Presents the results from a cross-cultural research project that explored adolescents' interpretation of the social contract (obligations, rights, and responsibilities between individuals and society) in seven countries, including Australia, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. Includes appendices and…

Based on data from two national surveys of U.S. and Canadian eleventh-grade students, this article reviews findings concerning computer literacy, computers' integration with curricula, and gender equity. Recommendations stress the importance of curriculum evaluation, inservice training, and teachers' use of computers. Includes eight references.…

The research for this study was undertaken to analyze the New York State 11th grade United States History Regents exams through conducting a content analysis of the types of multiple-choice questions asked in Part I of the tests with a particular emphasis on the variety of questions asked regarding women and race. Because these tests stand at the…

Interviewed 11th-grade students in the United States, Taiwan, and Japan. Studying, interacting with peers, and watching television were the most frequently reported activities in each location. Chinese students spent more time in academic endeavors, and Japanese students spent more time attending school, than did American students. American…

The present study uses item response theory (IRT) to establish comparability between the English and Portuguese versions of the Goal Instability Scale (GIS), a measure of generalized motivation. A total of 2,848 American and 679 Portuguese high school students were administered their respective language versions of the GIS. Results showed only…

This paper describes two studies conducted with high school students doing library research and writing research papers, with the objective of examining the effectiveness of this type of assignment. The students were all in grade 11, the first group in Canada, the second in the United States. Students were observed in the classroom before they…

In spring 2005, the Educational Policy Institute was contracted by an anonymous, non-profit, Missouri-based organization to conduct analysis of data from a series of focus groups of 7th, 9th, and 11th grade students. The purpose of the focus groups, conducted by the Change and Innovation Agency in Jefferson City, was to examine the postsecondary…

GRADES OR AGES: Grades 8-12. SUBJECT MATTER: Social studies; civilizations. ORGANIZATION AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE: The guide is divided into 12 chapters, most of which are in list form. It is mimeographed and staple-bound with a paper cover. OBJECTIVES AND ACTIVITIES: No specific activities are mentioned. The guide is intended as an overview of the…

The aim of this teaching unit is to develop the students' ability to deal with stereotypes of the foreign people and culture, including the people's stereotypes of themselves ("autostereotypes"). Within the framework of the autostereotype "American Mission," the "George Washington Mythos" is discussed. (Text is in…

This study examined Chinese students' self-presentation bias and continuing motivation for difficult and easy tasks. Students read scenarios about characters who performed tasks, then answered questions about whether the characters and they themselves would do another similar task. Results revealed self-presentation bias among Chinese students…

Surveys of attitudes toward multiculturalism of 190 Canadian eleventh graders, 584 eleventh graders from the United States, and 350 tenth graders from India indicate that despite general agreement with socialized abstract principles of democracy, students in the United States and Canada are not very tolerant of divergent cultural perspectives.…

This investigation examined students attending U.S. and Canadian visual and performing arts secondary schools for distinguishing personality characteristics, locus of control, acceptance of talents, labeling, family dynamics, anxiety levels, perceived personal and school problems, and views of peers, artists/teachers, and counselors. One hundred…

Two naturalistic research studies observed 45 eleventh grade students carrying out research paper assignments, and a third such study focused on 26 third grade students. The studies took place in Alberta (Canada) in 1993, Texas in 1996, and Washington state in 1999. From data analyzed in the interviews and written documents, the initial findings…