Recent work in the field of sociolinguistics is discussed as it relates to problems of national integration in a multilingual society. The implications of such a situation for language teaching programs are also discussed. (RM)

Contends that Finnish mass communication systems contribute to rather than decrease information inequality and suggests that legislative changes to alter the communication structure and the ownership relations of the media are necessary. (MH)

Discusses changes that are occurring in the cultural patterns and human adaptations of people living in semiarid lands. (MLH)

Learning to juggle has become popular among corporate training programs because it shows participants how to appreciate mistakes and use "Intelligent Fast Failure" (learning quickly by daring to make a lot of simple mistakes at the beginning of a process). Big business also likes the way juggling can get executives "out of the…

These analyses form part of a three-year project looking at mathematical thinking as a socially organized activity. We revisit data from a University Calculus class using tools from two theoretical perspectives, used increasingly in mathematics education research: (1) semiotic mediation; and (2) discursive practices. We highlight how different…

This paper reports on a teaching experiment in an Australian adult numeracy class that used audio and video tapes to record the talk of students as they participated in a range of mathematical learning activities. Included were group and pair tasks designed specifically to encourage meaning-making talk to enhance students' use of mathematical…

This is the second volume in a two volume set covering research conducted as part of the Monitoring the Future study of young adults. It presents the results of the 1977 through 2000 follow-up surveys of the graduating high school classes of 1976 through 1999 as these respondents have progressed into adulthood. In order for this volume to stand…

This is the second volume in a two volume set covering research conducted as part of the Monitoring the Future study of young adults. It presents the results of the 1977 through 2001 follow-up surveys of the graduating high school classes of 1976 through 2000 as these respondents have progressed from college into adulthood. In order for this…

An exploration of the history and status of the English language around the world focuses on how beliefs and attitudes have shaped and continue to shape the role of the language. An introductory section examines how perceptions of standard English have paralleled a tendency toward increased linguistic intolerance in the twentieth century.…

This volume contributes to the understanding of higher education's catalytic role in shaping the microcomputer revolution. Academic computing is viewed here as a social and cultural phenomenon. An in-depth collection of mainly ethnographic studies of the academic computing revolution--its consequences, meanings, and significance--is presented. The…

This paper reports from a research project at Oxford in the UK that focused (a) on university mathematics teachers' conceptualizations of first-year undergraduate teaching related to observation of their teaching; and (b) on issues relating the conceptualizations to mathematics as a discipline. This research builds on a qualitative study of…

Utilizing 1990 and 1996 National Assessment of Educational Progress data regarding mathematics achievement, students' backgrounds, and mathematics teacher practices, this paper examines race and SES (socioeconomic status) related disparities in student performance, beliefs about mathematics, and classroom experiences. Although overall mathematics…

The essays in this book draw from current debates concerning schooling and the need for liberatory education; the social construction of science and identity; and systems of race, class, and gender oppression and domination. These works aim to pose such questions as: (1) How can we shape practice and curriculum to address the needs of diverse…

This paper evaluates the usefulness of a sociocultural approach for analyzing teachers' responses to the professional learning demands of standards-based reform policies. A policy-oriented case study of the practice of six elementary teachers who worked in two high-poverty schools in a demographically changing district in the state of Washington…

This paper examines the pedagogical implications of ascribing to sociocultural theory in the classroom, reviewing commonplace terms and concepts that may have lost their true meaning and intent through interpretation and misuse. The paper returns to the initial focus of sociocultural theory, cognition and the mind. Through transcripts of a…