Reports on a study of 36 mothers and children to determine the role played by preschool children's intellectual and behavioral characteristics on their parents' expectations for school performance. Finds that children whose parents had lower expectations came from lower social classes and tended to be boys. (CFR)

Discusses the use of role models as a means of political socialization and moral education in China. Asserts that Chinese children in post-Liberation China actually were learning a set of core virtues that have roots in Confucian tradition. Predicts that newer role models will be used to perpetuate values such as benevolence. (CFR)

Reports on a study of Russian parental attitudes regarding appropriate age of initial school attendance and decisions regarding secondary education. Finds that 80% of parents of young children support kindergarten education. Includes 14 tables of data from the study. (CFR)

Presents an "Africentric" approach to mathematics education built on the thinking and realities of African American children. The article explains what constitutes a foreign pedagogy to African American students and describes a three-year collaborative project with a middle school teacher who has implemented a pedagogy of social change…

American Indian students have had inadequate opportunities for success in school, particularly in mathematics and science, because of how they are typically taught. The article identifies sources of the problem, discussing education reform, assumptions about mathematics and science, culture-based variations in ways of knowing, and methods of…

A study compared the perceptions, family backgrounds, and educational and career aspirations of 741 Nigerian and Thai university students. Results suggest that class and gender both affect access to the university and career and educational objectives but that specific effects of class and gender depend on the cultural context. (MSE)

This article examines the results of writing assignments completed by an English-as-a-Second-Language student outside of a college writing class. the study focused on how the student used feedback on her writing to study and learn, for social interaction, and to find her academic voice. (21 references) (CK)

Examined home literacy environments of four children from low-income Caucasian, African American, or biracial families. Found that all the parents provided support for literacy but with different constructions; children's descriptions of how they were learning to read at home reflected their home literacy experiences; and all four environments…

Societal forces influencing special education today include expectations of programs for exceptional children, the consequence of fear of being accused of ethnic or social discrimination in placing students in special education, special education as an entry to services, the philosophy of full inclusion, and issues of power and influence in…

Presents two classroom lessons about global political interdependence and the relationship between humans and the natural environment. Uses the Great Wall of China as a metaphor for discussing the irrelevance of national sovereignty and the emergence of an interdependent world. (CFR)

Examines the recent evolution of three indigenous languages in Eastern Canada (Ojibway, Mohawk, and Inuktitut), focusing on efforts to revive and maintain indigenous languages. Discusses linguistic and cultural identity, ownership, and change in indigenous communities. (39 references) (MDM)

Each year, about one-third of college freshmen who select majors in science, mathematics, and engineering switch to other fields. Faculty may be able to reduce student attrition from quantitative majors by addressing four barriers to success: (1) pre-college preparation; (2) peer culture; (3) classroom climate; and (4) sink-or-swim instructional…

Reviews two books that address fundamental issues of good and evil; a collection that addresses fundamental questions about child care; two books on recent developments on the study of the self; a two-volume collection on children's development within social contexts; and a comparative study of theories of child development. (AA)

A study examined migrant farmworkers' perceptions regarding their early schooling, the significance of education, family support for learning, and their participation in adult basic education programs. Suggests that adult basic education programs should address the totality of needs that migrant learners bring to the educational setting. Overviews…

Contends that conservative critiques of education and proposals for reform are similar in Canada, Great Britain, and the United States. Describes and analyzes New Right criticisms of education and conservative efforts to promote business values and market-based economics. (CFR)