Interviews children and adults living in rural areas in the state of Uttar Pradesh in northern India regarding education, revealing individuals' hopes and dreams against a backdrop of severe class, caste, and gender stratification. Examines the promise of schooling and literacy in India, the relationship of schooling and literacy to work, and of…

Research on mature graduate students' approaches to learning indicates that quantitative conceptions of learning predominate, but also suggests an additional model. Examines empirical data concerning the stability of these conceptions over time in the context of graduate education, and argues for further research into a conception which holds that…

Reexamination of national Canadian surveys and Ontario surveys, 1979-1993, revealed that confidence and satisfaction ratings for public education followed a wave-like pattern over time for both general public opinion and parental attitudes. In contrast, corporate executives showed declining confidence in schools and strongly supported…

A survey of 43 Scottish open university students, aged 28-87, who were studying another language, examined extent of bilingualism; schooling in and exposure to other languages in youth; school, family, media, and travel influences on language attitudes; and motivations for language study. Social and educational legacies affecting student…

The new president of Miami University (Ohio) recounts the controversy he encountered over the name of the university's athletic teams, considered racist and insensitive by some, and his approach to the issue. Public discussion of the volatile issue, led by the president, took a large amount of time but was felt to be worthwhile. (MSE)

New college faculty are unprepared for many tasks required of them, including designing new courses, teaching a diverse student population, advising, contributing to institutional initiatives, and serving on committees. Increasingly, institutions and organizations are developing training programs to socialize new faculty with the values of hiring…

Data from four social surveys in the Czech Republic reveal that higher education is returning as a strategy for life success, after being discarded for decades due to Communist egalitarian ideology. Economic returns to education have increased but college graduates feel underpaid. However, many people still hold the "socialist" belief…

Presents an interview with Peter Harzem, the Hudson Professor of Psychology at Auburn University (Alabama). Addresses such issues as teaching students about behavior analysis, the differences between classical and operant conditioning, reinforcement and behaviorism, and how one can become a better teacher. (CMK)

Presents an interview with Tim Robbins that focuses on the making of the film "Cradle Will Rock." Robbins offers his perspectives on issues such as the power of art to convey important social messages and sources of violence in schools. Includes resources for teachers. (CMK)

Summarizes key findings from "Time to Move On: African-American and White Parents Set an Agenda for Public Schools," which reports the aspirations and concerns of black and white parents according to telephone surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews of parents and public educational professionals. (CMK)

Explores the teaching of history in schools. Addresses the prevalent view that history is one of the easiest subjects to teach; the lack of subject expertise among history teachers, examining Georgia (United States) in particular; and the link between teaching history and coaching sports. (CMK)

Analysis of long-term longitudinal data on White married mothers and their children found that both sons and daughters whose mothers preferred early marriage, large families, low levels of education, and stay-at-home mothers had children earlier than their peers. Analyses support both socialization and social control mechanisms. (Contains 56…

Examines the issue of national curriculum standards within social studies education. Addresses conservative and liberal viewpoints, insights from the works of John Dewey, Paulo Freire, and Michel Foucault on how a radical Left critique developed, an essay by E. Wayne Ross as a case study, and the implications of the radical Left critique. (CMK)

Examines the vigorous dialectic occurring among intellectuals, religious leaders, and politicians trying to define the appropriate role of Islam in Egyptian education. Discusses the call for the Islamization of education in contemporary Egypt, aspects of Islamic law, the position of the state on religious education, and the influence of a small…

Discusses the attitudes toward education of Italian immigrants, both parents and children, providing pre- and post-World War II views. Addresses the high school, which had not yet attained its status as a minimal credential for most occupations. (CMK)