Recent studies question students' learning gains on college campuses. Even though academic challenges are further complicated for first-generation college students who arrive at college under prepared, little is known about how these setbacks contribute to students' cognitive and behavioral study approaches in college. Situated within a culture…

This conference presentation interprets the historic-cultural meaning of giftedness-as-potential. In this view, giftedness is seen as a gold mine, and good education results in the mining of the precious golden essence that is buried deep within individual students. The historic roots of this metaphor can be traced back to Plato's plan in "The…

Extends the literature on learning processes by identifying the motives and learning strategies of Master's- and Doctoral-level students. Finds that some graduate students seem more like undergraduate students in terms of their motives and learning strategies. Students' academic competency cannot be assumed simply as a result of their progression…

Article describes an English curriculum to help each student choose English courses that are best suited to the student's needs and abilities. (Author/ML)

Talent searches are discussed in this journal theme issue, with two feature articles and several recurring columns. "Talent Search: A Driving Force in Gifted Education," by Paula Olszewski-Kubilius, defines what a talent search is, how the Talent Search was developed by Dr. Julian Stanley at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, the…

Two studies were conducted, one using 80 university students and the other 140 fifth through seventh graders, to examine the relationship between problem-solving strategies (leaping and flexibility) and measures of insight and scholastic aptitude. Relationships among insight, leaping, and quantitative scholastic aptitude were found. A…

Tailoring programs to fit children is different from designing programs that exclude them. The many skills exhibited in gifted behavior can be taught, learned, and acquired to some degree by all children. (CJ)

THE STEPS IN PLANNING AND CARRYING OUT THE INITIAL PROJECT ARE OUTLINED. THE PROJECT IS AIMED AT PROVIDING A SOUND FACTUAL BASIS WHICH WOULD ASSIST PARENTS, TEACHERS, AND SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS IN HELPING EACH INDIVIDUAL TO REALIZE HIS GREATEST POTENTIAL. TESTS WERE DEVISED TO ANALYZE APTITUDE, ACHIEVEMENT, INTEREST, AND PERSONALITY. THE 2-DAY TEST…

Tested four repeated measures approaches to assessment for their relationship to intelligence test scores, teacher ratings, and two criterion-referenced measures. Tested (N=114) kindergarteners. Results showed last-day scores generally improved predictability over first-day scores, but this improvement was not statistically significant.…

The good news is Strange's propositions offer a sharper focus to researchers of student development. The bad news is that the propositions imply a need to reconsider the ways researchers regard student change and the designs adopted to study it. Revisions in each area will challenge researchers' conceptual and methodological predictors. (BF)

An empirically based multidimensional model of college student identity development was used to examine precollege differences between students who, three years after matriculation in college, perceived themselves as below average in three developmental domains--vocational, intellectual, and psychosocial--and those who perceived themselves as…

The test battery and the norms groups are briefly described. Questions are raised about the reliability and validity data in the manual. The Test of Learning Ability and the Educational Planning Questionnaire are indicated to be useful additions to the battery. (CTM)

This article draws a link between student development concepts and the institutional policies colleges formulate and implement. This article offers seven observations intended to guide institutional policymakers in light of the propositions about development identified by Strange (1994). (67 references) (Author/RB)

This paper explores the topic of "ends" in John Dewey's educational theories. It deals with the shift from "capacity" to "potentiality" in Dewey's conception of the learner, revealing that Dewey became aware of flaws in his "Democracy and Education" and sought to correct them. One of the motivations behind…

The purpose of the fifth annual Dearborn Achievement Test Score report is to summarize and to help interpret the test results so that Dearborn citizens and educators will have a better understanding of the educational achievements of Dearborn students. The District-wide Testing Program assesses reading readiness, scholastic aptitude, academic…