The process of developing the curriculum and determining educational policy in the schools of the state of Victoria, Australia, has shifted in recent years from being a function of the state bureaucracy to being a matter for collaborative decision-making among parents, students, teachers, administrators, and others involved in education. To ensure…

The effects of parenting styles on children's self-esteem were examined by dividing the empirical literature into three age groups: the preschool child; the elementary child; and the adolescent. Major literature reviews by W. C. Becker, B. Martin, and E. E. Maccoby and J. A. Martin are discussed and inconsistencies among the reviews are examined.…

This working paper examines the theories of Fred Fiedler concerning the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different situations. Discussed first are the distinctions that Fiedler makes between what he terms relationship-motivated leaders and task-motivated leaders. The next section comprises an explanation of Fiedler's view of…

It is the thesis of this discussion that outcome-based instructional systems (such as mastery learning, individually guided education, and competency-based education) represent a workable alternative to traditional approaches to instruction and are particularly suited to children in Head Start and Follow Through programs. This thesis is expanded…

A study examined gender and the practice of public relations in Canada, investigation whether there are gender differences in: (1) structural factors such as practitioner roles, salaries, and job satisfaction; (2) participation in management decision-making; and (3) methods of decision-making, particularly in the area of program evaluation. A…

This study investigates principals' perceptions of the effect of teacher empowerment on their role as building administrators. The researcher conducted structured interviews with 10 principals, 5 elementary and 5 secondary, in 2 school systems characterized by wider applications of shared decisionmaking and greater professional autonomy among…

Sexual harassment is one concern of women graduate students in community psychology programs. When a sexual relationship exists between male faculty and female students, the distribution of power reflects the subordinate status of women and the dominant position of men. Many studies have documented the negative consequences of sexual contact…

Perspectives on connections between corporations, the military, and colleges are provided, with attention to whether corporate and government control is exerted over education. According to James Ridgeway's "The Closed Corporation," colleges are central to business/industrial and government/military activity. His examples include:…

To analyze high school students' access to the forms and content of knowledge, the author used nonparticipant ethnographic research in four midwestern high schools to study how the pattern of knowledge control in the classroom varies in different administrative contexts. Through observation of social studies classrooms and interviews with…

Research investigating why women are underrepresented in college and private organizational administrative positions is reviewed. It was found that the differential rate of women in administrative positions is not due to their lack of proper credentials. Other reasons that have been cited are: typical female characteristics make it impossible for…

Recommendations for improving leadership by college and university presidents are presented, based on the work of the Commission on Strengthening Presidential Leadership. The Commission exchanged views and conducted over 300 interviews with current and past presidents, board members, persons who had refused presidencies, executive search…

This ethnographic study relates the structural components of the educational system to the processes by which women gain admission, establish an administrative career, and finally advance within its hierarchy. It was found that the "opportunity structure,""power structure," and "sex ratio" were structural components contributing to the absence of…

Managerial communications are in ill health because of the conflict between employees and management caused by collective bargaining, the growing alienation between building-level administrators and central office personnel, the change in the relationship between the school and community manifest in parent and community pressure groups, and the…

From the monthly Saturday Review supplement, "Education in America, sponsored by the Charles F. Kettering Foundation.

Research on grades 9-12 in an elite, coeducational private school in an urban area examined the effects of the school's social organization on students' commitment to educational goals and their sense of academic purpose. The author gathered data through 2 years of participant observation as a teacher-researcher and through questionnaire…