The twin objectives of the series Psychological Perspectives on Contemporary Educational Issues are: (1) to identify issues in education that are relevant to professional educators and researchers; and (2) to address those issues from research and theory in educational psychology, psychology, and related disciplines. The present volume, consisting…

"Fracturing Opportunity" demonstrates a simple yet profound idea--that educational opportunity is learned. And if it is learned, then it can be taught and taught more equitably. This book brings sociocultural theories of learning and development to bear on the persistent problems of inequality in college access, and presents an innovative…

Code Choice in the Language Classroom argues that the foreign language classroom is and should be regarded as a multilingual community of practice rather than as a perpetually deficient imitator of an exclusive second-language environment. From a sociocultural and ecological perspective, Levine guides the reader through a theoretical, empirical,…

Research evidence indicates that formative assessment is one of the most effective ways of enhancing student learning. It is, however, difficult to implement successfully, principally because what is tested through summative assessment has such a powerful influence on teacher and student actions. This book scrutinizes the relationship between…

In a significant work, "Metaphor in educational discourse", Cameron has suggested that we study metaphor as "prosaics" (i.e. as a feature of mundane talk). In this paper, by means of some brief examples, we point to instances of such talk in the setting of preschool. We also discuss opportunities for learning that such talk could offer children,…

A social organizational theory is outlined, and how types of data drawn from it may be useful in an evaluation context is indicated. Anthropological ethnography is proposed as a more powerful tool in those evaluations undertaken from a phenomenological perspective. Naturalistic/qualitative evaluation lacks a theoretical perspective on how groups…

Although women have made remarkable gains during the present century in terms of voting rights, education, and recreational and employment opportunities, the fact remains that their metamorphosis from "fair sex" to "full persons" is still an ongoing process. This paper examines certain historic educational and scientific…

In many Inupiat communities the traditional meeting house, the "qargi," was the first institution to vanish as churches and schools became the dominant forces of change. At present, the Inupiat elders have no responsibility for the formal education of the young Inupiat. The educational environment of each Inupiat community can be altered…

Changes in homelessness since the 1950s and 1960s involve increasing numbers of homeless persons, striking differences in their composition, and marked deterioration in their condition. Beyond similarly high levels of mental illness and substance abuse, the new homeless are younger, poorer, often shelterless, and include more minorities, women,…

The study of education systems and educational programs cannot be adequate without reference to those systems' social context. This paper examines the Australian Transition Education program, enacted by the government in 1979, in light of its social context. The program's ostensible purpose was to prepare students for employment. The Liberal…

Examines the sociocultural impact of television and the historical development of stereotyping of Blacks on TV, analyzing "The Cosby Show" as an example of counterstereotyping and projecting the future of Blacks in television in the 1990s. Blacks must gain entry into broadcasting to contribute to the image-rebuilding process. (AF)

Considers adult education within the more general cultural-theoretical framework of societal institutions. Asserts that special features of adult education may prevent complete analysis of the field. Focuses on the boundary areas typical of adult education rather than on traditional areas that are rapidly changing. (CFR)

Ways in which computers and audio tape recorder techniques were used to record, index, and present data collected during two summers of field work in a rural area of Mexico are described. The research goal was to study the Otomi Indian shamans. Two computers were used: the Honeywell 6800 DPS-2 and the Osborne-1 microcomputer. The database system…

This paper was developed to describe and discuss the characteristics of educational settings and school science curriculum in Japan as compared with the United States. Three major aspects of the role of science education are presented. The first is the cultural and societal expectations placed on education. This represents external influences on…

Suggesting that a major socioeconomic transformation is underway in American society, this paper discusses seven elements of an emergent post-affluent society: (1) the demographic effects of the "baby boom" generation; (2) the emergence and recognition of a post-affluent consciousness; (3) the recognition of the transcendental nature of…