Problem: Few factors are as important to student success as family engagement in the educational process. One overarching barrier to perceived parental/caregiver involvement in urban high schools is the use of traditional definitions of family involvement, which are still espoused by school personnel, that place an emphasis on one-way school-based…

There remains a plaguing question of how to get parents involved with their child's education. Many parents and educators have different perceptions of what parental involvement means. Miscommunication between the two groups often exists because of how parental involvement is conceptualized. While educators define parental involvement as…

Chaos theory is often associated with post modernism. However, one may make the point that both terms are misunderstood. The point of this article is to define both terms and indicate their relationship. Description: Chaos theory is associated with a definition of a theory dealing with variables (butterflies) that are not directly related to a…

Critical thinking is a pervasive academic literature term that is seldom clearly or comprehensively defined. The definitions that are available in various sources are quite disparate and are often narrowly field dependent. "Definitions tend to so broad they are not always helpful in the sense of defining a concrete entity." (1) For a term that is…

Research on Piaget's four stages of cognitive development has shown that although nearly everyone passes through sensorimotor, preoperational, and concrete operational stages, most do not reach the stage of formal operations. Those people who do attain formal operations seem to have a curiosity factor not operative in those who don't. (Author/BRR)

Asserting that play encourages development of the cognitive map, this article describes the development of a cognitive map and explores the function of play in that development. (JC)

The present paper presents systematically the theories and practices which belong to the scope of humanistic psychology. (Editor/RK)

This paper attempts to define some critical criteria for evaluating the relationship between what is regarded as "art" and "entertainment" in American mass media by way of presenting a model for classroom discussion. (Editor)

Discusses the problem of defining "open" school programs; reviews four instruments (Walberg and Thomas rating scale and teacher questionnaire, Barth Scale, Dimensions of Schooling questionnaire, and the Personal Record of School Experience) that can access the degree of openness of schools; also makes recommendations for further research. (DS)

Summarizing recent research, this article defines the functions performed by the left and right sides of the human brain. Attention is given to the right side, or the nondominant side, of the brain and its potential in terms of perception of the environment, music, art, geometry, and the aesthetics. (JC)

The study determined the effects of labels on teachers' perceptions of the prevalence of emotionally disturbed children and youth in the regular classroom. Results showed that the labels used did have an effect on teachers' perceptions toward the children, and teachers were more willing to apply the "behavior disordered" label. (Author/TLJ)

Deals with the pervasive change which has occurred in recent decades in the conception of so-called neurosis and with the resulting modifications in corrective or "therapeutic" measures. (Author/RK)

Mossie J. Richmond, Jr. responds to Keith Baker's criticisms directed at "Effects of Extended School Year" (Education, 97, 392-8), maintaining that Baker has criticized research and research methodology with which Baker has never come in contact. Richmond presents definitions, classifications, and rationale for his research methodology.…

Maintaining that the best teachers are taken out of the classroom via differentiated staffing, this article suggests that the reverse should happen; that is, the poorer teachers should be given the ancillary work and the best teachers should remain in the classroom. (JC)

This paper explores language-related content in the context of past, present, and future elementary schools, contrasts definitions formulated by educational specialists, and cites recommendations for the training of teachers. (Editor)