Explains growth pole theory, which is the theory that growth manifests itself at poles of growth, rather than everywhere at once. Applies this theory to community college development, and offers advice for implementing growth poles by taking an entrepreneurial approach to education. (NB)

The sociocultural paradigm in educational research, emphasizing the situatedness of learning and the embeddedness of thought in cultural and linguistic practices, has called into question the plausibility of the enterprise of teaching general thinking skills. In this paper I argue that the sociocultural research programme needs an adequate…

In British adult education Marxism has been a persistent if marginalised current that has consistently informed its more radical movements and practitioners. This article firstly introduces some contested Marxist perspectives on adult education, particularly around the issues of ideology and incorporation into bourgeois society. Secondly, it…

This examination of the reproduction of cultural norms focuses on ways in which the hidden curriculum facilitates cultural reproduction. The conceptual framework outlined in this paper emerged from a five-month observation study of a tenth-grade social studies class located in a predominantly working-class school. During the on-going data…

Examines factors that contribute to changes in teachers over time and the meanings that teachers attach to such factors. Indicates, among other things, that students have a humanizing effect on teachers. Qualitative data are discussed in terms of Turner's theoretical discussion of self and symbolic interaction theory. (TRS)

This study examined how the promotion of choice in three schools affected the structure of early adolescent peer culture. The very structure of the roles and incentive systems in the schools, by failing to address the social context of individualism, fostered an ethos of possessive individualism. (RM)

Critical theory is applied to determine why larger numbers of children are now identified as having special needs; acquiring such labels is found to be the result of complex social, economic, and political considerations. Explanations for educational problems are offered at three levels: personal/interpersonal, environmental/institutional, and…

Maintains that social science mistakenly has emphasized symmetry (social forces that correct disequilibrium and maintain balance) over asymmetry (antithetical forces that support and embody divergent thinking). Calls for a more open, intuitive, and creative approach to research and methodology. (MJP)

This paper explores the insights of five social theorists regarding families, schools, and parent-teacher relations. The five theorists are: (1) Urie Bronfenbrenner, a child psychologist and advocate of public policies that support families, who argues that frequent, positive communication between parents and teachers creates the optimal…

A number of sociological research findings on middle class bias of the traditional public school are reviewed. Unless the effective schools research movement expands to include alternative educational research structures in its research efforts, it may fail to find effective schools that are equally effective for both low and middle socioeconomic…

In this paper the research on gender and Full-Range Leadership is documented and explored. Included is consideration of research that studied Full-Range Leadership directly as well as indirect study that contributed to the field of research on Full-Range Leadership. The paper culminates in a series of recommendations for future research. It is…

The future theory and practice of distance education is considered in light of social theory, particularly social structures and systems. Distance education as a multi-national instructional industry is discussed, theories of teaching and learning are described, and 39 references are provided. (LRW)

Presents a historical overview of the social and educational theories popular in 19th-century Russia. Educators and reformers constantly argued over the contradictory efforts to raise educational standards without threatening the status quo. Identifies preeminent educational movements and their leading adherents. (MJP)

Attempts a reevaluation of Emile Durkheim's contributions to the sociology of education. Considers Durkheim's influence on the pedagogical theories of John Dewey and vice-versa. Concludes with an examination of Durkheim's theories as they relate to the conflict between resistance and socialization. (MJP)

Many feminists have written about working within a tension between poststructuralist theories and activist work based on more "modern" imperatives associated with "taking a stand" against oppression. These discussions of a praxis of "willful contradiction" are helpful in thinking about the theoretical bases of poststructural approaches to…