Based on the idea that the brain consists of hemispheres which control different types of behavior, this paper argues that the Puerto Rican school system is deteriorating because its emphasis on left hemisphere (quantitative) activities does not synchronize with Puerto Rico's cultural orientation toward the right hemisphere (qualitative…

This paper describes the results of an evaluation of the Palliative Care Service, one of the first hospices in North America (Montreal), and the implications of that research for social policy development. The objectives of the research were to evaluate the reliability of predictive assessments of bereavement risk and the effectiveness of…

The author discusses research on Filipino mothers' socialization goals and beliefs about the role of other adults in disciplining their children. The results reveal that Filipinos have a collectivistic orientation, but that they nevertheless encourage independence in their children. The implications of these results are discussed in light of the…

The book contains seven author contributed chapters on issues concerning inservice and staff development in special education. Major themes of the papers include the importance of participant involvement in the planning process, the importance of gaining support at the onset by district and building administrators, and the need for carefully…

This report examines the results of a study designed to compare various aspects of sex role development among upper middle, middle, and lower class white and Spanish language heritage children in three different preschool daycare centers. The 168 children studied ranged in age from 30 months to six-and-a-half years. Measuring instruments were…

The attitudes of Cuban- and Anglo-American elementary school teachers concerning boys and girls were compared. It appears to be generally accepted in Anglo-American culture that males are considered hostile and aggressive in school situations, while females are considered passive and conforming. Conversely, in the Latin American cultures, the…

This one year training program consisted of four graduate courses aimed at developing an awareness and understanding of the ethnic heritage of Asian Americans in selected elementary school teachers. It was designed to equip classroom teachers with information, strategies, and materials needed to help their students become more ethnically aware,…

It is hypothesized that a "cultural communication" theory is more useful and veridical for explaining ethnically related educational and social inequity than are either "ascriptive" or "deficit" theories. The study site was a successfully desegregated, urban elementary school. A fifth-grade classroom was selected for the intensive observations of…

A study examined the concept of the universality or the cultural specificity of the ideal story structure using the J. M. Mandler and N. S. Johnson story grammar. Specifically, the study tested the effect of two different story structures, one a conventional fairy tale and the other a Cree Indian narrative, on the recall of Cree Indian children.…

In the study involving 180 second and third grade teachers the effect of a student's sex or race on recommendations for placement in special classes for the educable mentally retarded was determined. Ss were randomly assigned to one of four groups: Group 1 received a case study depicting an Anglo-American male; Group 2 received a case study…

The legal biculturalism of Canada and the actual multiculturalism of Canada, the United States, and other countries require that we promote in our schools a positive and realistic view of a variety of ethnic cultures. This goal can be met through teacher education, integration of multicultural concepts into the curriculum in appropriate contexts,…

The reading difficulty that black children encounter is not a result of language differences but rather a consequence of living in a society where people are socialized to view blacks as inferior and less able. Teachers are not immune to these attitudes. In addition to societal views, teachers are also influenced by social science research which…

Examined are two dimensions of leadership style (task-orientation and person-orientation) as they also define teacher style, specifically, as a function of context (grade-level, teacher experience, and socio-political differences). The Teacher Opinion Questionnaire was utilized to obtain opinions of ideal teacher behavior. Subjects were…

The central thesis of the paper is that students in American schools come from diverse cultures and backgrounds and that appropriate instructional strategies, teaching styles, administrative behaviors and overall school climate must reflect a sensitivity to those realities. The first part of the paper examines the historical, philosophical and…

Forty papers and responses from the 1979 annual meeting of the Philosophy of Education Society are reproduced in unabridged form, including the papers from both general and concurrent sessions. The Presidential Address discusses the concept of rational thinking. (JD)