The research compares principals in Israel (Jewish and Arab) and Turkey and how they perceive and practice their role in promoting social justice (SJ) in their schools in order to bridge socioeconomic and pedagogic gaps. It poses three questions: (1) How do Turkish and Israeli SJ leaders make sense of SJ? (2) What do SJ leaders do in both…

Examines the relationship between state and inspectorate in Wales by tracing the history of Harry Longueville Jones, the first Her Majesty's Inspectorate (HMI) of Church schools. Considers how he tried to shape an educational system suitable for the needs of Welsh communities. Includes a historical description of Wales. (CMK)

Literacy is inextricably linked to the social context in which literacy is taught, and in which the language is used. Cultural expectations require the use of specific literacies. Who a person is, in terms of a literacy user and a literacy worker are dictated by the culture in which a person chooses to operate. Literacy is not neutral, but an…

Curriculum development in any area should be imbued with a meaning that focuses on the cultural values of motivation, logic, and human relationships. The term "meaning" implies seeing relationships (linguistic, economic, political, moral), understanding logic, and being sensitive to the enduring values of the culture. Curriculum developers and…

This article examines sociocultural factors that should be considered in the overall assessment and education of students with learning disabilities who come from culturally diverse backgrounds, and the implications of these factors specific to development and usage of learning strategies and study skills in the classroom. (JDD)

The introductory article to this special issue on sociocultural perspectives in special education focuses on sociocultural theory in the 21st century, especially cultural shifts as a function of history, demographic shifts, power shifts to such groups as nongovernment organizations, and the importance of assuring equal access to education for…

Following an introduction by Anthony Liddicoat on the general nature of bilingualism, three papers on the characteristics, development, and advantages of bilingualism are presented. "Psycholinguistic Aspects of Bilingualism" by Susanne Dopke, Tim Macnamara, and Terry Quinn considers the linguistic, cognitive, emotional, and educational…

This position paper explores the issue of violence in northern Canadian schools and personal perceptions and reactions to the violent events. Spindler's phrase "sociocultural contextualization" is viewed as placing and examining education and the educative process within the social and cultural environment of the community served by the…

Advanced is the hypothesis that students organize their beliefs about mathematics to resolve problems that are primarily social rather than mathematical in origin. The contextuality of cognition, meaning-making, and learning in interactive situations are each discussed. (MNS)

These proceedings contain 4 keynote addresses and 88 papers concerning the theme of the conference: Contexts in Mathematics Education. The four keynote addresses are: (1) "Contemplating Cultural Context" (Bill Barton); (2) "Conceptualising Cultural and Social Contexts in Mathematics Education" (Alan Bishop); (3)…

This book is intended to bring to a wider audience research concerned with the significant influences on the quality of mathematics learning taking place in schools. The four essays are: (1) "Influences From Society" (Alan Bishop); (2) "The Socio-cultural Context of Mathematical Thinking: Research Findings and Educational…

To achieve equity in school mathematics, educators must question assumptions about its nature and worth. The article recommends a fresh look at school mathematics and its relationship to societal structure as a whole. A research and reform agenda guided by the constructs of cultural discontinuity and social inequality is suggested. (SM)

A study investigated the ability of socially handicapped Israeli students to determine a word's meaning from its linguistic context. The results and their implications for second language instruction are examined in light of current theories of context. (MSE)

Reading is construed as operating within the dynamics of the relationship of reader, text, context, and language system. Context is understood as the cultural and situational environment of the text, itself a semantic unit that is an instance of the language system. A related variable for reading is the awareness of the reader of the language…

This report uses the case of Ponam Island to show the sorts of social and economic factors that have influenced one village's response to schooling. These factors appear to have been important in affecting the relative success of educational programs in Ponam. Findings suggest that researchers and policy makers concerned with education need to pay…