Presents the results of an experiment that asked 53 middle school children to identify continent shapes and to arrange them to form a map of the world. Australia, Europe, and Asia were the most recognized. Misidentified and misaligned most consistently were Africa and Antarctica. Discusses possible reasons and teachers' responses. (MJP)

Reports on a study where students were given characteristics of a target pupil and then asked which career area that pupil would pursue. Although the given characteristics refuted traditional stereotypes (male/social interests, female/technical interests) the students maintained that the target pupil would choose traditional careers. (MJP)

Summarizes a study that utilized path analysis to examine the effects of tutor-tutee intimacy, tutoring conditions, and background variables on overall tutor satisfaction. Reveals higher satisfaction among tutors reporting greater intimacy with tutees. Discusses those variables affecting intimacy including ethnicity, same-sex pairing, and ease of…

Analyzes a broad range of data examining the relationship among basic skill development, behavior problems, and later negative social development. Results strongly corroborate assumptions that low levels of basic skills at an early age are not per se a precursor of later maladjustment. Includes statistical data and tables. (MJP)

Reviews both the proposals and the problems inherent in the concept of decentralization. Examines the motives and methods involved in the current efforts in Trinidad and Tobago and recommends a specific course of action. Notes that these actions are driven more by political motivations than by a desire for educational quality. (MJP)

Presents the results of a case study of 9- to 11-year-olds' understanding of nationalism and collective identity in Scotland. Compares the responses of mostly-white Edinburgh students with those drawn from a multiethnic cohort from English schools. Examines the policy implications of these results. (MJP)

Investigates the effects of a pre-service training course for secondary education teachers in the Netherlands. The training course featured two direct instructional models: executive acting, directed at well-structured skills, and strategic acting, directed at higher-level thinking strategies. Observation revealed significantly more effective…

Utilizes questionnaires to examine the various approaches to assessment used by inner city London, primary grade teachers. Specifically investigates assessment in English, mathematics, and science. Discovers a wide variety of approaches, both formal and informal. Discusses these findings in light of recent policy developments. (MJP)

Investigates the relationships between the characteristics of a parenting model and children's school outcomes. Utilizes interviews to identify and define parenting styles. Discovers that parenting styles affect academic achievement and school attitudes but do little to influence the relationship between intellectual ability and school outcomes.…

Explores students' attitudes towards their enjoyment of school, enjoyment of subjects, and their attribution of academic success. Girls reported liking friends, teachers, outings, and lessons, while boys reported liking sports and school clubs. Attributions concerning academic success varied more with age than gender. Includes statistical tables…

Discovers that female high school teachers, regardless of seniority levels, experience higher levels of stress during school inspection than male teachers. Both male and female teachers felt more nervous when dealing with inspectors of a different gender. Includes statistical tables and possible explanations. (MJP)

Reviews the current theories concerning individual differences in cognitive functioning. While some argue that heredity places a genetic cap on intellectual development, others emphasize the dynamic interrelationship between cultural and environmental factors. Concludes that intelligence is more complex than the heredity advocates allow. (MJP)

Examines children's knowledge and understanding of global spatial relationships. Utilizing cut-outs of continents to estimate their size in relation to Europe, the students consistently underestimated the size of Asia and overestimated Australia. Possible reasons for this are discussed and teaching approaches suggested. (MJP)

Identifies organizational and support problems arising from restructuring the curriculum to accommodate individual learning styles. Reaction against the restructuring registered in Northern Ireland most strongly among the support staff. The teachers, however, were concerned about the lack of time and human resources and the difficulties with…

Examines the relationship between story-telling and children's construction of meaning. Includes transcripts of children's discussions of a story involving Vietnamese refugee children. Maintains that children, especially when given encouraging contexts, can construct and discover meaningful insights. Discusses the role of the teacher in this…