Investigated how black South-African 11th graders conceptualized their outlooks on the past and future. Analysis of in-depth interviews showed that, despite having come of age in a society that was designed to oppress, students were committed to high educational goals, were determined to seize opportunities they perceived were available to them,…

Examines several education-reform programs supported by the International Business Machines corporation in Charlotte, North Carolina, discussing a typology of corporate involvement, the complexities of corporate involvement, and the benefits and dangers of corporate involvement. Explains that most corporate involvement is very helpful, though some…

Based on interviews with state-level policy makers in six states, examines the policies of charter-school reform, arguing that the bipartisan support for these schools masks often-opposing viewpoints regarding the purpose of the reform. Identifies three salient and conflicting themes that emerge from the policy makers' explanations of their…

Describes seven myths regarding the role of genes in determining behavior and the modifiability of behavior that permeate the thinking of many educators and psychologists. Examines each myth, dispels it, and states what are believed to be correct conclusions from different kinds of behavior-genetic and related data, considering the implications…

Against the backdrop of increasing concern about promoting science achievement, describes the uncertain value of school science, examines the construction of science classes without science at one high school, and traces how school participants produce a veritable absence of science in science classes and how the production is sensible given their…

Illustrates the enormous range of citizens who entered curricular disputes, the diverse strategies they employed, and the disparate results of their efforts, suggesting a new explanation for the decline of the traditional three-R's and the rise of a differentiated curriculum during the early 20th century. Highlights citizen effects on history,…

Describes the rise of the visiting teacher movement from 1906 to 1940, examining the sources of early visiting teacher work, discussing the origins of visiting teachers' work, noting medical and psychiatric discourses surrounding visiting teachers' work, describing the influence on preservice teacher-education programs, and considering the lessons…

This review considers five new books on the use of computers in classrooms and discusses some of the lessons to be drawn from recent experiences with technology in the schools. It concludes that the new literature brings a sense of context and purpose to educational technology, placing computers squarely in the hands of teachers and connecting…

Examined the effects of individual characteristics and types of parental involvement on participation in advanced mathematics from grades 8-12. Data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth indicated that mathematics participants had higher socioeconomic status than dropouts at every grade level. Gender, attitude, and achievement affected…

Describes the reciprocity of relationships between recent educationally relevant psychological conceptions and educationally oriented usages of technologies, analyzing recent theory and methodological developments in educational technology and psychology; showing how technology helps realize psychologically guided pedagogical conceptions; and…

Reviews the conception of early literacy acquisition as a social-cognitive activity, sketches the evolution of phonemic awareness, and discusses how psychological research might contribute to understanding and applying this construct. The paper suggests the importance of synergy between previously warring factions and highlights the need for…

Suggests that parenting is a societal construction, and that construction includes multiple messages from policymakers, popular media, researchers, and educators that too many parents are either incompetent or unwilling to parent effectively. The paper suggests that Erikson's psychosocial theory of the individual life span can guide consideration…

Using Halpern's 1997 psychosocial model of cognitive development, this article evaluates and extends the literature demonstrating that gender differences on standardized tests of quantitative reasoning may reflect underlying differences in cognitive processing that may be explained in part by socialization patterns inherent in American culture.…

Analyzes the structure of argumentative discourse produced when small groups of children discuss issues raised by stories they have read, examining the discourse from story discussions in two fourth-grade classrooms. Compares and contrasts two approaches of representing the structure of classroom arguments (the argument network and the causal…

Explored gender differences in junior and senior high school students' perceptions of fairness. Surveys indicated that gender differences were pervasive. High school females, more frequently than males, reported feeling their school was fair in terms of personal experiences, and junior high school females, more frequently than males, reported…