Examines works by Deloria, Mathews, Forbes, Allen, and Vizenor concerning how American Indians can face challenges of asserting sovereignty and the place of traditional culture in the struggle. Argues that Indian intellectuals should pursue critical analysis of the dominant society and understanding of the Indian experience in wider contexts. (SV)

Compared adjustment scores among adolescents who differ in both emotional autonomy and perceptions of parental support. Found that, although adolescents who scored high in both emotional autonomy and relationship support reported more internal distress and behavior problems than less autonomous adolescents, they had higher levels of psychological…

This article considers the legacy of Samuel Gridley Howe and others such as Francis Campbell and Mary Caroline Greene who were committed to the education of individuals with blindness. The paper examines controversies over mainstreaming versus residential schooling and the need for emphasis on developing independence in individuals with blindness.…

Interview data gathered from students in a New Zealand English-as-a-Second-Language program form the basis of a discussion of autonomous behavior in language learning. It is noted that autonomous language learning has advantages over teacher-dominated learning but that it cannot simply be "clipped on" to existing programs. (Contains…

This essay takes the form of a dialog between the human "Self" and a questioner and explores the nature of individual self-consciousness, the Freudian model of the self, the development of the self in early childhood, the importance of parents in the self's development, and special problems of self-awareness in gifted students. (DB)

Case studies of young women with learning disabilities showed they increased practical living skills at a day center but had little autonomy in long-term life decisions and little opportunity for productive activity and social interaction. Low expectations of others and the segregated day center program hampered their ability to reach adult status…

The ability of measures of perceived competence, control, and autonomy support to predict self-worth and academic performance was studied across groups of high school students. Stepwise regression analyses indicate these variables in model predict self-worth and grade point average. In addition, levels of school status and depression predict…

A cumulative review and analysis of 27 empirical investigations that assessed the preferences and choices of individuals with severe or profound mental retardation found that, since 1978, a technology has been evolving that can assess preference and choice via six types of participant responses across a variety of stimulus presentations. Research…

Reports on the views of a small group of part-time United Kingdom Open University students taking their first course. Discusses course demands, support received, demands on their time, learning how to study, student assessment, good marks increasing their motivation, and students' awareness of their increasing confidence and self-worth.…

Examined whether parenting and child characteristics of term and preterm 2- and 3.5-year-olds had common paths of influence on children's independent cognitive and social functioning at age 4.5 years. Found that high levels of mothers' maintaining children's interests across these ages supported later independence, but directiveness needed to…

Presents a definitional framework of self-determination as an important educational outcome for students with disabilities. It identifies essential characteristics of self-determination and discusses developmental aspects of self-determination. Implications for educational intervention during the early childhood, elementary, and secondary years…

Examines the insights that evolved from a long-term collaboration among doctoral students in a study group preparing for comprehensive examinations. Considers four elements that contributed to successful collaboration: logistics, social dynamics, empowerment, and change. Challenges how well current higher education policies encourage personal…

In this study, a system of least prompts, partial participation, and parental involvement was used to successfully teach an adolescent with Down syndrome, moderate mental retardation, and Type I diabetes to self-administer an injection of insulin as part of an overall plan to increase self-determination and independence. (Contains seven…

This study of 36 adults with visual impairments found that self-esteem was related to 3 self-report measures of skills: dependence on others, difficulty with daily living skills, and motivation to learn. Relationships were found between educational level and self-esteem, educational level and the three measures of skills, and employment status and…

Reviews the literature on world-system theory and critical thinking about class relations to examine differences in thinking about the responses of subordinate actors to hegemony. Suggests an agency-oriented agenda for world-system inquiry in comparative education that focuses on resistance and accommodation by periphery students and educators to…