The possible use of fiction about colleges as part of the study of higher education is considered, based on analysis of 80 student-centered college novels written by authors who attended the depicted colleges. The novels used colleges as either the subject matter or setting. Three criticisms of the idea of using fiction are discussed, including…

Mathematics anxiety and its relationship to other constructs was studied in 138 preservice elementary and special education teachers. The students, primarily women, were enrolled in a variety of professional courses and field experiences. Five instruments were administered, their factor structures were determined, and intercorrelations among the…

The influence on freshman student attrition of the group with whom a student lives (i.e., the composition or contextual character of the collegiate residence unit) was investigated. Based on Tinto's (1975) model of college student attrition, a longitudinal study was conducted at a large, independent, residential university in New York State having…

Results of the spring quarter 1975 Survey of Graduating Seniors conducted for the University of Washington's College of Arts and Sciences are presented. Respondents were categorized by undergraduate major, and the survey results were analyzed within these categories and compared with the previous year's survey results. In general, the two surveys…

Describes Australian study which investigated relationships between characteristics of disadvantaged elementary and secondary students and their participation in computing activities, both in and out of the classroom. Variables used to define disadvantaged include gender, school ability, socioeconomic status, and ethnic background. Results are…

A study in Finland examined rural students' experiences of the transition from a small rural primary school (grades 1-6) to a bigger village secondary school (grades 7-9). Qualitative data were obtained from essays written by 132 students in 13 small rural primary schools, 1 village school, and 1 city school. Students wrote the essays as…

There have been few initiatives addressing the improvement of science education for students with disabilities. Funded by the National Science Foundation, Biotechnology Works is a summer institute in immunology and genetics for students with disabilities, high school science teachers, and high school counselors. During the 1998 summer session,…

This book reports on a 3-year ethnographic study of academic achievement and schooling orientations among immigrant Mexican and Mexican American students at a Houston (Texas) high school. The study included a survey of the entire student body (2,281 students), participant observation in the school and community from 1992 to 1995, 25 open-ended…

This book documents an effort to interrupt current Aboriginal/European power relations and transform "business as usual" by altering prevailing social relations in a Canadian college classroom. The foundations of currently dominant Western educational models emphasize individual adaptation and skill development in response to the demands…

This study examined the effectiveness of an educational computing course on preservice teachers' computer use and attitudes toward computers in education. The study used data from 16 (12 female, 4 male) preservice teachers who attended the University of Southern California. Results indicated that teachers' prior computer experience shapes their…

Five Aboriginal female high school seniors at a Catholic school in Saskatoon met in "sharing circles" to discuss their experiences and perspectives on success factors for Aboriginal high school students. The medicine wheel was the framework for analyzing student narratives about spirituality; support from family, friends, teachers, and…

Compares results of a current survey with an earlier one conducted in the United Kingdom to examine microcomputer use in primary schools. Highlights include the effect of experience; teacher training; influences on software use; individual versus group use; influences on cooperative behavior; teachers' aims in using microcomputers; and future…

Analysis of 642 slang terms that college students use to characterize peers at Holy Cross College (Massachusetts) and University of California, Davis suggests that undergraduate slang usage is socially complex, the language is reflective of campus and academic life, and that it portrays undergraduate life from the perspective of dominant student…

Reports on a study of school subject preference among 566 male and 567 female students in both single-sex and coeducational British secondary schools. Finds an effect of school type for younger students only. Also finds clear effects of gender with higher rankings given to mathematics and science by boys and to art by girls. (CFR)

A longitudinal study of 101 college students investigated the ways in which their college and postcollege experiences fostered development of complexity in their assumptions about knowledge, by emphasizing independent functioning, collaboration, direct involvement in learning, and subjective decisionmaking. Results suggest these experiences be…