Argues that demographic, institutional, economic, and technological changes have altered fundamentally both the way we think about what it means to go to college and the methodologies we use to assess college impact. Discusses the implications of four forces: changing undergraduate student population; increasing importance of community colleges;…

Utilizes Uwe Poerksen's concept of "plastic words" to examine and criticize the preeminence given to research in art education. "Plastic words" refers to vague technical jargon that suggests meaning without actually providing it (e.g., development, process, goal-setting). Argues that this usage inherently corrupts and diverts any productive…

In this interview social scientist and professor, Seymour Martin Lipset discusses those aspects of U.S. culture and character that make it unique. Considers a broad range of influences and phenomena, including divine providence, social stratification, the absence of radicalism, and shifting ideological positions. (MJP)

Presents a case study of critical pedagogy in practice. Demonstrates how the "ageing women" and their teacher in a writing class came to a better understanding of their own personal texts when they learned to distance themselves sufficiently to see the broader social and cultural patterns their texts reflected and constructed. (18…

Two essays address these issues in American higher education: popular response to a 1994 book entitled "The Bell Curve: Intelligence and Class Structure in American Life," which addresses assumptions underlying intelligence testing; and recent litigation and controversy over colleges' responsibility to provide instruction at a level…

A study analyzed repetition in the discourse of students of Spanish as a second language working on a writing assignment in collaborative dyads (n=5). Results show the sociocultural and mental activity was mediated by repetition of both first- and second-language utterances, whose effect was to create and maintain a shared perspective of the task…

Evaluated social competence and problem behaviors of 200 Japanese preschoolers. Found anxiety-withdrawal, anger- aggression, and social competence factors as well as age and gender differences in emotional and behavioral problems and social competence. Found consistency with previous findings from U.S. and Canadian samples. (DLH)

Discusses the moral exclusion of American citizens of Japanese descent during World War II. Compares perceptions of moral community, fairness, and redress for three groups. Contrasts the views of Caucasian Americans; the Nisei, interned American citizens; and the Sansei, children of Nisei born after World War II. (JS)

Describes the liberal-progressive roots of social studies education. Reports on a review of professional literature since the 1950s and argues that calls for school reform in the 1950s and 1980s were grounded in conservative thinking. (CFR)

Suggests the lack of research concerning contexts of human development has caused environmental influences to be not well known or studied. Discusses primary and secondary developmental contexts. Proposes four properties of the ecological environment that foster human development. Details impact of third parties on a setting, interconnections…

Profiles current Russian research on political culture and values. Reports on a study of the spread of materialist and postmaterialist values among nearly 6,000 Russians between 1984 and 1993. Discusses the social and demographic variables that exert the greatest influence on the spread of values. (CFR)

Maintains that nations are examining the German "dual system" of vocational education as an ideal model. Asserts that German educators and policymakers are having doubts about the future perspective for this system. Discusses symptoms the dual system crisis and interprets its causes from a socio-historical point of view. (CFR)

Reviews studies positing gender differences in communicative styles and documenting differences between boys' and girls' classroom behaviors, along with feminist critiques of such studies. Also investigated are perceptions of secondary students of English as a Second Language (ESL) about gendered speech. (53 references) (LR)

This article compares higher education and health care affordability, discussing overall expenditures, the role of government, the impact on private business, social values, institutional confidence, and demand factors. It argues that, although college affordability is a serious problem, it will not dominate future public policy debates to the…

Reports on the controversy about the National History Standards, released in 1994 as part of the Goals 2000 program. Argues that the standards encourage critical thinking skills, active learning, use of primary sources, and integration of art and literature into history. (CFR)