Teachers and teacher educators are faced with an urgent responsibility to support the learning of an increasingly diverse population of young children. Based on the sociocultural perspective of reading, a literature-based approach is outlined for early reading teachers. The implications of this approach to teacher education programs are further…

There is sufficient evidence that linguistic, social and psychological system variables are important in second language acquisition. This study examined the contribution of a selection of these components and characteristics to second language acquisition, specifically, the linkages between social structure (particularly the degree of…

Science education research predominantly shows that students improve their scientific understandings when they tinker (or pull apart) tools and simple household machines. In this study, the qualitative data collected took the form of online journal entries by final year, female, primary teacher trainees, who reflected upon their early childhood…

A model for an inclusive approach to the identification of challenges to blended learning as a means to identify educational accessibility issues is presented. By focusing on both the learner and teacher perspectives, the model encompasses a broad range of factors, including learner characteristics, learning and teaching environments, interactions…

This book asserts that public assistance programs--particularly in countries in Western Europe--have been demonstrated to relieve deprivation and ensure an acceptable standard of living for those nations' families. Contrasting the extensive child welfare programs offered by France with those of the United States, this book describes in detail an…

A descriptive and cross-cultural analysis of greeting forms, both verbal and nonverbal, used among Uzbek and American people is presented. Aspects discussed include: the general usage patterns of greeting forms; their frequency and distribution in particular social situations in relation to the speakers' profession, age, gender, and social…

A study investigated how pragmatic competence may develop in learner-learner interaction in a communication Japanese as a foreign language classroom, drawing on language socialization and sociocultural theory. A 100-minute second-year university-level Japanese language class at an urban state university was audio- and video-recorded, with a…

Each of the two issues of this Catalan-language journal offers book reviews and articles on general topics in education. Issues contain Spanish-, English- and French-language abstracts of included articles with keyword references. Number 13 (1st. semester 1995) examines environmental and multicultural education; number 14 (2nd. semester 1995)…

The guide is intended for classroom teachers and school district personnel to use in planning and implementing bilingual education and native language instruction for Yup'ik populations in Alaska. Focus here is on the linguistic and sociocultural characteristics of the Central Yup'ik dialect and its speakers, especially as they relate to the…

This book examines the role of women's colleges in the United States from the early 1800s to the present. It reviews how they began, how they changed as more colleges became coeducational, and the legality of publically supported single-sex colleges. The book also looks at what women's colleges are like today and examines differences in…

In an ethnographic study, teachers investigated a cultural difference between Anglos and Hispanics involving organization of space and activities at home, and applied the findings to high school classroom organization. The research was undertaken in a small community where a significant proportion of Hispanic students have…

A study investigated Koreans' use and misuse of the English passive, from a pragmatic perspective, with attention to the possible source of errors. Subjects were 200 college students at two universities in Korea who were English majors or minors or taking English as an elective course, divided equally between sophomores and juniors. The subjects…

This paper offers an examination of the transformation of higher education over the last century with a focus on some current tensions and some ideas for responding to the rapidly changing environment. Early sections of the paper describe the "massification" of higher education in which 40 to 50 percent of the population participate in…

The primary purpose of this book is to serve as a basic text on the black family as an institution. To facilitate an understanding of the black American family, an analysis is presented of the various sociocultural forces that shape both the structure and functions of the family as well as the way the family has experienced changes. Larger forces…

This refugee women's job preparation curriculum is designed to provide facilitators with a sourcebook of information and activities to assist refugee and immigrant women in gaining unsubsidized employment. It specifically addresses the needs of women with children and the impact of employment on home and family life. The curriculum materials…