Reviews the literature on the role of self understanding, language, theory of mind, attachment security, and parental style in children's autobiographical memory development. Discusses evidence that social-cognitive factors appear to interact with parental style in producing children's first verbal memories. Emotional factors, such as attachment…

Reports on a study of eighth graders who were given a series of lessons in which they were asked to write narratives about themselves. Suggests that "lifewriting" helped students, especially English-as-a-Second-Language students, to understand themselves and their pasts better and helped them to become more engaged by the possibilities of writing.…

Responds to an article published in an earlier issue of this journal that outlined a way to create an "autobiography club" for new teachers in which they might share within a group their experiences and problems. Suggests a series of studies that might be conducted to complement and parallel those initiated by the first author. (HB)

The teaching of autobiography is recommended as a means of inducing individual and social self-consciousness among college students. This refers to the study of reflective self-presentations of the lives of people especially concerned about social and civic issues, including statesmen, writers, social reformers, public servants, and literary…

Study examined programmatic and personal dimensions shaping eight future teachers' beliefs and practices, charting developmental stages via dialogue journals and case study analysis. Journals written at three stages indicated subjects' personal biographies interacted with other influences, helping or impeding their ability to negotiate and reflect…

Suggests that Benjamin Franklin's autobiography contains many useful messages for today's students. Discusses Franklin's list of virtues that he followed in an attempt at attaining moral perfection. Includes temperance, industry, justice, tranquillity, and humility. Describes the message of Franklin's lesson as one of achieving through effort…

Asserts that autobiographical writing empowers community college students to create public voices and meet personal and professional goals while enlightening instructors about the effectiveness of teaching methods. Discusses journal writing as self-teaching, student responses to existing autobiographical models, the influence of peer audience on…

Describes the instructional framework of a college-level developmental-reading class that is founded on two principles: connecting the reading and writing processes, and encouraging students to bring their lives to their reading and writing. Discusses the course framework, course readings, pre- and post reading and writing activities, and…

Studied the identity of minority third graders through their autobiographies. Findings based on 188 autobiographies from 8 urban elementary schools show a pattern of responses that crosscut psychological constructs, gender, and race. Discusses changes needed in school culture to facilitate the development of well-adjusted children. (SLD)

Reviews research on the development of attitudes toward reading to investigate the idea that as children get older, their interest in reading declines. Highlights include research methodology; attitudes toward recreational reading; reading at home; reading autobiographies; and the need to provide interesting books to children. (LRW)

Proposes an approach for critical engagement with autobiographical text. Argues that by becoming better aware of the teller's intentionality and his/her insights gained from telling a (re)constructed version of self, the listener and the teller can engage in personal and socially transformative dialogue. (Contains 16 references.) (Author/WRM)

Reflects on the idea of a person being constructed through his actions, and the role of the teacher in enabling such actions. Argues that the way a teacher shapes the classroom is, in effect, a lens through which children can be viewed and visions of the educational process both shape and are shaped by the teacher. (Author/WRM)

Explores an approach to autobiographical research based on a notion of "outlaw genre" autobiography, referred to as "biomythography". Describes the use of photo essays to learn about prospective elementary teachers' stories of science and science education. Calls for an examination of hegemonies extending from students' personal histories as…

Violence perpetrated by intimate partners (intimate partner violence, IPV hereinafter) is prevalent, and often recurrent, in women's lives (Straus & Gelles, 1990; Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000). Gaining information about lifetime IPV is crucial to assess the cumulative effects of IPV on women's well-being over the life course. This study compared two…

The focus of this article is Ella Deloria's novel "Waterlily." The history of its composition fascinated and frustrated the author of this article from the moment she read it in 1992, en route to a summer cultural studies institute at Oglala Lakota College. Later, at a documentary workshop on American Indian autobiography at the D'Arcy McNickle…