Analyzes the diverse services available for preschool children in the United Kingdom and considers the nature of the demand for such services. Discusses local initiatives, such as those undertaken in the Strathclyde region of Scotland in the 1980s, to coordinate and integrate services for preschool children. (MDM)

Attitudes expressed by language experts, policymakers, and educators at a conference on the implementation of a nationwide elementary school foreign language program in Italy are summarized. Issues discussed include teacher education needs, curriculum content and design, and articulation with other levels of education. (MSE)

Argues that adult education in Scotland is increasingly subject to a marketplace model that treats people as individual consumers who make rational choices about education on the basis of quality and price. Claims that this model is flawed from the perspectives of learners, educational providers, and professionals and results in policies that…

A former editor of this journal, 1972-74, selects an outstanding article from his tenure that highlighted the severe drop-out rate among Indian children in Canada. This unique study featured interviews with nine Native families without use of tape recorders, content analysis of interview data, and involvement of the families in data analysis and…

Discusses a new observational measure for classroom practices, the Classroom Practices Inventory, which is based on the Guidelines for Developmentally Appropriate Practices of the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This scale demonstrated internal consistency in tapping the curricular emphasis of emotional climate of…

Examines misconceptions in both Western and Eastern countries about educational systems in postcommunist Eastern Europe. Discusses issues of slow pace of educational reform, change through formal power structures, centralization versus decentralization, role of tradition, macro- and micro-level problems, Western assistance, and the relationship…

Review of 44 studies exploring Latino students' psychological adjustment to postsecondary education revealed that, compared to Anglos, Latino students scored higher on academic and financial stress measures and valuing of education. Recommends ethnic classification for further studies be based on psychological indices of ethnicity, and not…

The German research university concept was under pressure in the 1980s, but the value system has not changed much. Relative economic prosperity helped the overloaded state system. The federal organization of higher education seems to be a stabilizing influence, as is the political and economic breakdown in eastern Europe. (MSE)

Adoption of Western notions of society, state, and the individual has made educational expansion and modernization an important goal for both local people and elites in Botswana. The rapidity of change resembles that in other developing nations but has been facilitated particularly by Botswana's history, location, and recent mineral discoveries.…

Among 256 students surveyed at a Scottish teacher education institute, older students, particularly those aged 31-35 as freshmen, were more pressured by family commitments and more likely to be critical of their course. This age group exhibited the highest vulnerability to stress factors, possibly increased by distinctive elements of a teacher…

A study of 343 African-American university freshmen showed interest in various career issues useful to advisors. Students most often reported attending college for job-related reasons, with males more likely than females to leave college to take a job. However, females were less sure of getting a job after graduation. A career advising model based…

Lifelong learning offers challenges and opportunities for universities to become more effective learning organizations. New functions must be added to established ones or modified. Organizational learning and staff development will become increasingly important. Higher education will diversify further, with more education taking place outside the…

Distance education has potential to overcome barriers to rural women's participation but must consider women's attitudes toward technology and ways of knowing. Strategies are outlined for developing gender-friendly models of distance education. "Value-added" distance education requires rethinking traditional instructional settings and…

The narratives of three Mexican immigrants to El Rincon, a fictitious name for a California town, illustrate the process of empowerment fostered by education. Narratives include those of a mother, a fourth-grade teacher, and a high school student aspiring to an engineering degree. Cultural context, working conditions, and the role of language in…

A longitudinal study examined the impact of undergraduate study on 3,942 arts and sciences students, as measured by change in their freshman and senior ratings of four Clark-Trow "educational philosophies": vocational, academic, collegiate, and nonconformist. Results indicated significant increases in academic and nonconformist…