Educational theory and practice are examined in the context of the system of values, beliefs, and moral and aesthetic judgments that are representative of society. "Aristocratic,""bourgeois," and "radical" views and influences on educational theory and practice are also discussed. (CJ)

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's views on children, adults, and nature complement and redeem the one-sided attitude of our present-day habits of thought. Goethe's writings about natural history and the relationship between the individual and society illustrate how teaching can be less a branch of technology than an art. (PP)

Reviews a study of the reasons students enroll in individual community college courses. Classifying students as "requirement meeters,""knowledge seekers," or "specific information users," compares motivational orientations along three dimensions: major criterion of success; educational aspect emphasized (instrumental or expressive); and…

Describes the nature and development of the annual Gallup surveys on education, highlights some of the more significant results emerging from the surveys during their eight year history, and provides ideas to assist school district educators desiring to make use of the results in their settings. (Author/RK)

Describes a study involving the distribution of a questionnaire to 30 nurses in northern Illinois to determine the extent of their participation in voluntary continuing education and to determine their attitudes toward mandatory continuing education. (WL)

Autonomous or individual study has indisputably become an objective of great importance for European education. Attempts to explain the reasons for this widespread interest. (Author/RK)

Examines parents' rights and how education concerns and parents' zeal in seeking educational control affect this issue. Defines parents' rights, along with a legal overview, and the changing views of this phenomenon. Recommends that parent concerns be met with an increased focus on academics, communications, and research. Discusses implications…

A discussion of community service education examines whether or not the background or characteristics of college students working in local programs influences program progress and success. It is concluded that students rarely come from the communities they serve, and that a more important factor is the kind and scope of preparation they are given…

Surveyed preschool administrators, teachers, and parents from four countries about what constitutes developmentally appropriate preschool practice. Found that respondents from Finland scored high on all survey items. Administrators and teachers from the United States scored higher than U.S. parents, who preferred a more formal, academic approach.…

Examined the conceptions of teaching and learning of a group of 24 lecturers in first-year college physics and chemistry in Australia, and how those conceptions related to their approaches to teaching. Strong relations were found between conceptions of teaching and approaches to teaching, though relations between conceptions of teaching and…

In-depth interviews with nine adults over 50 in a socially disadvantaged area explored their reactions to British government policy on the role of adult education. Government emphasis on vocational relevance and economic motives for lifelong learning did not correlate with their needs, interests, or motivations. Respondents tended toward intrinsic…

Various interpretations of the historical forces affecting U.S. language policy and attitudes toward bilingual education are examined. Changing political, social, and economic forces, rather than any consistent ideology, have shaped the nation's responses to language diversity. U.S. language ideology has shifted with changing historical events,…

The big questions concerning education in Canada go unresolved because conversations about them occur separately within like-minded enclaves. There needs to be a national, public dialogue about the broader education issues. Accomplishing this requires giving up the search for the silver bullet, separating the issues differently, abandoning…

Analyzes the controversy surrounding bilingual education policy-making in New York City during winter 2000-01. Although bilingual education supporters prevented the intended "wipeout" of bilingual education programs, the "political storm" left these programs underfunded and systemic issues (growing numbers of English language…