Examines the relationship between story-telling and children's construction of meaning. Includes transcripts of children's discussions of a story involving Vietnamese refugee children. Maintains that children, especially when given encouraging contexts, can construct and discover meaningful insights. Discusses the role of the teacher in this…

To successfully implement in the United Arab Emirates the generally accepted principles of operation for professional development schools (PDSs), pragmatic modifications are needed to four major aspects of PDSs: the decision-making process; the need to build autonomous institutions; equity and reciprocity between school and university; and the…

Compares and contrasts two emerging approaches to educational historical research. Reveals a double-edged sword in that while these approaches open up the field to a wide array of subject matter and styles of inquiry, they also may weaken the epistemological stature of the discipline. (MJP)

Argues that new patterns of trade and production combined with an emphasis on a knowledge-based economy/society make it imperative that Canada upgrade its educational system. Specifically notes that several growing and dominant industries (microelectronics, biotechnology, telecommunications) require a high-tech skilled labor force. (MJP)

This study explored, through phenomenological interviewing, the impact of a semester-long collaborative professional development course on the perceptions and practices of four teachers in relation to their supervisory roles. Results indicated that the teachers valued work that was self-directed, considered their expressed needs, and let them…

A British project examined the involvement of pupils with special educational needs in assessing and managing their own learning processes as the 1994 Code of Practice legally requires. Teachers surveyed at 41 schools (mainstream or specialized for students with emotional/behavioral difficulties, and moderate or severe learning difficulties) found…

Reviews demographic and linguistic consequences of recent processes of migration and minority group influx in Western Europe and describes the case of the Netherlands to illustrate these effects. Highlights first- and second-language studies of immigrant and ethnic minority groups and notes resulting major demographic trends in Dutch society and…

A South Australian research project examining assimilationist frameworks in Aboriginal education sought to empower the rural Aboriginal community through participation in the project. Issues that emerged included the influence of funding on research for social change; the shaping of knowledge/power relations through project design and…

The developmental status of 37 Australian preschool children (ages 5-78 months) born to mothers with intellectual disability was assessed. In all developmental domains, a substantial proportion of the children (between 35 and 57%) showed a delay of at least 3 months. Delays in physical and communication development were most prevalent. (Contains…

Surveys of Australian college faculty, conducted in 1977 and 1993, provide data for tracing trends in workload. While time devoted to teaching and research have remained stable, changes at the margins of academic workload are considerable. These tasks are largely generated by demands of institutional competition, accountability, and quality…

This transcript of a videotaped presentation introduces the early education program at the Fujimidai Auditory Centre for hearing-impaired children. The center serves children from birth until their enrollment in elementary school, and its activities include audiological assessment; hearing aid selection, check, and maintenance; individualized,…

Investigates the potential interaction of conceptual representations and linguistic systems during language acquisition. The study examined language-thought interactions in American, Finnish and Polish children, focusing on the conceptual and linguistic development of space and time. Findings reveal that spatial and temporal linguistic systems and…

Argues that acquisition of English-as-a-Second-Language research must take into account social context and power relations in order to explain language learning processes. Uses interview data and writing samples to demonstrate how a student in South Africa is influenced in his written discourse in English by his power relations and experience as a…

Notes that salient input facilitates explicit learning by assisting second language (L2) learners to attend to the new L2 forms as they formulate or restructure rules. This study tested the effect of such input on the acquisition of difficult grammatical structures in English by speakers of Hebrew. Concludes that explicit contrastive input…

Maintains that a common set of principles governs all tutoring, no matter what the age range, and extending to a variety of formats (including computers). Compares Lev Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development with "scaffolding," both concepts relating to the process of effective educational cooperation between adults and children. (MJP)