Although today's young people are greatly opinionated on many political issues, their knowledge of all the facts concerning these matters is appallingly lacking. (CK)

Offers evidence that experimental results may be distorted by subject nonnaivety and notes the need to eliminate such contamination, as well as means of assuring subject naivety. Tables and bibliography. (RW)

The presuppositions about knowledge and the practice of teaching in Joseph Diorio's "Knowledge, Autonomy and the Practice of Teaching" (Curriculum Inquiry 12:3) are inadequate because Diorio ignored the social construction of knowledge and practice, thus distorting his view of human agency. Knowledge used in teaching can be understood…

Joseph Diorio in "Knowledge, Autonomy and the Practice of Teaching" (Curriculum Inquiry 12:3) wrongly assumed that knowledge usually governs practice, defined the concept of practice too narrowly, and used uncritically the idea of faultless performance. Thus unnecessarily restrictive about the potential for teacher preparation, Diorio…

Alan R. Tom (Curriculum Inquiry 13:2) misrepresented Diorio's position on the types of practice possible and on the concept of faultless performance. Freema and Robert Elbaz (Curriculum Inquiry 13:2), though correct in pointing out the social contexts of practice, also misrepresent Diorio's presuppositions and draw conclusions not warranted by his…

A breastfeeding education program for low income women with a grade/high school education was developed. Reported are the effects of the program on the knowledge, attitudes, and infant feeding practices of a sample of pregnant women (N=44). Program consisted of five pamphlets mailed to subjects' homes over a five-week period. (JN)

Information about early intervention was disseminated via mass media and group meetings. Findings revealed that parents attending group meetings learned specific information about available services and legal educational rights. Mass media stimulated requests for information but did not measurably affect parents' knowledge of early intervention.…

Concludes that the ability of public high school disciplinarians to recognize the elements of fairness in student suspension situations is only minimally acceptable. (FL)

A random sample of Texas physicians was surveyed regarding such issues as their knowledge of Public Law 94-142 and their medical school training in the areas of emotional disturbance, learning disabilities, and mental retardation. Of the 69 pediatricians, family practitioners, and general practitioners, only 64 percent were familiar with this…

Small group and individual training sessions for 14 mothers of handicapped preschoolers resulted in significant knowledge increases regarding instruction. Training involved instruction in record keeping. Results emphasized the need for including fathers in parent training. (CL)

Piaget's theory of cognitive motivation is examined. Other Piagetian theories are also explored: the distinction between figurative and operative aspects of knowledge, and passivity versus activity. A limited set of implications of Piaget's theory and description of intellectual development for methods of active education are discussed. (CT)

Despite the amount of work done in evaluation in the humanities, there has not been enough clarification of the kind of knowledge or experience that the humanities can yield. More of this clarification must be done before developing even more new evaluation techniques. (MSE)

Investigates differing perspectives on the role played by rhetoric in the acquisition of knowledge. Concludes that rhetoric, if viewed as an act of striving for audience adherence and consensus, can be a tool of critical inquiry which moves its practitioners (scientists, philosophers, or public communicators) toward apprehending reality. (PD)

A study involving 202 undergraduates and 115 regular educators examined the reliability of the Rucker-Gable Educational Programming Scale, a measure of teachers' attitudes toward and knowledge of appropriate program placement for handicapped children. Results showed the scale to be only moderately reliable. (SB)

Studied vocational rehabilitation clients' (N=110) use of multiple prescription drugs. Found 44 percent had parallel prescriptions from two or more physicians. Individuals were found to be largely uninformed about possible pernicious somatic and psychological sequelae of drug usage. Suggests recommendations for vocational rehabilitation efforts.…