A subtest of the Swedish Scholastic Aptitude Test dealing with interpretation of diagrams, tables, and maps (DTM) was studied to see whether the position or other characteristics of test items affected the noted gender differences in results. Results with 116,017 students show an effect of position on gender differences. (SLD)

The attitudes of 563 Finnish parents toward ongoing educational reforms and their satisfaction with the functioning of comprehensive schools were studied. Their appraisals of the schools were fairly positive. Middle-class parents were more likely to endorse selectiveness in the schools; working-class parents were more likely to endorse…

The efficiency of public day care centers in Sweden was studied by collecting data on inputs and services for about 200 centers and analyzing the information by data envelopment analysis. Results show large differences in efficiencies among centers, but these differences have few systematic relations to quality. (SLD)

A Swedish empathy test for professional helpers, the Affect Reading Scale, was developed and tested on several occasions with 1000 caregivers in different sectors. Results support the conceptual validity of the scale and demonstrate that it is responsive to educational experiences that influence empathy. (SLD)

No differences in the development of reading and spelling were found between 103 Norwegian children learning print-script as their initial handwriting style and 104 Norwegian students who learned disjointed cursive letters initially. The longitudinal study extended from first to fifth grade. (SLD)

A seven-year longitudinal study of Edmonton (Alberta) students who were high school seniors in 1985 found that exposure to higher education liberalized student attitudes toward immigrants, that over time individuals who did not continue their education became less accepting of immigrants, and that labor market difficulties and differences in…

Survey of 1,002 elementary and secondary school teachers from 5 Canadian urban school districts revealed that teachers' negative responses to antiracist education were based on commitment to traditional pedagogic concerns and on conservative views regarding politics, race, and antiracism. Despite expressed support, implementation of antiracist…

Examination of the role of parental involvement in the school restructuring process in three Alberta (Canada) elementary schools reveals that the roles and responsibilities of parents must be clarified, that criteria are needed for measuring success in relation to parental involvement, and that participants need support while they struggle to…

A study of 39 rural kindergarten students and their parents examined the relationships between parental print exposure, socioeconomic status (SES), and children's early language and literacy skills. Results suggest that SES had minimal impact on children's literacy and that parental print exposure strongly influenced children's vocabulary and…

A survey of 221 students graduating from the teacher education program at the University of Manitoba (Canada) reveals student attitudes regarding equity, diversity, and multiculturalism in Canada and the roles and responsibilities of public schools in a multicultural society. Conflicting student responses suggest the need for a more detailed…

A survey of 638 teachers in 58 schools in Newfoundland and Labrador found that the instructional leadership behaviors of school principals were significantly related to teachers' commitment, professional involvement, and innovativeness. Best-fitting models of instructional leadership that account for variance of the three characteristics differed…

Analysis of postobservation conferences between 20 pairs of teachers and supervisors revealed four major micropolitical strategies used by participants to influence conference interaction. Two strategies--reflecting personal orientation and conversational congruence--prevailed in conferences rated positively by participants, whereas supervisor use…

Survey of 279 students entering the Faculty of Education at the University of Western Ontario revealed a structure of beliefs about learning and knowledge having 10 factors that were nearly orthogonal with each other. Most students endorsed a view of learning that included both constructivist and transmission-oriented themes. Contains 58…

Survey of 48 beginning teachers elicited assessment of their experiences in the elementary teacher education program at the University of British Columbia. Teachers assessed the importance of teaching particular knowledge, skills, and understandings and the program's potential and success in doing so. As in similar studies, findings indicate the…

In a University of Ottawa field-based teacher education program, students spend much of their postdegree preservice year in schools. Three studies of the first cohort of program participants suggest that the model of preservice education has less effect on the first-year teaching experience than do the nature of the practicum and coursework…