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)

Strict adherence to the mission of a church-related liberal arts college is seen as a viable approach to the 1980s. Trends to discredit the liberal arts, to use departmentalization to cope with knowledge, and to encroach on the college's domain with electronic advances are discussed. (Author/MLW)

The Tennessee Self-Concept Scale and the Meaning and Value of Work Scale were administered to a sample of disadvantaged and nondisadvantaged, male and female, eleventh grade students in Kansas City, Missouri, to investigate the extent to which students' perception of self and work differed. Study results were displayed and discussed. (MF)

Asserts that aesthetic questions and aesthetic understanding provide the framework for learning in art. Contrasts formalism (the belief that art exists for its own sake) with contextualism (the belief that art is part of a social communication system). Maintains that a balanced art program should incorporate both approaches. (MJP)

Advocates a proactive method by Forrest Gathercoal of dealing with conflict and discipline in the music classroom through reliance on democratic principles. This method, "Judicious Discipline," is based upon the Bill of Rights and includes sharing power, allowing students to be heard, and acknowledging their thoughts as credible and…

Questions the current thesis that people from "collectivist" cultures are less likely to make character inferences based on physical attractiveness. Presents the results of a study that revealed Taiwanese undergraduates assigning positive character attributes to people based on their physical attractiveness. Discusses related literature…

Investigates civic education curricular reform in the former German Democratic Republic (GDR). Discusses the problems inherent in reforming an entire educational system, from textbooks to teachers, originally designed for Marxist-Leninist purposes. Examines the German state educational structure and the role that the main political parties play in…

Analyzes the relationship between Christian religious education and revelation from the perspective of liberationist theology. Defines revelation less as an ecstatic spiritual experience and more as a call to live and work in a similar fashion as Christ. Discusses the implications of this for the modern church. (MJP)

Maintains that the contextualization (a critical awareness of the social forces that shape one's thinking) of religious education can only proceed with the contextualization of theology. Discusses this process from the perspective of racial-ethnic minorities. Although this process occurs at the margins of public life it often produces creative…

Criticizes the compartmentalization of educational practices into a hierarchy of general, vocational, and social. Argues for a more holistic integration of technology, vocation, and education reflecting a vision of lifelong learning and meaningful work. Discusses examples of this including the Scandinavian tradition of "Sloyd"…

Describes development of the first community service-learning program for democratic education in South Africa, based on the Swarthmore College (Pennsylvania) Democracy Education Project at a black high school near Capetown (South Africa). Notes that successful transposition of the model requires recognition of complex historical and cultural…

Maintains that spirituality, by reason of its very nature and essence, is antithetical to the goals of state education. Argues that efforts to define spirituality as separate from religion are disingenuous and driven by a specific political agenda. Discusses the conflicting goals of spirituality and secular institutionalization. (MJP)

Argues that the increased interest in self-esteem over the last 20 years has dovetailed with narcissistic elements in society to produce an epidemic of egocentric behavior. Posits the development of moral education as a possible corrective to this. Includes an eight-phase model for accomplishing this. (MJP)

The content, skills, pedagogy, and structure that should guide the design of service learning curricula for citizenship education are examined. For service learning to teach youth about their responsibilities as citizens in a democratic society, content and strategies must model and support democratic principles. (SM)

Two studies provided support for the proposal that the role of norms in attitude-behavior relations can be useful reconceptualized for the perspective of social identity/self- categorization theory. Study one examined group norms as they influenced subjects to engage in regular exercise. Study two examined group norms as they influenced subjects…