Explains that education mainly deals with the formation of the intellectual creative power of a subject giving meaning to things and not with the issue of responding to the demands of the world. Suggests that self-referentiality of signs is not an achievement of the educational subject but a loss of possibilities for actively responding to the…

The effective-schools movement as currently promoted by profit-oriented consultants has been contaminated by five fallacies: all children have equal learning opportunities; principals (not teachers) are instructional leaders; standards should be set by exceptions; academic standards should be uniform; and teachers should work smarter, not harder.…

This article first discusses various definitions of "difference" and then reviews some sociological theories providing a general conceptual understanding of the response to difference in today's society. It stresses the need to build communities and schools that support difference and develop cultural citizenship without polarizing…

Explores how the middle school concept is designed to make two seemingly contradictory goals compatible, those of providing a common core curriculum while meeting individual needs. Suggests that, similar to team sports or musical groups, it is possible to allow students to exercise personalized choices of how to meet the common objectives of the…

Focuses on the role of primary school teachers in Hong Kong, especially with respect to their treatment of individual learner differences among students. Looks specifically at how three teachers cope with the demands of attention to individual differences, an emphasis of the new target-oriented curriculum. (Author/VWL)

Reviews evidence on reliability and validity of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire (CBQ); presents CBQ data on structure of temperament in childhood. Factor analyses indicate three broad dimensions of temperament: extroversion/surgency, negative affectivity, and effortful control. This factor structure also appears in ratings of children in…

Studied the identity of minority third graders through their autobiographies. Findings based on 188 autobiographies from 8 urban elementary schools show a pattern of responses that crosscut psychological constructs, gender, and race. Discusses changes needed in school culture to facilitate the development of well-adjusted children. (SLD)

Evaluated effects on children in Bosnia and Herzegovina of a 5-month psychosocial intervention program of weekly group meetings for mothers. Found that although all participants were exposed to severe trauma, their distress varied considerably. The intervention program had a positive effect on mothers' mental health, children's weight gain, and…

Examined impact of shame and attributional style on adjustment following sexual abuse. Found that once adjustment at discovery was accounted for, shame and attribution style explained additional variation in adjustment 1 year later; abuse severity did not. Relations between abuse severity and subsequent depressive symptoms and self-esteem were…

Examined relations between representational models of mother-child relationships of mothers and children ages 14 to 52 months (some diagnosed with cerebral palsy or epilepsy) and maternal characteristics, child disability status, and maternal behavior in a problem-solving task. Found that representations are related to caregiving behavior apart…

This study of Asian American, Caucasian American, and Chinese college students examined the relationship between participants' career choices and parental influence. Results showed that Asian American and Chinese college students were more likely than were Caucasian American students to choose Investigative occupation types (J.L. Holland, 1985)…

How do sexually reactive youth differ from other delinquents or from nonoffenders? This research demonstrates that all three groups were similar on measures of emotional expressiveness. Sexual offenders were unique mainly in the training they had experienced. The environment in which children are raised appears to have great influence on how they…

Explores children's experiences as they are going through the secondary school choice process in two inner London primary schools. Reveals that there remains a strong pattern of class-related orientation to choice despite individual and family differences. Finds that the children's accounts demonstrate a distinction between making and getting a…

Elliot Eisner, Lee Jacks Professor of Education and Art, Stanford University, imparts his thoughts about the salient features of schools he believes America needs, for example, having principals spend about one-third of their time in the classroom. (PKP)

Argues that extant research assessing relations between contextual factors and psychological disturbance has confused two different roles of context. Suggests that environmental factors are nonspecific stressors and elicit psychopathology, with specificity of expressed psychopathology governed by individual differences, and that context is…