A study of 276 women aged 35-64 re-entering higher education used the life-event framework to focus on stresses of university life, coping methods, and adaptations to school demands. Subgroup (women with young families and mature families) experiences were compared. Each had different motives, strains, and coping methods. Program options are…

Through the longitudinal study of families over two decades in Chiapas, Mexico, this chapter relates historical changes on the macro level to changes in human development and socialization on the micro level. (Author)

In China, lifelong learning has a long history--as a way to prepare for traditional civil examinations, which opened opportunities for social mobility and, later, to train the adult workforce to meet national economic objectives. In Shanghai, adult education has recently become essential for adapting the workforce to rapid economic change, but…

Examined how child and family factors influence individual differences in the language development of African-American children between 18 and 30 months of age. Found that vocabulary and utterance length increased linearly. Children from more stimulating and responsive homes had larger vocabularies, used more irregular nouns and verbs, and had…

Examined whether apprentices differed from nonapprentices in rates of deviant behavior. Found that nonapprenticed males were less deviant than apprenticed males; nonapprentices perceived more connectedness with and peer disapproval from parents; affective quality of parent-adolescent relations did not differ by educational track; and there was…

Investigates the drawing and copying skills of nine autistic and eight mentally retarded children matched for mental age. Results indicate a similarity of performance for the drawing tasks and significant differences concerning the copying. Discusses the specific functions performed better by the autistic children and provides illustrative…

Examined the relevancy of group social functioning to individual social, academic, and psychological adjustment in China. Found that social functioning--including sociability, aggression, and shyness-inhibition--of group peers had unique contributions to individual social and school adjustment and adjustment problems, and that contributions of…

A study evaluated a Czech Outward Bound course for international participants that used dramaturgy to incorporate cultural, social, creative, and psychological activities and enrich the traditional range of outdoor physical activities. Observations of 55 participants and followup surveys indicated that the main outcomes involved personal and…

A teacher at an alternative school draws upon his and other educators' experiences to illustrate that learning within relationships and learning about relationships are fundamental to the educational process. Schools must provide safe, caring environments where kids can establish enduring relationships with each other, teachers, and mentors, and…

Recounts a one-month period in the professional and family life of Joyce Tsunoda, the Chancellor of the University of Hawaii Community Colleges. Focuses on the observations and experiences of a Japanese-American woman born, raised, and immersed in a multicultural setting, learning and developing as an American and as an academic administrator and…

Reviews developmental models for understanding adolescence as they might be applied to emerging sexuality and the challenges and risks that may be associated with different sexual orientations and identities. Models have been identified as: cumulative events or simultaneous change, accentuation, or trajectory models. Models have been useful in…

When surveyed about a one-way video and two-way audio distance learning system, distance education faculty at Old Dominion University (Virginia) said they liked the personal and professional growth afforded by teaching on television, but disliked the lack of interactivity and other limitations. Faculty involvement in policymaking and integrating…

A study examining the characteristics of students engaged in service learning and the association between service learning participation and student performance involved 699 college students in an American government course over three semesters. Females and lower-income students were more likely to be service learning participants, and service…

Self concept is deeply intertwined with one's racial socialization. Two incidents are recounted as turning points in this counselor educator's self-perception as a person having a racial identity and to her career development. Coping mechanisms are described. A safe atmosphere is essential to the exploration of feelings about race. (EMK)

Examined patterns of academic functioning and mental health in middle school students and the relation of such patterns to their prior and subsequent functioning. Found variegated patterns of academic and emotional functioning at eighth grade and stability in these patterns across the high school transition. Found some long-term stability among…