The nature and purpose of US colleges is explored within the framework of student development and its relationship to social change. Data were gathered during a 5-year study on the educational, vocational and personality development of 10,000 graduating high school seniors. A strong relationship was found between college entrance, level of ability…

Outlines some legal and psychological issues surrounding student groups meeting on public school grounds. Describes two studies designed to measure students' ability to understand equal access policies. Study subjects included students in grades 4, 7, 10, and college undergraduates. (MLF)

Describes an early-entrance program which enables gifted adolescents to enter college without attending high school. A study involving 31 participants indicated varying degrees of comfort in diverse social situations; however, all believed themselves to be more mature than had they gone to high school. (Author/CR)

Explores the process of personal and social transformation involved in becoming a mature student through the construction of four narratives derived from the biographical accounts of 21 students entering higher education. Demonstrates the gendered nature of conceptions of self in these accounts. Shows that education is a key site for the…

Since the report of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher education (1997) on university teaching in the UK, there has been increasing emphasis on the professionalization of university teaching. Following the expansion of higher education, and widening student diversity there is even more of a need for teachers to teach well. Pedagogical…

A longitudinal study of 68 college-educated men, studied when freshmen and upperclassmen and also in their early 30's, examined the academic predictors of maturity and a wide range of adult competencies. SAT scores, achievement tests, college grades, faculty ratings, and honors were related to measures of psychological immaturity. Implications for…

Reports on a study of the intellectual and socio-emotional orientations of younger and older (over 26 years) undergraduate students. Describes a typology of characteristics of the two groups and discusses the effects of age, circumstances, and prior life experiences upon student motivation and learning. (SK)

Determined if self-esteem is related to emotional maturity. Scores from 200 male and female college students on Coopersmith's Self-Esteem Inventory and on the Washburne Social-Adjustment Inventory were correlated. Students high in self-esteem were found to be more emotionally mature than students low in self-esteem. (Author)

Found peer-counseling training for Black students in a predominantly White university to be significant in furthering psychological growth. There was movement in the areas of moral reasoning and ego development as measured by the Defining Issues Test and the Sentence Completion Test. Advocates providing programs aimed at improving psychological…

The results of a study designed to determine the relationship between time students on preceptorships spend in the emergency room and their self-judged anxiety while working there is reported. As a result of this study, program administrators have encouraged preceptors to expand emergency room experience. (Author/MLW)

Investigated relationships between career maturity and Holland's (1985a) constructs of congruence, consistency, and differentiation among individuals with (N=76) and without learning disabilities (N=106). Also examined the relationship between Holland's Investigative personality type and career maturity in individuals with and without learning…

Teacher candidates with mature life experiences offer the strongest potential for connecting with at-risk students, and alternative certification can bring them into the classroom. This paper discusses the following: how mature teachers provide needed supports to at-risk students, who comprises this group of teachers, and how mature teachers can…

The competencies of the university secretary were studied at the University of Southern Maine. In addition to developing position descriptions, competencies that distinguish effective performers were also identified. Based on results of interviews with 24 secretaries, a competency-based model was developed. Fourteen competencies were categorized…

Three broad views of the educated person (classical, pragmatic, and moral) are analyzed. It is suggested that only the moral approach focuses clearly on the development of the learner as the primary end of education. To construct any general education curriculum, liberal learning goals must be determined. (Author/MLW)

This paper examines the writings of Dorothy Harris and other authors, from a psychosocial perspective of sport involvement. It explores ways self-perceptions, social factors, and cognitive and biological maturity interact to explain females' physical activity participation; it proposes a heuristic model to represent an interactional approach. (SM)