In the early nineteenth century, governments began to develop specialized educational programs--kindergartens and infant or nursery schools--to give children a head start in life. These programs hinged on new visions of childhood that originated in England and Europe, but what happened when they were transported to the colonies? This book unwinds…

Edited by three authorities in the field, this "Handbook" presents contributions from experts across the world who report the cutting-edge of international research. It is ground-breaking in its holistic, evidence-informed account that aims to synthesize key messages for policy and practice in English, language and literacy teaching. A…

Replicates the Asch conformity experiment (two participants pretend to misjudge a shorter line for a longer one in an attempt to influence a third participant) and applies it to 110 school children ages 3 to 17. Indicates that conformity decreases with age in perceptually ambiguous tasks. (MJP)

A case study was made of the implementation of an innovative measurement program. In this instance, curriculum implementation was seen as a process in pedagogical, occupational, and sociocultural contexts in which social groups with unequal power, and in contradictory ways, contended for control. "Beyond academic achievement" emerged as…

Examines the child-rearing attitudes and behavior of 96 mothers of preschool children living in mining and rural towns in inland Australia in terms of the influences of three factors outside the home: father's absence because of work demands, community characteristics, and mother's informational support. (HOD)

Summarizes the responses of 311 Australian and 250 Nepalese university students to the Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Discovers a moderate inverse relationship between depressive symptoms and life satisfaction among the Australian students. Discusses possible reasons for this. (MJP)

Recalls a conflict in an Australian high school where a student committee on social justice was blocked from displaying a poster discussing homophobic attitudes. Uses this incident for a broader discussion of hegemony, school culture, and how social justice initiatives threaten that hegemony. Identifies various restricting school strategies. (MJP)

Reports on a study of the relationships between social categories, defined by ethnicity, gender, and social status, and school-related outcomes among 470 16-year-old Australian adolescents and their parents. Finds that differences in students' learning environments and school outcomes were related strongly to ethnicity. (CFR)

This collection of papers investigates change and compares university education experiences worldwide, looking at it from the perspective of numbers of students, range of institutions, funding, institutional functions, boundaries, and directions, orientation of students and staff, and institutional change. After an introduction by Tom Schuler,…