This essay considers the music curriculum from a philosophical perspective, focusing on the tension between freedom (personal autonomy) and discipline (moral and ethical principles). The approach could be characterized as hermeneutical: the aim is to deepen our understanding through discussing the basic arguments for justifying the inclusion of…

In this review of Christopher Winch's new book, "Education, Autonomy and Critical Thinking" (2006), I discuss its main theses, supporting some and criticising others. In particular, I take issue with several of Winch's claims and arguments concerning critical thinking and rationality, and deplore his reliance on what I suggest are problematic…

The purpose of this article is to describe a player-centered approach (PCA), highlighting its qualities, and then to provide examples of its application in coaching and teaching sport. Most of the examples relate to the game of volleyball, but many of the recommendations and examples can be applied to most team sports. The article will conclude…

Dying and death have become more and more complicated for everyone. Technology and the patient autonomy movement have come together to create a host of possible end of life treatment dilemmas. The introduction of advance directives in medical decision-making has raised further issues about projecting treatment wishes into future, unknowable…

This survey of 560 older adults who were visually impaired or sighted analyzed whether the two groups differed in their levels of activity, independence, and life satisfaction and the degree to which activity and independence contribute to the prediction of life satisfaction. Implications for rehabilitation services are discussed. (Contains 5…

Perceptions of close friends' influence on the construction of boundaries between legitimate parental and personal authority were assessed using a semistructured interview with 183 early (M = 11.82 years) and middle (M = 15.72 years) adolescents. Participants described sources relevant to the construction of authority beliefs, processes of friend…

The present study examined the timing of behavioral autonomy transitions in two same-aged cohorts of East German adolescents assessed in 1991 and 1996. An earlier timing of autonomy privileges was associated with higher deviant behavior. A later timing of autonomy privileges and responsibilities was linked to structural constraints, specifically,…

Consistent with the aims of this special issue, we present a systems perspective on self/identity, predicated on William James's classic distinction between "I" and Me, and use this perspective to explore conceptual relations between self/identity, motivation to learn, and self-regulated learning. We define the "I" self functionally in terms of…

This research aims to compare the effect of higher education on some Upper Egyptian women's practice of self autonomy at both work and home. The most important revelation this research makes is the fact that although no one can deny the importance and significance of higher education to Upper Egyptian women, yet it failed to challenge the…

This article argues that the Council of Europe's European Language Portfolio is capable of supporting the implementation of language learner autonomy on a large scale. It begins by explaining what the author understands by "language learner autonomy", then introduces the European Language Portfolio and explains how it can stimulate…

Form A of the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS-A), a self-report measure of depressive beliefs, is widely used to test Beck's cognitive model of depression. The present study is the first to evaluate the DAS-A factor structure in an adolescent population of 542 high school juniors and the first to examine a hierarchical model. Findings support…

Based on a sample of 22 oncology encounters, this article presents a discourse analysis of positive, neutral, or negative valence in the presentation of three elements of informed consent--purpose, benefits, and risks--in offers to participate in clinical trials. It is found that physicians regularly present these key elements of consent with a…

In this article, the author makes a distinction between two kinds of change: tinkering change and systemic change. Tinkering change includes reforms intended to address a specific deficiency or practice. Such tinkering change can be contrasted to what Shakespeare termed "sea change" in "The Tempest" ("a sea change into something rich and strange")…

We discuss how K-12 teachers can put motivational principles from self-determination theory into practice. To explain the "how to" of autonomy-supportive teaching, we answer eight frequently asked questions from teachers: What is the goal of autonomy-supportive teaching? How is autonomy-supportive teaching unique? Does autonomy support mean…

An eclectic form of psychodynamic psychotherapy is presented to address the emotional problems of exceptionally and profoundly gifted adolescents and adults. The approach includes cognitive/behavioral techniques as well as psychologically informed mentoring, coaching, and advising. Once a psychodynamic formulation was established, it was used to…