Investigates the heroes and heroines of 244 school children (11-16) in order to explore both identity development and the socio-cultural factors that shape the self. Finds that (1) almost a quarter of the young people were happy to be themselves and (2) heroes were drawn primarily from the sporting world and media. (CMK)

An eight-year cross-sectional study analyzed the self-esteem and both mathematics and reading attainments of eight cohorts of Year 2 and Year 6 children from five randomly selected primary schools within one Local Education Authority. Presents the results. Addresses the possible link between national testing and self-esteem. (CMK)

Examines why language teaching, including foreign languages, home languages, and Swedish as a second language, holds a prominent position in the Swedish school system. Provides information on teaching home languages and Swedish as a second language to immigrants. Discusses foreign language teaching in Sweden. Includes references. (CMK)

Explores the place of minority rights within two liberal societies, focusing on immigrants from former French and British colonies, by examining two court cases that address cultural and religious expression (wearing cultural/religious attire in schools). Examines how the societies' procedures and ideologies resulted in different outcomes for…

Provides information on civic education in Hong Kong, from colonization to decolonization. States that Hong Kong youth are apathetic in political and community affairs and addresses the resistance to national identify formation. Contends that civic education should be included in tertiary education and describes different civic education programs.…

Examines data about the educational aspirations and academic attainment of 7000 Palestinian ninth grade students during the close of the 1994-95 intifada. Shows that Palestinian students have high educational aspirations in spite of living under Israeli occupation and in poverty. Intifada participation and school performance were not related. (CMK)

Provides a case study of how school effectiveness policy is mediated by teachers and Local Education Authority (LEA) advisors. Uses qualitative data of a "failing" junior school in the United Kingdom to highlight (1) an LEA response to an evaluation by the Office for Standards in Education and (2) staff mediation of the LEA intervention. (CMK)

Describes one aspect of an evaluation of an action-planning initiative to improve pupils' learning in Year 9, focusing on Personal Learning Planning (PLP). Reveals that students did not link PLP with fundamental aspects of effective learning and that outcomes differed for boys and girls. Includes references. (CMK)

Examines aspects of 10-year-old children's conceptions of understanding. Analyzes to what extent they (1) recognize understanding as a cohesive whole, (2) know when a descriptive understanding versus a causal understanding is expected, and (3) can distinguish between the types of causal understanding in science and history. Includes references and…

Investigates the effects of children solving addition and subtraction problems collaboratively in contrast to solving problems on their own. Explores the effects of ability and gender on the outcomes of group collaboration. Presents and discusses the results. Includes references and an appendix. (CMK)

Explores the responses of teachers and parents to a trial of 'cluster grouping' (gifted students grouped together in a mixed ability class) as a model to meet the needs of exceptional students in a junior secondary school. Identifies factors impacting the school's Cluster Group Project. Discusses the results. (CMK)

Develops existing arguments about the need to rethink ways in which environmental education is conceptualized, interpreted, and enacted by schools, teachers, and students working within their communities. Argues for multiple approaches to develop and deliver educational goals deemed appropriate by a community of practitioners with different…

Explores what both staff and students consider to be elements of good teaching through a two-phase study. Constructs of good teaching were determined using repertory grids and the resulting survey was given to 204 English lecturers and students. Reveals a single concept of good teaching for students and two categories (pre-existing and reflective)…

Presents a study based on interviews with two groups of British primary school children after they had completed a project in which the children were taught in mixed-ability and mixed-gender groups with the purpose of improving their literacy. Presents the findings using transcribed extracts from the group interviews. (CMK)

Examines the effect of reward on the interest and achievement of 226 Hungarian first-grade students in performing a task. Reveals that public feedback on achievement increased achievement in boys and girls, while more boys than girls lost interest in the task once feedback was withdrawn. (CMK)