Compares what is known about key personal and social correlates of scores on Rokeach dogmatism scales with findings from a new study of English 16-year-old pupils. Demonstrates that higher dogmatism scores are associated with lower IQ scores, lower social-class backgrounds, higher neuroticism scores, higher lie-scale scores, and being male. (DSK)

Researches teachers' views on the value of officially recommended methods of "differentiation" for able pupils in primary and secondary classrooms. Concludes that teachers are more subtle in their use of the methods than official recommendations allow for, and that no single method can be applied without an understanding of context. (DSK)

Presents an analysis of the opinions of two generations of Asian parents, one from a 1970-74 survey, and one from a 1995 survey, regarding their children's education. Reveals increasing satisfaction with their children's education; greater mother participation in educational activities; and greater concern with teaching mother tongues in schools.…

Explores the important but neglected field of primary schoolchildren's attitudes toward the environment, particularly toward issues of pollution, waste, and plants and animals, using a scale in Arabic and English. Shows that environmental-education programs produce only slightly positive results. Gives consideration to further research required to…

Explores the implications of requirements in England's National Curriculum for English to develop students' ability to write standard English. Examines the use of nonstandard dialect grammar in students' writing. Finds that similar dialectical constructs are used in four regions and that they are used more frequently in speech than in writing.…

Sets out the positions of Liberal and Communitarian philosophers on the fundamental requirements for a democratic civil society. Argues that a cultural, pluralist, democratic society will be characterized by a diversity of controversial moral positions at a range of levels. Offers discussion as a method of reconciling controversial moral…

Argues that successful tutoring depends, in part, on child tutors' ability to recognize and interpret accurately signs of misunderstanding by their tutees. Investigates age and gender differences in perceiving cues to misunderstanding. Finds that older children and females more accurately interpret signs of confusion and that females can better…

Traces the history of Western theories of metaphor and discusses misperceptions that have arisen concerning the nature and function of metaphors that restrict their educational use. Shows that their extensive use in conventional speech can be used by educators to help students enrich and extend their thought and language. (DSK)

Seeks to determine whether it is possible to teach children who are poor readers four text comprehension strategies (clarifying, questioning, summarizing, and predicting) in listening contexts. Demonstrates that it is possible to teach the strategies to poor readers; that they can improve their reading comprehension; and that listening…

Focuses on the individual working lives of a group of academic staff in one of Australia's oldest colleges of advanced education (Bendigo College of Advanced Education). Examines the influences of government regulations at the individual level and investigates how systemwide constraints are reflected in the institutions they were supposed to…

Examines relationships between environmental contexts, sibling structure, immediate family settings, and students' affective characteristics. Finds that immediate family settings have a stronger effect on student affect than family environmental contexts and that there are gender-related differences in the nature of the relationships between…

Asks how teachers view the introduction of mentorship programs to the training of teachers at English universities. Finds that teachers are committed to the mentorship program's principles, the belief that schools and universities should work together in mentoring, and the need for schools to adopt a whole-school approach to teacher education.…

Asks mentors of student teachers about their role in school-based initial teacher training. Concludes that mentors reach a plateau in improving skills through experience and that there are a number of tensions related to mentoring. Concludes that mentoring is a viable program but that mentors need continued training and support. (DSK)

Looks at relationships between cognitive skills and cognitive style in Anglophone Canadian students. Finds that they are statistically independent, that there is a statistically significant relationship between sex and performance in some subjects, and that there is a statistically significant relationship between skill, style, and subject in…

The present study introduces and demonstrates a new methodology for item and test bias studies: "moderated differential item functioning (DIF)." This technique expands the DIF methodology to incorporate contextual and sociological variables as moderating or mediating effects of the DIF. Specifically, this paper explores differential domain…