Explores some of the approaches used in one after-school program operating in seven sites in Massachusetts to provide an environment and build individual traits that lead to resilience in early adolescents. Describes four categories of voluntary activity clubs: the arts, including drama, photography, and dance; practical skills, including cooking,…

Investigates the relationship between sexual orientation and perceptions of self, ideal male, and ideal female using the Androgyny scale of the Bem Sex Role Inventory with 144 college students. Findings include the fact that homosexuals were less likely than heterosexuals to stereotype their perceptions. (FMW)

A survey of 2,216 low-SES Mexican American students in grades 4-6 investigated family, social, and psychological risk factors related to substance abuse. Use of major and minor substances was related to respondent score on an index of 11 risk factors. Relationship between major substance use and risk index was significantly greater for females…

Examined sociocultural influences on mathematics achievement. First generation Chinese American and Caucasian American mother-father-daughter triads were audiotaped as the fifth- and sixth-grade girls solved a spatial puzzle. Chinese American triads were quieter, more respectful, more serious, and more orderly, whereas Caucasian American triads…

Methods of teacher evaluation in public school districts in Ohio were studied in a 272-district sample. Comparison of data with seven theoretical models from the literature on teacher evaluation indicates that 84 percent of responding districts use a traditional Trait Model (teaching in terms of traits) to evaluate the teacher. (SLD)

Summarizes and reviews six studies published in this issue. Emphasizes the teaching methods recommended by each study and the ways in which the studies affirm several assumptions that guide early childhood teaching practices. (MM)

Studies attitudes of 120 African-American undergraduates toward academic interdependence and motivation in interdependent and independent learning contexts. Results indicate a prevalent cooperative academic attitude, with a positive impact on academic motivation in cooperative contexts. African-American students tend to be disposed more toward…

Discusses computerphobia and its relationship to other anxiety literature, and describes a study of university students that explored the reasons for computerphobia. Retrospective computer and mechanical experiences are investigated, personality style and the effect of various media are examined, and comparisons are made between severe and milder…

Discusses the experiences and ideas of Anton S. Makarenko, an early influential Soviet educator known for his children's labor collective school that operated in the 1920s near Poltava. Examines Makarenko's legacy for the current educational reform movement, which emphasizes methods that combine instruction with social production and seeks ways to…

Research on the impact of college on students is reviewed, focusing on how the college experience develops citizenship and participation in a democratic society. This includes studies on changes in students' political and social attitudes, attitudes toward gender roles, moral reasoning, and psychosocial dimensions relevant to citizenship (e.g.,…

Compares 117 Finnish and 351 southern U.S. college students for the following: (1) paranormal beliefs; (2) personality adjustment constructs (anomie, death concerns, alienation, and death threat); and (3) relationships between the beliefs and constructs. The secularization process, further advanced in Finland than the United States, moderates…

High School and Beyond data for 1,332 male and 1,608 female African Americans indicate that several domains of influence help predict African-American males' postsecondary educational attainment. Family socioeconomic status, educational plans, father's influence, and peer influence are important predictors and indicate areas where student…

Stress accompanies most superintendencies, but how much strain a superintendent experiences hinges on personality traits and coping ability. Superintendents are pressured by innercity work environments, changing demographics, tightening finances, confrontational school boards, and dissatisfied constituents. For some, the answer is early…

Examines the relationship of self-esteem and cultural identity to psychosocial adjustment in African-American children through a literature review with an overview of identity research and a discussion of the development of self-esteem and cultural identity among African-American children. Implications for clinical and educational interventions…

This paper investigates the psychometric properties of the African Self-Consciousness (ASC) Scale in a noncollege heterogeneous population of 147 African Americans to determine the reliability and validity of the ASC Scale. Based on analysis of the scale's reliability, factor structure, and construct validity, the study shows the ASC Scale to be a…