Reviews 20 years of research on gender issues and political attitudes during the high school years. Current research reveals no gender difference in levels of student political interest, efficacy, confidence, or trust. Interviews, however, suggests that females are more likely to express views on public policy. (MJP)

Discusses a study which determined empirically that potential users of new social studies materials do not perceive the attributes of the materials as has been assumed in the innovation adoption literature. Willingness to adopt new materials seems to be based upon observable benefits, degree of difficulty, investment requirements, and familiarity.…

Sex role research shows that (1) some achievement differences are related to students' sex role perceptions and teacher expectations, (2) effects on students of textbook bias against females have not been clearly demonstrated, and (3) instruction designed to reduce sex role stereotyping has had mixed results. (Author/AV)

A content analysis of 22 secondary economics textbooks revealed the textbooks to be less sex-biased than the books examined in earlier studies. However, women are still underrepresented in most of the textbooks, and little attention is given to economic realities which women face. (Author/RM)

Secondary students who regularly discussed controversial issues using a value analysis approach showed gains on the measures of political confidence, political interest, and social integration, but not on political trust. The value analysis discussions did not affect students' reading comprehension. (Author/RM)

Administered questionnaires to 1,459 secondary social studies students in the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands to examine age, gender, and country differences in adolescents' perceptions of classroom climate. Studied relationships between political attitudes and perceived classroom climate and between the use of…