Character education specialists seem to know it when they see it, but what it means to call something a character education program remains unclear. One possible source for this uncertainty is the manner in which character education has been defined. By identifying certain features as necessary, existing definitions fail to encompass the universe…

Among the many life transitions that individuals must master throughout their lives, the transition to adulthood ranks very high in terms of importance, complexity and uniqueness. It involves the completion of education, and the assumption of new social roles and responsibilities, at a time when previous institutional structures that guided…

Presenting a new theory of work role transitions, a conceptual framework for analyzing and predicting modes of adjustment to transition is outlined. Includes a list of references. (MD)

Division E of the American Educational Research Association is concerned with counseling and human development, yet these two components often appear to be poorly integrated. The integration of counseling and human development, however, is important both for scientific advance and for the provision of better service. A major goal for both…

The impact of experiencing multiple life changes in early adolescence was studied. Subjects were students followed from sixth to seventh grade and variables analyzed were self-esteem, academic grade-point average, and participation in extra-curricular activities. (PCB)

Described are the history of the study of language disabilities, briefly outlining the work of Samuel Orton, Judson Herrick, Adolph Meyer, and Paul Schilder; Lauretta Bender's development of the Bender Visual Motor Gestalt Test; and the basic principles of language disorders, including familial patterns, maturation lag, plasticity, and nonfixated…

Self-Knowledge Development Theory (SKDT) by Weinstein and A. Alschuler (1985) is a structural developmental theory positing four stages in the development of self-knowledge. The Experience Recall Test-2 (ERT2) is described, which is the most recent instrument developed for assessing the SKDT. Self-knowledge is defined as the ability to describe…

Discusses ways of dealing with the learned helplessness common in clinically depressed children undergoing foster care. Recommends social care treatment, which is inherent in daily living, and is guided by trained foster parents and caretakers. (SKC)

This article reviews several research studies on the achievement of gifted females. Factors that appear to contribute to lower achievement in career and profession include lower aspirations, lack of mentors, pressure to put energy into family, and poor self-esteem. Stressed are the different timelines for achievement experienced by many females.…

Developmental Record protocols were obtained from archival files for 1,069 institutionalized mentally retarded adults and children. Analyses revealed high internal reliabilities, but questionable validity. The Developmental Record did not adequately discriminate the five areas of functioning it purportedly assesses (self-care, perceptual-motor,…

Much has been written on the self during the latter half of the twentieth century, a period when citizens of the free world have embraced self-esteem and the pursuit of self-interest as fundamental entitlements. This widespread interest in the self has produced a large amount of information and misinformation. This book aims to summarize the…

The purpose of this paper is to review and synthesize the literature on adult development and to suggest how this information can be applied to the practice of adult education. The first section discusses the nature of adult development, its definition, and key concepts. Sequential patterns of change in adulthood are examined in section 2,…

Reports on a study of 20 male and 20 female adults who responded to 2 forms of Kohlberg's tests. Concludes that the results are partially consistent with the possibility that Kohlberg's tests and scoring system are partially biased against females. (CFR)

An attempt was made to describe the experience of Christian religious education for its participants. This research is both ethnographic and hermeneutic. Thick descriptions gathered from ethnographic methods like participant observation, in-depth interviews, and journal keeping served as text for analysis. Weekly visits of one to four hours were…

Contends that the concept of levels of moral maturity in psychology focuses on character formation in children's development. Asserts that virtue theory in ethics can be helpful in pointing out the ethical implications of current work with children. Argues for the usefulness of ancient ethical concepts. (CFR)