A survey of 565 teachers in 96 Saskatchewan school districts examined teacher attitudes and beliefs about teacher collaboration, the nature of interprofessional relationships in schools, teacher and student diversity, and teachers' time usage. Teachers also reported the extent to which their beliefs matched actual school conditions and the…

A survey of 269 undergraduate students at the University of Manitoba found that students' perceptions of their social capital resources had direct and indirect effects on their developing self-concepts and their educational achievement. Students' perceptions of support, particularly peer support, were an important resource, positively related to…

A retrospective study examined how authority to confer Bachelor of Education degrees was extended to private colleges in Alberta in 1995. Sources of the policy change included local political pressures and international pressures for neoliberalization of public policy. Opposition from professional educators and other stakeholders has implications…

Students aged 10-12, with and without learning disabilities, acquired knowledge implicitly about pseudoword pronunciation governed by one of two phonics rules. They were then asked to verbalize explicitly about the acquired knowledge. Students did not differ significantly in implicit knowledge capabilities, but student with and without learning…

Using structural equation modeling and data on 10th-grade students from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth, a model was developed to show the relationship to career aspiration of eight indicators of "educational productivity": mathematics achievement; motivation; instructional quantity and quality; home, class, and peer environment; and mass…

Describes ongoing case studies of U.S. teacher-education institutions that are reforming subject-matter preparation for prospective teachers. Discusses research goals, theoretical framework concerning levels of disciplinary understanding and the nature of knowledge and skills across university disciplines, and problems with the administrative…

Reports preliminary findings from ongoing interviews with youth who had experienced suicidal thoughts or behaviors. Suicide risk was associated with negative life events or extreme difficulty in school, overwhelming daily stresses, and absence of support. Teachers had a huge impact on the psychological functioning of troubled adolescents. (SV)

The articles in this collection offer perspectives on the political principles that are involved in the problems of multiculturalism and multicultural education and the relationships among educational and political philosophy and multiculturalism. They discuss ways in which solutions to problems can be found in a real-world context. (SLD)

Studied the theories student teachers held about literary understanding through interviews with 25 Hungarian and 8 Swedish student teachers. Categories of theories captured a substantial portion of the variation in how literary understanding can be seen. Three central aspects of human understanding, variation, discernment, and simultaneity, could…

Examined the key constructs of Norway's centrally-based curriculum reform plan, Laerplan 97 (L97), interviewed those responsible for designing the subject related curricula, and administered teacher questionnaires (n=54). Findings show how the journey from policy making to effective classroom practice would benefit from a continuing interface with…

Created guidelines for stress management intervention by investigating the relationship of 12 factors with stress reactions and feelings of mastery among 826 Swedish teachers in 27 comprehensive schools. Teacher stress reactions were best predicted by perceived work demands, student misbehavior, and negative feedback, while mastery feelings were…

Studied the work and lives of 20 experienced female teachers in relation to gender order in school and society. Presented results as six themes that show that the female teacher is in a contradictory situation with respect to positional authority. Gender regimes in schools appear to follow the same patterns as society as a whole, and women…

Studied the relationships among academic achievement, learned helplessness, and psychological adjustment (self-esteem and depression), controlled for gender and age, for 1,580 students with data collected in grades 3 and 4, 6 and 7, and 8 and 9. Results show that academic achievement is directly and indirectly related to the pattern of…

The chapters of this theme issue describe 11 book-based literacy projects conducted in a variety of countries. In these programs, a "flood" of high-interest books is placed in classrooms, and teachers are shown how to use them to improve children's literacy levels and their attitudes toward literacy. Articles make the case for extending these…

Examines the debate over private versus public education, both sides of which claim that their position either preserves or creates opportunities for choice. Uses a historical perspective to reflect on what actually constitutes an opportunity in education. Suggests that apparent opportunities often have hidden costs or unintended consequences. (SV)