The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), a practical tool for helping students understand some of the dynamics of how they communicate and approach the decision making process, is described as an instrument that can be a valuable source of information for students and advisors. (Author/MLW)

Examined perceived educational benefits in 560 older persons participating in 20 New England Elderhostel programs. Level of education completed and sex emerged as significant correlates of growth. Persons of lower socioeconomic and educational status reported greater levels of learning than did those with higher levels of income and education.…

Tested a path model reflecting developmental and chronic types of career indecision on counseling students (N=164) and high school students (N=155). Data from both samples supported the model, confirming the role of trait anxiety in career indecision. (JAC)

Discusses how computers can be used by student development educators for recruitment, referral, and retention. Provides examples of applications, programs, and hardware. (BH)

This literature review cautions that the issue of whether promotion or retention is more beneficial to student achievement is especially murky when it becomes a political decision. It concludes that grade retention seems to ignore the question of instructional effectiveness, blames the child for failure, and absolves the school of responsibility.…

Examined the effectiveness of the Magic Circle program in improving the self-concept of 19 first-grade students. Results showed that children in the experimental group had higher scores on both self-domain and self-concept measures than control students, indicating they better understood the elements of causality in human relationships. (JAC)

Describes a small group program in a nursing curriculum utilizing the Theme-Centered Interaction model, which attempts to combine and balance the cognitive, subjective-affective, and interactional modes. The method appears uniquely suited to the needs of student nurse clinicians who are expected to acquire and integrate psychomotor and affective…

Measured cognitive complexity in 76 college freshmen and tested them again four years later. Results showed most students made significant growth in conceptual level, particularly during the freshman year. No significant differences were found between cognitive complexity and gender, academic persistence, place of residence, or activities. (JAC)

Surveyed 269 freshmen students at a nonresidential college to study faculty influence on student development in a commuter setting. Results suggested that the quality of student-faculty interactions may be more important in the personal and intellectual development of commuter students than the frequency of the interactions. (JAC)

Spirited teachers and a tough work-study program show that one city's young "incorrigibles" are not as unsalvageable as they had at first seemed. (Editor)

In recent research undertaken by the author a panel of middle school experts judged a number of criteria to be essential in order for a school to consider itself a true middle school. The qualities included in this article for the six middle school subsystems are derived from their valuable input. (Author/RK)

Presents a case study of a franchising arrangement involving a university and a student dominated association. (Author)

Considers music's role in the arts-in-general-education movement. Also identifies misconceptions that specialists often have about their involvement and cites evidence that arts-in-general-education programs actually strengthen existing music curriculums. (Editor/RK)

As the children of Belfast return to school, this report focuses on a project designed to help teenage pupils from the city's Catholic and Protestant communities. (Editor/RK)

It is maintained that the distinction between "phonics" and "look and say" methods of teaching is irrelevant for learning to read, and it is suggested that there is a specific sequence of steps which are essential if children are to learn to read an alphabetic script. (Author/RK)