This study involving three autistic and four nondisabled preschool children found that a peer-initiation intervention produced increases in peer initiations and social interactions when the teacher verbally prompted, but not without verbal prompts. When a correspondence training/visual feedback package was implemented, peer initiations and social…

Outlines a conceptual framework explaining the antecedent factors that underline attitudes concerning emigration from Israel, drawing on Durkheim's theory of integration and anomy. Applies this framework to an empirical case study examining the relationships between social and value integration of Israeli adolescents and their attitudes toward…

Reviews current research on effective strategies in teaching Logo that promote transfer of learning. Highlights include transfer theory; teacher intervention; the need for structured Logo environments; mediated instruction; teacher-designed microworlds; the role of peers in the learning process; and assessment of Logo learning. (34 references)…

Using a self-report questionnaire, this study investigated smoking experimentation among 374 rural, black fifth graders and white fifth graders. Results indicated that 26% of males and 16% of females had tried cigarettes. Black students and white students had similar smoking experimentation rates. Peer and parent smoking affected students smoking…

Describes research on the development of chronic conduct problems in childhood and adolescence, examining a multiple risk-factor model that includes biological predispositions, ecological context, family processes, peer influences, academic performance, and social information processing as factors leading to conduct problems. The paper describes a…

Discusses cooperative learning and considers the use of interactive group software. Highlights include students' roles in groups; group accountability and peer pressure; the use of strong narrative; and characteristics to look for when reviewing software for interactive group use, including opportunity and context for group interaction and social…

A teacher with National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification discusses her work to achieve that certification, focusing on peer pressure and self-doubts, the National Board certification process, and support she received from her students and peers in the process. (SM)

In a secondary analysis of a study involving 619 middle school students, a path model was tested to examine the effects of family and peer variables on adolescent drug use. Results suggest that peer drug use is a salient issue in adolescent drug use, and that family variables influence male and female adolescent drug use differently. (SLD)

Examines the relative influence of family, school, peer influences, perceived student substance abuse, family substance abuse, and acculturation on Mexican-American early adolescents (N=413). Results show that family functioning and family use directly influence males, whereas family use and student use directly influence females. Family…

Evaluated replicability of model of family and peer influences on adolescent problem behavior. Subjects were 1,450 seventh graders representing three ethnic groups: American Indians, Hispanics, and Caucasians. Found good consistency across ethnic groups, but some subgroup differences emerged in the magnitude of relations between monitoring and…

Reports on empirical research on second-language (L2) Zairean multilingual students of English as a Second Language. Findings confirm the hypothesis of the differential effect of task type and the level of target language attainment on the amount of interaction; suggest a significant effect on L2 learning of oral peer interaction; and show a…

Second-language teachers dealing with teenagers face a task of imparting communicative language skills to learners who think and speak in terms of a language of their own making. It is important that these teachers familiarize themselves with teen language in order to make their teaching relevant by making their classrooms more responsive to their…

Argues that out-of-school factors have enormous, perhaps decisive, influence on student achievement and examines the role ethnicity, parents, peers, and culture play in student attitudes and academic performance. Findings are presented based on survey data gathered from 20,000 high school students over a 3-year period. (GR)

Uses data from the National Youth Survey to assess the effects of individual students' perceptions of teacher disapproval on self-reported delinquency. Results indicate that the perceptions of teacher disapproval are associated with subsequent delinquency. This relationship was significant when controlling for prior delinquency, thus weakening the…

Origins and persistent reasons for college sorority and fraternity hazing, particularly in black organizations, are examined, including desire for domination, links to childhood abuse, and homoeroticism. The influences of tradition, peer pressure, the need to belong, and desire for solidarity are also considered. Reviews recent research on the…