Maintains that efforts to initiate classroom discussions of controversial topics often provoke uncomfortable silence. Describes a classroom exercise that encourages students to analyze from a sociological perspective classroom dynamics that make discussion difficult. (CFR)

Reports on a survey of 1,077 German students and 233 teachers about different forms of student violence. Finds that the perpetrators were nearly all male, while victims were both male and female. Observes that, in comparison with previous studies, the rate of school violence does not appear to be on the increase. (CFR)

Maintains that college students have been the object of repeated sociological research in countries formerly in the Soviet Union (USSR). Reports on a study of more than 3,000 Russian students and professors. Includes five tables indicating student attitudes toward religion, student behavior, and participation in outside-of-class cultural…

Reports the results of a questionnaire given to eighth-grade students in Moscow (Russia). Presents results on student opinions about the school environment, their teachers, their image of schools of the future, and the significance of peer groups in their lives. Includes quotes from students on each topic discussed. (CFR)

Reports on study in which 81 high school students were interviewed about group stratification and its impact on individual adolescents. Finds many students labeled as "nerds" in middle school were able to improve their self-concept and reconstruct themselves as "normal" in high school. Contends expanded range of school activities and more diverse…

Interviews with 30 Chicano adolescents in 2 Austin barrios examined the varieties of English and Spanish used by respondents and their Anglo and African American peers, functions of the language varieties, maintenance of Spanish, language shift toward English, Spanish-accented English, and ethnic and social identity. Contains 43 references.…

Indiana school district saw need to improve elementary students' achievement test scores and made commitment to change culture to ensure that all students learn well. Staff, parents, community, and students were introduced to school improvement effort based on effective schools research. Efforts show significant academic improvements in Indiana…

Reports on a study of absenteeism and truancy in 36 secondary schools in 4 large Dutch cities. Found that students in vocationally oriented schools had higher rates of truancy. Also found that non-Dutch (ethnic minority) pupils had higher rates of absenteeism and truancy. (CFR)

Describes study to identify alterable factors associated with academic achievement of economically poor Black and Hispanic middle- and high-school students. Compares 361 high- and low-achievers on social-psychological variables. Results suggest specific actions educators can take to encourage achievement. (MW)

Interviews were conducted with a small group of multilingual students in an adult literacy class to examine how, at the individual student level, everyday literacy practices differ and intersect with a number of linguistic, cultural, and situational variables, and thus, how students' literacy needs differ in terms of a literacy program. (39…

Interviews with 39 rural North Carolina students with, or at risk for, behavioral disorders found that they responded to social isolation by creating their own school subculture that reinforced their marginalization and negatively affected academic competence. Educators must consider the relationship between social interaction and learning.…

Examines yobiko, Japanese supplementary education system which prepares high school graduates who didn't pass college entrance examinations (ronin students) to retake tests. Examines ways yobiko tracks and places graduates. Examines system's relations to high-school tracking and subcultures. Examines current reforms and yobiko's impact on ronins'…

Explores the concept of youth culture in South Africa, examining its emergence and development. The historical background supports a framework to inform the debate on policy strategies to deal with negative aspects of current South African youth culture. An agenda is suggested for redirecting youth culture. (SLD)

Reports of a 1974 study that examined the influence of dormitory residency on student leisure activities, especially student activism. Using questionnaires from 760 University of Hong Kong resident and nonresident undergraduates, demonstrates that living in dormitories increased likelihood of becoming activist through increasing social interaction…

In 1975, behavior of Haskell Indian Junior College freshmen as a whole fit a pattern of cultural marginality, with traditional students exhibiting more pronounced marginal behavior than nontraditional students, reflecting the Haskell social environment. Students' ACT and GPA scores appeared meaningless, supporting the idea of an educational…