Reasons why so few (approximately 16%) of former students from Swedish schools for the mentally retarded find employment without government subsidy are explored through interviews with 12 teachers, 2 parents, 11 vocational instructors, and 14 employer representatives. Problems with placement of the retarded are considered. (SLD)

The seven articles of this special issue comment on the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Assessment Reading Literacy Study conducted from 1989 to 1991 in 31 countries. Project design and test instruments are reviewed, and results from the Nordic countries are presented and explored. (SLD)

Based on the division of attained change for each treated individual into causal and noncausal change, the product-moment correlation between causal change and initial level is studied and compared with the correlation between attained change and initial level. Relevant formulas for true scores at population level are presented. (SLD)

Adult education in Finland is examined as a second chance for those held back through inadequate education. Interviews with 3,990 adults make it clear that the ideal is not being fully realized. The probability of participation in adult education is heavily influenced by social status, cultural capital, and other factors. (SLD)

Educational reforms and the move toward comprehensiveness in education are studied in Norway and Sweden, considering their effects on the general educational attainment of the population. Developments in Norway have been much more uneven than in Sweden. The greatest changes in Norway have been caused by lower secondary reforms around 1970. (SLD)

Accuracy of letter identification and latency of reaction time were studied as a function of retinal position in 19 dyslexic adolescents. Dyslexics did not show higher performance scores in the peripheral visual fields but did have longer reaction times in all experimental conditions. (SLD)

Discriminant validity of several psychological tests was investigated for 24 reading-retarded and 23 normal Icelandic fifth graders. Differentiation was greatest on verbal intelligence and on various other verbal tests. Results indicate the need for an adequate intelligence measure in Iceland and development of refined measures of verbal skills.…

The relationship between a theory of learning and the theory of contemporary society as late modernity is explored, describing a research project in adult learning. Learning is then related to biography in a general way and in relation to the types of learning that occur as a result of experience. (SLD)

A longitudinal study investigated changes in the basic beliefs of Swedish theology students during their course of study. Interviews with 31 students between 1985 and 1989 show few changes in religious beliefs. Changes that do occur refer to crises and peer relationships outside of education. (SLD)

A soft systems model of future readiness was explored empirically through elements from the Finnish educational development project Adult Education Now! Adult educators (n=117) from 104 vocational institutions responded to a questionnaire on future readiness. Implications for adult education and educational technology are discussed. (SLD)

It is argued that efficient use of cognitive strategies also involves domain-specific knowledge, metacognition, and motivation. Issues concerning cognitive strategy instruction are explored, and it is concluded that a hybrid model representing a compromise between the notion of cognitive strategies and current connectionism may best portray human…

In a study focusing on components of metacognition, 12 expert and 12 novice computer programmers were compared in terms of metacognitive knowledge and task-specific awareness. Results indicate that experts have a close interaction between metacognitive knowledge, task-specific awareness, and cognitive monitoring that is missing in novices. (SLD)

Changes in verbal, spatial, and reasoning intelligence among Swedish 13-year olds were studied from 1960 to 1990. Rising verbal scores until 1980 have been followed by a decline to essentially the 1960 level. Spatial and reasoning results have risen continuously. Gender and social class differences are discussed. (SLD)

An attempt to integrate psychological and sociological theories of student choice of higher education courses by drawing on the structuration theory of A. Giddens is discussed. Empirical support is given through studies of Danish higher education admission and student course selection by 1,084 secondary school graduates. (SLD)

Changes in the socioeconomic background of Finnish university students are studied for the period 1945-85. In different parts of Finland, students come from different socioeconomic groups. In addition, different fields of study draw from different socioeconomic groups. Future student distributions are explored. (SLD)