A cultural approach to research on higher education views the academic community as being both a disciplinary and an institutional cultural entity. The pros and cons of these two perspectives are examined with a view to finding new avenues for research; it is argued that academic identity provides a seminal perspective for cultural studies in…

Used least squares analysis and simultaneous structural equation modeling to examine the bidirectional relationship between day-care teachers' lax, overreactive discipline and young children's behavior problems. Found that teachers' laxness strongly influenced child misbehavior and child misbehavior influenced teachers' overreactivity and laxness.…

The academic performance of 840 Swedish college students in four study programs was observed for three years. Students were divided into those admitted on the basis of grade point average (GPA), Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test (SweSAT) scores, and SweSAT scores plus work experience. The last group was less successful than the other two. (SLD)

Student threats of violence should be taken seriously. Although zero-tolerance policies are gaining popularity, mental-health experts urge a more deliberative approach that explores student motives and metes out punishment on a more individualized basis. Fostering strong staff-student relationships and communication can effectively deter violence.…

Calls on the foreign language profession to identify a field of study described as a discipline with four subfields (language, literature, linguistics, and culture). Urges that language be taught not just as language but also as a structure reflecting the verbal and nonverbal expression of the culture, through curricular outreach programs to other…

Discusses Ross Winterowd's pioneering efforts in establishment of graduate rhetoric programs; his efforts in training future high school teachers of writing; his high school textbook; founding of the Rhetoric Society of America; relations between the English department and the Rhetoric, Linguistics, and Literature program at the University of…

Considers the implications of Section 550A of the 1996 Education Act in the United Kingdom concerning the use of physical restraint and reasonable force in schools. Addresses confusion over permissible forms of control and the need for staff training for effective implementation. (DB)

Describes an empirical research study conducted at one midwestern high school using a trischedule (block, traditional, and hybrid) format. Survey data revealed that the hybrid schedule appeared to benefit most students, though it increased teachers' anxiety. The block component improved students' GPA, attendance, and attitudes about school. (14…

Schools in the Eugene, Oregon, area are participating in the Peaceable Educational Practices (PEP) project, which identifies research-based best practices for reducing school violence. Three general strategies include school data collection, schoolwide policies and programs, and tailoring strategies to the school. PEP schools have seen a dramatic…

Offers a fifth-grade art lesson on lighthouses prompted by reading Arielle North Olson's "The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter" during a language-arts lesson. Reports that the students made a two-dimensional and a three-dimensional project. States that the students were excited about conveying their ideas using two different media. Explains…

Study estimated how pay disparity varied by race, marital status, gender, and field. Results show considerable differences overall, with unexplained wage gaps for racial/ethnic group, dramatic variations between men and women, and further by field. Earnings differences among racial/ethnic categories are not uniform. The return on marriage for men…

Japanese teachers participating in a workshop activity shared observations about U.S. schools. Teachers saw American schools' disciplinary procedures as stricter and more punitive than their own, marveled at principals' visibility and students' attention to attire, and noted that strict grading practices conflicted with instructional creativity…

Survey responses by superintendents in 81 of Georgia's 114 rural school districts covered violence prevention policies; use of searches, videocamera surveillance, metal detectors, security alarm systems, dress codes, and law enforcement officers on campus; incidence of removal of weapons and various forms of violence; student discipline programs;…

Notes that Morrish's book reviews popular discipline practices, three building blocks of discipline, and methods for teaching children that rights and freedoms must be governed by reason, respect, and responsibility. Asserts that the book's examples span the home and school environments and that the book emphasizes proactive and preventive…

Examined elementary, middle, and high school principals' perspectives on their first-year teachers' competencies. Survey data indicated that principals had mixed feelings about new teachers' competencies. They believed new teachers needed improvement in discipline, diversity, technology, and curricular integration/flexibility issues. Perceived new…