Explores individual differences in general memory ability and the relation to performance in a public examination, taken at age 15-16 years. Suggests that individual differences in memory ability account for between 10 and 20 percent of the variance in groups of above-average IQ. Includes references. (CMK)

Investigates whether all three components of performance visualization (education, guided imagery, and modeling) are necessary to help people enhance speech performance and reduce public speaking apprehension. Finds that the education component appears to be unnecessary. Speculates that cognitive processing differences with regard to language and…

Research shows that adults respond primarily to positive reinforcement, want to be involved, and prefer to operate in a collegial environment. Traditional teacher evaluation violates many of these understandings. Fortunately, schools are beginning to experiment with observations and mentoring for beginning teachers and long-term…

Suggests that accommodating students' learning styles will bring English classrooms alive. Discusses various learning styles. Describes five strategies for kinesthetic learners. (RS)

Describes several activities for the kinesthetic learner that were developed for a high-school World Literature curriculum. (RS)

No one sector has the right to abdicate its responsibilities in educating children. Schools should focus on the educative tasks that are rightfully theirs. Structures and curricula should be overhauled, and teachers need to understand how culture and ethnicity influence academic and social behavior. (SK)

A 13-month study of preschoolers' conversations with friends examined development of understanding of mind and emotion and mental-state talk. Findings indicated significant and related improvements in theory-of-mind task performance and affective perspective-taking. There were qualitative and quantitative changes in mental-state references in…

Suggests ways to use dynamic systems analysis to illuminate the pluralistic and multidimensional model described by Larivee, Normandeau, and Parent (2000). Issues discussed include the characteristics of developmental transitions, such as hysteresis; nature of growth processes, such as hierarchical development or predator-prey interactions; and…

Reports evidence of the extent to which Japanese English-as-a-foreign-language learners seek to adopt second language communicative norms. Examines learners self reports on attitudes toward the target language, subjective reactions to second language pragmatic norms, and motivations toward accommodating to those norms. (Author/VWL)

Surveyed graduate students in international business at a top-ranked program in the United States on their attitudes and preferences relative to different aspects of potential future job assignments. Noted differences based on respondents' country of origin that indicate a place for tailored educational responses. (EV)

For 12 years, the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) has researched use of technology to expand opportunities for diverse learners. Universal design principles drawn from architecture and product development are useful for developing effective educational tools that can accommodate students' varied recognition, strategic, and affective…

Examines the development of children's caring behavior. Suggests that caring behavior is evident from infancy, and notes the importance of individual differences, the role of modeling and encouraging empathy, and the importance of considering the impact of television and child rearing practices. Differentiates reinforcement from encouragement of…

Examines the differences between German and Vietnamese students in both learning-relevant features and the relation between learning strategies and motivational features. Reveals both communalities (similar patterns of determinants of depth-oriented learning strategies) and differences (longer duration of studies and higher reliance on repetition)…

Describes a study of interactional troubles occurring between citizens and 911 calltakers. Analysis of recorded 911 calls, dispatcher notes, training and procedural manuals, and interviews suggests that many routine interactional troubles relate to a mismatch between the callers' and the calltakers' frames of reference and the fact that each party…

Considers areas of consensus from commentaries, including the value of an evolutionary perspective and the utility of exploring variations in physical activity play. Examines areas of debate, including the nonplay-play distinction, functions of rough-and-tumble play, and the opportunities of juveniles for exercise training. Calls for more directed…