The recent conceptualization of organizations as "open" adaptive systems rather than "closed" systems has lead to increased interest in the relationship between the organization and its significant environmental influences. In order to study the perceived sources of internal (organizational) and external (environmental)…

Results of a survey aimed at determining the role and function of department heads at eight U.S. colleges and universities are presented. Two colleges were selected for each of four categories of institutions: service academies, military colleges, former military colleges and nonmilitary colleges. Data are provided on: departmental emphasis,…

This paper begins by reviewing the literature on social perceptions and attitudes in terms of the black self-concept. Issues discussed here are culture conditioning and marginality, self-concept, social perception and attitudes, interrelationships between attitudes and perceptions, and the influence of cultural values and beliefs. Problems and…

The conference report on cooperative vocational education contains four main sections. The first, background papers, contains three papers: Education in a Changing Society, Carl H. Madden; A Prospectus for Cooperative Vocational Education, William F. Pierce; and Critical Issues in Cooperative Vocational Education, Robert M. Worthington. The second…

The objective of the research reported here was to discover and describe two sets of categories used by teachers in perceiving and thinking about their students--one set common to all or nearly all teachers from inner-city schools with Afro-American enrollments; and the other set common to all or nearly all teachers from suburban schools with…

The document reports a 10-year seminar effort to consider a framework for a series of inquiries valuable to all institutions engaged in curriculum development or programing. The work reported includes the study of the professional role of the extension adult educator and identifies concepts, propositions, procedures, and a model for use in…

A federally funded research study, Project Equality, employed nonsexist teaching materials and inservice teacher training to expand the occupational and social role perceptions of pupils. Ninety-one volunteer pilot group teachers and their K-6 classes, representing a socioeconomically varied school district in Seattle, Washington, participated in…

A survey examined the perceived roles and competencies of school personnel and parents involved in the transition planning process for special education students, and compared these perceptions in rural and nonrural areas. The study took place in two parts: first, a field study validated the questions in the survey instrument; second, the survey…

This research combines personal experience and a literature review to explore the issue of duality of social positioning of Australian ethnic minority girls. Caught between the minority cultural values and the larger culture's values of girls' education and multiculturalism, the dualism causes conflict within many minority girls. Of particular…

This study examines the perceptions of teachers in one school as they implemented shared decision making (SDM) over a period of over 2 years. Data from 100 interviews with 54 respondents including teachers, administrators, and other staff are analyzed. The changes the teachers experienced are examined at varying levels of SDM involvement from a…

Expectations of young adults concerning their future participation in four adult life roles (occupation, parenthood, marriage, homecare) were examined by comparing the responses of 301 male and 354 female college students from intact families, single-parent families, and stepfamilies on the Life Roles Salience Scales (LRSS). The results indicated…

This study was conducted to analyze the process of learning to teach from the perspective of the student teacher. Issues associated with how student teachers perceive experiences contributing to their learning process form the basis of the analysis. Data referred to come from a larger study conducted over 3 years which explored the perceptions of…

This paper presents a critical analysis of events that surrounded the efforts of four mothers to gain access to the educational decision-making process. A basic premise is that a hegemonic relationship based upon gender pervades American education. The roles of administrator and parent are "gendered" concepts that affect the ways that…

Emphasizing critical thinking as the source of renewal and survival of organizations, this document begins by analyzing the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the destruction of the space shuttle Challenger as examples of inadequate critical thinking. The role of management education in promoting critical thinking is explored as well as the need for a…

A study examined the meanings 20 student (physical education) teachers gave to their student teaching experiences. Investigated were the student teachers' definitions of role competence and incompetence. A critical incident report form, on which student teachers recorded two specific incidents occurring during student teaching (one dealing with…