Studied the effectiveness of sociodramatic goal-oriented role play and non-goal-oriented role play on locus of control in Black fifth-grade students (N=53). Results showed that internal locus of control significantly increased for the students who participated in the sociodramatic goal-oriented role play. (LLL)

Examines the impact of a violence prevention program among African American students in two inner-city schools in Chicago. Students in 5th through 8th grade participated in Second Step: A Violence Prevention Program, and completed surveys at pretest and posttest. Findings reveal significant increases in self-reported knowledge and skills,…

Administered Child Depression Inventory to 139 Black urban sixth graders. Results indicated that level of depression was significantly related to current reading level, grade point average, and reading achievement. Discusses two theories that relate depression and learning, the first concerning teaching of problem-solving skills and the second…

Self-reported internalizing symptoms of seriously emotionally disturbed (SED) and regular education students were compared using the Internalizing Symptoms Scale for Children. The SED group reported significantly higher levels of internalizing distress than the regular education group. Results are discussed in terms of future research needs and…

The release from proactive interference task as used to investigate categorical encoding of items. Low socioeconomic status Black and middle socioeconomic status White children were compared. Conceptual encoding differences between these populations were not detected in automatic conceptual encoding but were detected when the free recall method…

Investigated relationship between anxiety and self-esteem of a group of middle school children, many of whom were Black. Findings from 53 sixth and seventh graders support hypothesis that there would be significant inverse relationship between measures of anxiety (state and trait) and measures of self-esteem of preadolescent students. (NB)

This study of mathematics and science attitudes of 117 African-American gifted middle grade students found significant gender differences in attitude toward success in mathematics and perceptions of mathematics as a male domain. No significant grade differences or interactions were found in any of the variables. (Author/JDD)

Examined learning styles of African-American, Chinese-American, Greek-American, and Mexican-American fourth, fifth, and sixth graders who completed Learning Style Inventory and Group Embedded Figures Test. Found children from different areas of American subculture had different patterns of preferred learning strategies. Findings suggest need for…

This study examined determinants of underachievement perceived by 148 gifted and nongifted black students in grades 5 and 6. Findings suggest that psychological factors and peer pressures played the greatest role in underachievement and indicate the existence of a paradox of underachievement whereby black underachievers support the achievement…

Studied racial and sex differences in mathematics performance among elementary school students using data from the 1996 California Achievement Test in Louisiana for 4,670 fourth graders and 2,542 sixth graders. Results show some superiority in computation for African Americans, with the highest performance by black girls. Whites performed better…

Effects of desegregation on interethnic attitudes, interethnic contact, and self-esteem of fifth and sixth grade Blacks, Whites and Mexican Americans were investigated. All groups were found to be highly ethnocentric. White and Black students from segregated backgrounds had more negative attitudes toward out-group and in-group members after…

Examined the effect of communal learning, peer tutoring, and individual learning on the text recall of African American fifth graders. Students completed surveys assessing their preference for communal beliefs and behaviors, participated in groups, and recalled text. Communal learning group students recalled the most text. Communal beliefs…

Participation of 1,715 fourth-grade students in family outing activities was compared across three racial groups and used to predict reading and math achievement. Results indicate participation differed across racial groups, and participants were higher achievers than nonparticipatnts. Specific predictors are discussed. (Author/MT)

Implemented program to decrease incidence of new smokers among black adolescents. Program combined school-based curriculum with comprehensive media intervention. There were two experimental conditions: one group participated in school-based intervention and was prompted to participate in multimedia intervention; other group had access to…

Tells the story of three African American children's responses to literature by and about African Americans, showing the importance of connecting literature to the lives and interests of children. (SR)