Most faculty are neither sufficiently skilled nor psychologically disposed to perform competently and find rewards in the range of tasks required of them. Addressing the teaching role alone, the "knowledge transfer" subrole is disaggregated here into four technologies with associated skill sets and personality dispositions; it is argued that…

Contends that the general development acquired in preschool provides the foundation for a child's acquisition for any specialized kind of knowledge and assimilation of various activities. Views the organization of public preschool education as the creation of equal starting conditions for the shaping of the preschooler's personality, particularly…

Children's lives are infused with stories at home, at school or the library, and in the media. This article discusses how to harness the power of literature and use it to develop positive character traits in young children. Storytelling is a fundamental way in which human beings process and share events as well as the feelings surrounding those…

In commenting on the five articles in this special issue, this paper discusses (1) the concept of child and adolescent psychopathy, and whether adolescent psychopaths are qualitatively distinct from other young people; (2) the measurement of adolescent psychopathy; (3) the relationship between psychopathy and other personality dimensions; (4)…

Some perspectives on society, family and childhood leave us with the impression that contemporary children are growing up in a post-traditional society that has decisively broken away from previous values. Based on a representative study of specific maternal childrearing values in a Scandinavian welfare society (Denmark) this article will present…

Some researchers suggest that having a learning disability (LD) may act as a risk factor, increasing the likelihood that adolescents experience more negative outcomes in many areas of their lives. However, researchers have yet to examine in one study how having LD with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is related to a…

Resiliency is the ability to cope in the face of adversity. One protective factor that promotes resiliency in substance-abusing dysfunctional families is family rituals and traditions. Social workers and substance abuse counselors can teach family members how to instill resiliency in their families and themselves through rituals and traditions. To…

This article discusses William James's notion, propounded in his "Varieties of Religious Experience" (1902), that authentic religious experience should be evidenced in mature moral functioning--"the value of saintliness". Support for this and his other ideas relevant to the intersection of morality and religion was adduced from a review of current…

Working closely with others often gives rise to conflicts as each individual is driven by different and usually conflicting preoccupations and concerns. This article discusses the 3,000 year old 9-sided star-shaped paradigm known as Enneagram and how it is advantageous to early childhood professionals. This personality inventory purports that…

For decades, researchers and practitioners have attempted to find evidence for a personality stereotype in individuals with Down syndrome that includes a pleasant, affectionate, and passive behaviour style. However, a more nuanced exploration of personality-motivation in Down syndrome reveals complexity beyond this pleasant stereotype, including…

Current practice for assessing children and adolescents rely on objectively scored deficit-based models and/or informal assessments to determine how maladaptive behaviors affect performance. Social-emotional assessment instruments are used in schools and typically provide information related to behavioral and emotional deficits, but provide little…

A workshop was attended by 36 instructors from departments of education in colleges and universities throughout Ohio for the purpose of identifying criteria for teacher selection. The participants sought to determine ways to achieve a fit between the selection committee's values, perceptions, and personality characteristics and the teacher…

The paper reports findings of a study describing and analyzing the creative and social behavior of four highly original children in the context of 1 year's preschool experience. Videotape, interview, participant observation, and artifact data were collected to construct the descriptions. The study attempted to answer the following questions: (1)…

Described is the teacher selection and training component of Purdue University's "Super Saturday" program which offers 30 to 40 enrichment courses to 500 gifted students from preschool through grade 12. Stressed are the personal and psychological traits sought in program teachers and the development of teaching skills and competencies.…

Presents a model of second language acquisition based on the social-psychology of acculturation, including factors in social, affective, personality, cognitive, biological, aptitude, personal, input, and instructional areas. Studies which test this model are reviewed and evaluated. (Author/CB)