Why do teachers resist change? Major discrepancies exist between what policymakers believe about teachers, innovation, and classroom practice and what teachers believe about these things. A major void in theorizing about change and innovation is the failure to attend to the power relationship inherent in the implementation process. (BRR)

Discusses the stress that special education teachers may feel by role overload and lack of autonomy. Stress relieving strategies are described, including setting realistic expectations, making distinctions between the job and personal life, increasing autonomy, looking for alternative sources of reinforcement, increasing efficacy, and developing…

This article explains and supports the policy statement on consent recently approved by the Board of Directors of the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities. Provides ethical and practical suggestions for dealing with issues of consent among adults with mental and developmental…

Discusses texts by John Dewey, Jurgen Habermos, and Richard Rorty in the light of the different meanings of the Public by looking at foundational and non-foundational claims on a philosophy of pragmatism and democracy and by looking at different meanings of intersubjectivity. Stresses that Rorty is far closer than Habermos to Dewey's pragmatism.…

There was no need for feminism in the Navajo matrilineal culture. The author remembers growing up on the Navajo reservation, where her female relatives were valued, honored, and respected, and where women passed on to their daughters not only their strength, but also the expectation to assume responsibility for the family and therefore act as…

Data from three projects (a CD-ROM of the periodic table, video animation on CD ROM, and data loggers) show how conditioned dispositions affect information/communications technology use. The projects demonstrate how students have been conditioned to work mindlessly in science classrooms, following the path of least cognitive demand and avoiding…

This article introduces the use of nonaversive behavior management with persons exhibiting undesirable behaviors. Definitions are suggested and three fundamental elements are explained: (1) a nonaversive set of procedures; (2) social validation criteria emphasizing personal dignity; and (3) the prohibition or restriction of certain aversive or…

Discusses different views of autonomy and suggests cognitive behavioral approaches to help women raise their self-esteem and overcome dependency. Suggests methods for strengthening female autonomy without giving up caring and compassion attributes. (Author/CM)

Compared 135 participants in the Forum, large group awareness training intervention, and 73 comparable peer-nominated controls. Subjects completed detailed questionnaires 4-6 weeks pre- and posttraining and again 18 months later. Short-term outcome analyses revealed that only perceived control was affected by Forum participation; no long-term…

A study compared faculty commitment to their universities with faculty demographic characteristics. Three levels of commitment were found, and four critical issues emerged: autonomy, impersonality, value congruence, and equity. (Author/MSE)

A deaf perspective on success, fulfillment, and autonomy is needed, which calls for accepting every way of being deaf as adequate and valid. Education of children with hearing impairments focuses too much on correcting their disability rather than accommodating their disability and giving them self-esteem and rich, full lives. (JDD)

A 20-week seminar for preservice teachers sought to help each student develop his individual educative and inquiry process of professional development. Students reacted positively to the seminar's focus on students' initiation of their own learning. (CB)

Actions that promote confirmation and empowerment of parents, students, and teachers improve the learning climate. The school principal plays a pivotal role in generating a positive atmosphere that encourages such actions. (IAH)

Calculated Cronbach's alpha coefficients for five recent studies (N=1,723) which used the Manifest Needs Questionnaire (MNQ) to measure needs for achievement, autonomy, affiliation, and dominance. Results showed acceptable levels of internal consistency for achievement and dominance needs. Found support for autonomy and affiliation needs with some…

Outlines a strategy for reporting child abuse or neglect, balancing ethical responsibilities and clinical limit setting. Presented in decision-tree form, strategy is a hierarchy of autonomy-respecting acts offering clients a variety of options for reporting abuse and neglect. (Author)