Changes in educational research in the last years of the Soviet Union occurred because research could no longer serve as a branch of total planning in an engineered society. Researchers floundered when faced with new forms of political authority and social relations, but then addressed new questions of teaching and learning. This process may have…

Discusses motivational processes as they apply to educational contexts. Defines motivation and compares it to other constructs. Provides a brief history of motivation theory and reviews important trends and areas in motivation research. Suggests four areas that future research might address: constructivism and learning, long-term motivation,…

Describes a study that examined the effects of a cross-age tutoring program on computer literacy learning of second graders. Related literature is reviewed; the training program that used fourth graders to tutor the second graders is explained; and implications for future research is suggested. (Author/LRW)

Describes a study of undergraduates that investigated the effects of computer experience, learning style, gender, and intensity of treatment on computer anxiety. Results of pretests and posttests as well as analysis of variance are discussed, and future research is suggested. (LRW)

Comparative education can contribute to democratization by addressing four issues: declining democratic practice and civic participation in the industrialized world, reasons why education does not resolve this problem, impact of economic globalization on education and on democratization, and the urgency for comparative research on cultural…

Examines automated speech technologies (AST) and describes uses in education and training. Topics include AST in foreign language instruction and translation; AST in medical education, including economic considerations; and needed research and development for AST in education and training, including voice recognition technology and advanced…

Describes a study that empirically identified individual preferences profiles to understand information-seeking behavior among professional groups for six selected information sources. Highlights include Social Judgment Analysis; the development of the survey used, a copy of which is appended; hypotheses tested; results of multiple regression…

Examines prominent theoretical models and assumptions about contextual factors that drive acculturation measures, which are used widely in educational research with Hispanics and other minorities. Uses Hispanic acculturation measures, particularly the Bidimensional Acculturation Scale for Hispanics and the Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican…

Highlights usefulness of the categorical approach to measuring infant attachment by reviewing some major advances in the field that have been fostered by that approach. Advances include identification of the disorganized attachment group, development of the concept of conditional behavior strategies, creation of systems for coding attachment…

This article finds inadequate career services for gifted and talented students, reviews current research in such areas as multipotentiality and unhealthy perfectionism, identifies areas for further research (i.e., life after college and psychological/emotional issues), and recommends an agenda for change in the nature of career counseling for this…

Describes how the five programs in this special section are scaffolding teachers' change efforts through the use of three approaches: collaboration, modeling, and reflection. Discusses similarities and differences among the five projects, including program effectiveness, and offers suggestions for future research. (Author/LRW)

Reports the results of an information literacy research study in which focus group methodology was used. A small focus group of undergraduates discussed the concept of information literacy and the role of the undergraduate library in developing information literacy skills. Information needs, information seeking, and further research are also…

Suggests that surprisingly little research is devoted to community colleges and that it is time to pay attention to these widely attended institutions. Recent evidence suggests that community colleges' occupational and educational impact is comparable to four-year institutions. Subsequently, researchers must rethink and expand their notions of…

Provides several contextual and theoretical frameworks through which to make connections between the articles in this special issue, which examine global trends affecting children and their families in rapidly changing environments. Discusses how cross-national perspectives on issues affecting children and their families are becoming increasingly…

Interlinks crucial cultural themes emerging from preceding chapters, highlighting the contextual constraints in adolescents' use of free time. Draws parallels across the nations discussed on issues related to how school molds leisure time, the balance of passive versus active leisure, timing of leisure pursuits, and the cumulative effect of…