This article offers a model that distinguishes between natural abilities (or aptitudes) and systematically developed skills (talents). Aptitudes are seen as the constituent elements of talents, which are developed by such constructs as motivation, temperament, and significant persons. The model is then applied to the appropriate use of labels for…

Examines a theoretical framework in which therapeutic forgiveness is conceptualized as a four-station process of insight, understanding, giving the opportunity for compensation, and overt forgiving. Discusses definition of forgiveness and how the framework is applied to family therapy. (JBJ)

This article examines the concept of mild mental retardation and the confusion surrounding its etiology, prevalence, diagnosis, and educational "treatment." It concludes that mild mental retardation should be redefined in contextual terms: a person's relative difficulty in responding to the environment's cognitive demands. It recommends that the…

States that participants in a qualitative case study of nonacademic R&D authors thought their reports were more informative than persuasive. Describes how three definitions of "persuasion" emerged. Concludes that most of the participants felt they owed a greater debt to their subject matter rather than the audience; some participants…

Describes higher levels of morality by contrasting Kohlber's Cognitive Developmentalism and Dabrowski's Positive Disintegration. It argues that far from being a gift, high-level morality is a function of the whole person. It is something chosen and striven for, and the result of compassion and some kind of disintegration. (Author/CR)

Investigates word meaning constructions of four middle-school learners during self-selected reading events where learners targeted unfamiliar words. Explores learner perceptions about vocabulary acquisition. Finds learners used multiple strategies in single encounters with new words, were not inhibited by inaccurate word meaning constructions,…

Discusses the history of evaluation research, focusing on current emphasis on "evidence-based policy." Highlights five issues emerging as relevant: evaluation can be done in many ways, serious doubts exist about the usefulness of the term "evaluation," evaluation is held back by paradigm wars, views of evaluation are…

Documents from all states were analyzed for requirements for teachers in preparation for teaching diverse students including the definition of diversity used, whether documents listed specific standards, and whether preparation for teaching students with exceptionalities was also listed. Although 41 states had some requirements, specifics,…

This article discusses using the term "general learning disorder" instead of "mental retardation." It addresses the offensiveness of the current label, discusses ingredients needed in a more appropriate diagnostic term, and offers a proposed grouping of developmental disabilities based on cognitive ability, language ability, physical ability, and…

Beginning September 1999, the School Standards and Framework Act (1998) requires all maintained schools and city technology colleges in England and Wales to have a written home-school agreement and associated parental declaration. This article places this mandate within a historical context and highlights enforceability and defined…

In this "Handbook" chapter on internationalization of educational administration, authors inappropriately equate international exchanges, pluralism in theory and research, and global patterns of educational activity with internationalization. Authors neglect intercultural thinking, overlook the rich research literature, inadequately…

Examines effects of further-education (FE) management changes, following Britain's Further and Higher Education Act, on FE teachers' work environment. Definitions of what constitutes a good lecturer are changing, via mediation of managerialist discourses stressing flexibility, reliability, and competence. Patterns of deprofessionalization…

Reports on a survey of 177 law schools which identified widespread institutional indifference to plagiarism and large disparities in law schools' definitions of and punishments for plagiarism. Finds law schools have failed to teach students the rudiments of proper attribution and offers a definition of plagiarism, suggested disciplinary sanctions,…

Explores the similarities and differences in findings related to three studies that focused on the content and context of students' and teachers' definitions of art in order to study the socialization process. Reveals that the researchers themselves perpetuate this process by solidifying the students' and teachers' learned expectations of what art…

Reviews the historical basis and rationale for identifying children as learning disabled due to a discrepancy between scores on measures of intelligence and achievement. Discusses the validity of such classifications and the role of IQ testing in the designation of children as learning disabled for research and public policy. Alternative…