This lecture discusses the creative ability of young children, asserting that educators must cultivate children's creative potential so that these abilities can develop and expand. Early childhood education also needs to take into account children's natural need for rules. (MDM)

Interviews with 10 Yaqui adults educated in urban Tucson schools focused on attitudes toward formal education, struggles to maintain ethnic identity in a mainstream educational environment, and Yaqui-defined factors related to school success and failure of current Yaqui students. Major themes included hidden curriculum of school, family support…

Argues that the belief that black English is bad English or ungrammatical is inconsistent with empirical linguistic evidence to the contrary and discusses some of the sociolinguistic, educational, and political aspects of the debate over the role of black English in educational settings. (34 references) (MDM)

Compared the evaluative criteria that American English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) instructors and Japanese English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) instructors applied in rating compositions written by adult Japanese EFL students. Results found that Japanese EFL teachers focused on accuracy while American ESL teachers focused on intersentential…

Discusses the role of class and privilege in the education of English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) international students in the United States, focusing on the application of critical pedagogy to empower students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds and raise the social consciousness of students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds. (contains 11…

Interviews with secondary school teachers from the United States, England, Germany, Japan, Singapore, Canada, and Poland indicate that student responsiveness and enthusiasm contributed the most to teacher enthusiasm, while poorly motivated students contributed to a high level of discouragement. Responses were consistent across cultures, except for…

The meanings that prominent educational researchers give to beliefs, and how this differs from the meaning of knowledge providers, are discussed; and a synthesis is offered about the nature of beliefs. It is argued that teachers' beliefs should be an important focus of educational research. (SLD)

Predictive validities of scales developed to measure children's affective and cognitive attitudes toward school were examined in relation to the academic achievement of 430 female and 450 male 11-year-old Australians. Results suggest that these scales may be useful short-form measures of children's attitudes toward school. (SLD)

Analyzes the perceptions and expectations of 35 African-American parents regarding African-American independent schooling, using the framework of M. K. Asante (1980). Interviews with these parents suggest that Afrocentrism is a process of individual transformation. More African-American parents are looking at schooling in broader social contexts.…

Interviews with 10 Cree-speaking Canada Natives in central Alberta focus on their experiences in 2 missionary boarding schools, 1900-1940. Also included are background information on the history of Indian education in Canada and archival material on Roman Catholic and (Methodist) United Church boarding schools. Contains 59 references. (SV)

A survey of 60 faculty in a Scottish polytechnic institute investigated whether innovations are being implemented in the institution, and what kind; the common characteristics of innovators; how faculty see their roles; values concerning teaching and learning; differences in attitudes and values by faculty rank; gender differences; and salient…

A questionnaire assessing student perceptions of family relationships, personal abilities, adjustment to college, courses, and teachers was administered in the fall and spring to Native community-college students in three types of programs. Programs that incorporated upgrading courses seemed to enhance student self-esteem relative to programs…

A study of the decisions of 217 physical therapists to return to graduate school looked at background characteristics, college characteristics, college experiences, work experiences, and attitudes toward graduate study. Reasons for returning included primarily professional skill development, and also specialization needs and income enhancement.…

Recent Canadian studies of gender differences in science achievement suggest that science achievement, attitudes, and participation are interrelated. Also noted is a female focus on getting the right answer rather than understanding the process. Participation differences among provinces and between English and French speakers are discussed.…

Surveys 58 families in Japan and 67 in the United States with children aged 4 to 6 years (with followup at age 12 years). Demonstrates different preparation for schooling in the two cultures. Japanese mothers emphasize developing adaptive dispositions; U.S. mothers try to make the learning environment more attractive. (SLD)