Interactive drama, a simplified form of drama, is a vehicle through which children can become involved with literature. When preservice teachers are presented with interactive drama in a college setting, it serves as an introduction to the simple, effective learning experiences available through informal drama activities. In an interactive drama,…

This paper uses teachers' voices to explore transformation processes in teachers as a result of participation in an innovative school-based Master's degree program at the Institute for Educational Transformation. The program is built around a set of beliefs and principles that enunciate a philosophy of teaching and learning emphasizing work within…

The expanding needs of children today demand effective prevention and treatment programs. Some model programs that address these needs are described here. Schools are now being called upon to serve a population with a tremendous multiplicity of physical, social, emotional, and academic problems in an atmosphere of public dissatisfaction with…

Researchers have long been interested in why some children have behavioral and developmental problems while others appear to develop "normally." A substantial body of research supports the notion that a child's early experiences--from birth to school entry--can influence significantly later cognitive, behavioral, educational, and…

Noting that scientific observation of children's dreaming offers unparalleled opportunities to study experience of conscious mental states, this book presents findings from two studies on children's dreaming. Following an argument outlining the problems in equating dreaming with perception, the book explains the use of sleep laboratories and…

Based on extensive research with children and young adults, this book examines adaptive and maladaptive cognitive-motivational patterns and shows how these patterns originate in people's self theories; their consequences for one's achievement, social relationships, and emotional well-being; their consequences for society; and the experiences that…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a personal growth support group on the personal effectiveness (or "self-efficacy") of a small group of returning female community college students. Those who participated in the study were women over the age of 25 who were attending college for the first time or were returning to college…

The linear career path that once kept people working in the same job is not the standard career route for today's workers. Instead, many workers are now pursuing varied career paths that reflect sequential career changes. Although job mobility no longer carries the stigma once associated with job change, it can still be emotionally stressful. Job…

Recreation, leisure, and personal enrichment education and training programs play an important role in the total education and training undertaken in Australia. Depending on the State or Territory, personal enrichment programs are delivered by registered and unregistered community providers; technical and further education (TAFE) and other…

The purpose of this study was to examine and describe the incidental learning activity of students in an asynchronous online course in a higher education setting. This research was conducted with data collected from interviews, journals, observations, email messages, and online conferencing software postings of 22 members of three sections of a…

Liberal education projects supported by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education are described. Many Fund projects are surveyed in order to indicate the range and relevance of their approaches to liberal education. (MLW)

To test possible cultural differences in strength of individualistic motivation and explore reliability of different individualism measures, two individualism measures were administered to 476 Anglo American, 156 Mexican American, and 101 Black children, aged six to 12. Results indicated age but not cultural differences in strength of…

Discusses the problems of women who return to college late in life, and the developmental tasks they face. Suggests student personnel staff be aware of their different motivations, assets, problems, and changing roles. Reports two case studies illustrating the particular problems these students present. (JAC)

A general model for a quantitative description of individual growth in learning was developed. Published data in a variety of areas and data on learning sequences in a classroom were processed through the model. Findings suggest that the general growth model governs growth phenomena. (Author/RD)

Students can markedly enhance their learning if they are prepared to take initiative in choosing learning goals and methods. They do so best if encouraged to be self-directing and acquire the skills for clarifying goals, finding resources, selecting learning tasks, and appraising progress as they go. (Author/MLW)