) selection, training, and experience was compared in veteran and freshman applicant RAs, and development of intimacy and identity was compared in males and females. A third factor related to relationships is discussed.…

The article focuses on the development of gifted behavior in children through nurturing the whole child, accommodating individual differences, and providing a wide range of educational experiences. A differentiated curriculum is recommended, which promotes higher cognitive processes, uses teaching strategies appropriate for able children, and…

Early-entrance programs for academically gifted students aged 10 to 14 are offered at a number of colleges and universities. Admissions officials and experts on gifted children worry that some students are not mature enough, that their social development will suffer, and that they will experience social isolation. Highly selective colleges may be…

A model identified by educator Jack Miller identifies three dominant approaches to teaching: transmission (student as passive recipient of knowledge), transaction (student-centered active learning), and transformation (promoting personal growth and social change). While most current environmental-education theory and practice corresponds with the…

Proposes a project to help teachers introduce service learning in the classroom. Gives a descriptive case analysis of one teacher's efforts to stress the importance of service, locally and globally, to her students. Argues that the main goal is for students to increase their personal development and civic responsibility. (DSK)