Already a standard technique in anthropology, the life history method is widely used in the development of oral and local history, and within educational and social science research the method is growing in popularity. This is in large part due to the growing respectability of qualitative research in general. Part I of this paper explains the life…

A study was conducted to examine the act of mothering from the perspective of women who chose to work at home full time, as mothers of their own children and as family day care providers of very young children at risk of abuse and neglect. Through life history interviews, the study examined the caregivers' present and past lives, and explored the…

Presents findings of a survey of 63 ALA-accredited library education programs asked to list specific titles presented in their reference courses. Tables provide data from 31 schools: total number presented at each; total number by category; specific titles by category; and distribution by number and by category. (JD)

Tested typology classifying 326 incarcerated delinquent boys as buoyant or beset, depending on their level of anxiety and depression at intake. Findings revealed that two types of boys differed in some aspects of life history and personality, buoyant type adjusted better to institution's group-oriented treatment approach, buoyant and beset boys…

Describes an exercise that addresses a number of developmental issues in a family and parenting class. The exercise requires students to write a semiautobiographical personal letter. Reports that students responded favorably to this exercise, suggesting a number of beneficial outcomes. Recommendations for instructors are provided. (KO)

Reports on a study that examined collections of biographies of women in four elementary school libraries. Data are presented on collection size, distribution of male and female biographies in proportion to the student population, representation of ethnic groups, literary quality, and currency. A list of 49 recommended women's biographies is…

It is well documented that individuals with poor verbal, reading and writing skills face disadvantages. However, many individuals with such difficulties lead successful lives. This project investigated the ways in which ten individuals have achieved success despite difficulties with literacy and learning. The life stories are presented in digital…

During qualitative empirical research on the biographical learning processes of women due to transitions in their work situation, this theoretical, methodological theme arose that was intriguing to the researcher: the relationship between the learning processes of the women interviewed and of the researcher on one hand and the stories that were…

In terms of the attention that they have attracted from researchers, and in comparison with teachers of other subjects, religious education specialists would seem to be a neglected and marginalized group. This paper looks at some of the reasons why this might be and also describes a study that is using a life history approach to explore what it is…

The question of what it means to be a man or woman as one moves through life was explored through a series of interviews with 28 grandparents who all lived in eastern Scotland. They ranged in age from 50 to nearly 80 and ranged in background from deprived to wealthy. The interviewees were asked to reflect on the historical changes that had…

A research project examined the issues of how teachers' cultural identities and school experiences affect their definitions of themselves as teachers, and how their identities affect their teaching. The project was a qualitative inquiry, based on reciprocal and interactive relationships. Researchers began by identifying education students who…

This fifth volume of a six-volume study of a school district code-named "Milford" sketches life histories and careers of the school's original faculty some 15 years after the school was founded. Section I outlines the study's problems and procedures; describes the faculty as a group of true believers initially characterized by humor, inexperience,…

Crystallizing experiences are defined as those which involve remarkable and memorable contact between a person with unusual talent, or potential, and the materials of the field in which the talent will be manifested. Several biographies of talented people in several disciplines including music, mathematics, and visual arts are discussed. Examples…

This study examined the tides of educational thought of New Zealand teachers from the 1920s-1990s, taking information from a study of the educational life histories of 150 teachers and former teachers ages 21-98. Using case studies, the paper discusses the impact of student-centered learning ideas in secondary schools from the 1950s-1980s. (SM)

Reviews Experience Mayhew's book, "Indian Converts" (1727) and changing scholarly interpretations of literacy effects on Native Americans living on Martha's Vineyard. Traces the history of the Mayhew missionary family from 1641 to the 1720s and the establishment of the Indian Library. Examines the cultural implications of literacy and…