Reexamines Preston's 1962 study of reading achievement of American and German boys and girls in the light of implications the study has had on the literature and compares it with recent studies. (MKM)

Investigates the gap in math and science achievement of third- and fourth-graders who live with a single parent versus those who live with two parents in 11 countries. Finds single parenthood to be less detrimental when family policies equalize resources between single- and two-parent families. Concludes that national family policies can offset…

Explores some of the differences in open classrooms as they are being implemented in the United States, Great Britain, and Israel. Comparisons are discussed in light of psychological, social, and ideological variations. (Author/DB)

Presents historical background on various winter festivals around the world including Saturnalia, Christmas, winter solstice, Yule festivals, Hannukah, Divali, and New Year's Day. Suggests how teachers can help elementary school students understand their own culture by studying these and other festivals using maps, mobiles, discussion, and reading…

Assesses self-evaluations on five specific domains of competence and on global self-worth in a sample of 151 Hong Kong Chinese boys and girls (grade 3 to 6) using the Self-Perception Profile for Children (SPPC). Although self-perceptions on the five domains could be regarded as articulated and differentiated, these domains did not emerge as…

There are three main groups of Amish: the Old Order Amish, the oldest group which is also the most strict and conservative; the Beachy Amish of Amish-Mennonites, the most liberal; and the New Order Amish, intermediate between the other two in conservatism. These three papers examine the views of education and schooling practices of these three…

Reviews the literature on the native language approach and the direct method of reading instruction for bilingual children in several countries. (MKM)

Explores the attributional orientation of underachieving students in three countries (Japan, China, and the United States). Responses from 738 students reveal that Asian students perceived controllable causes, particularly effort, to play a greater role in performance outcomes than did their American peers. Implications are discussed regarding the…

Highlights descriptions of actual school and classroom settings in Japan for comparison with U.S. schools as well as exploring teachers' work situation and their roles and responsibilities. Summarizes classroom life from the students' perspectives to provide a backdrop for understanding the teaching context in Japan. (GLR)

This paper explores how a set of curriculum reforms in the United States and England over the past 20 years may be interrelated, according to conclusions drawn from ethnographic investigation and informed by historical reflections. The discussion centers upon the case of informal, open, or progressive education, which has enjoyed a 40 plus--year…

A cross-cultural study of British and United States elementary school children's writing and reading, looking in particular at the comparative growth of syntactic maturity in the two countries as the key to both processes and the link between them, is described in this report. Five hundred sixteen children in 19 classrooms in the Nottingham area…

Discusses the history of low tolerance for different cultures and general ethnocentrism in schools in the United States. Seeks to determine if story telling and interpretation of a story by first graders in a suburban Chicago public school could stimulate interest in and expression of positive feelings for persons from a cultural background…

Designed to serve as a forum for the exchange of ideas concerning international and intercultural communication, this annual volume contains articles that cover a variety of topics. The first half of the volume contains seven articles discussing the following: (1) a pragmatic approach to mass media development in three models of developing…

Studies of causal attributions among elementary school children and their mothers in Japan and in the United States indicate that the Japanese are more likely to cite effort as the primary cause of school achievement. In the United States, ability is more frequently selected as a key factor. The characteristics of Japanese mother-child interaction…

Maintains that environmental education in New South Wales is supported as an interdisciplinary priority area. Describes an environmental education/social studies unit using children's literature. Describes six lessons and presents samples of student writing in response to assignments. (CFR)