Although minimum competency testing is increasingly popular, there is presently a paucity of information on teachers' and principals' use of and attitudes toward these testing programs. Therefore, a study examined the use and perceived impact of standardized reading tests in Puerto Rico and compared these results to the results of a similar study…

Examination of the ideology and behavior surrounding childhood marijuana use in Jamaica, and the way in which it is articulated with the domestic and school life of children in two rural communities, shows that parents expect marijuana to increase household productivity, enhance academic performance, and ensure families' health and strength. (CMG)

This study compared the culture-dependent attitudes of Finnish teachers (N=147) and American teachers (N=160) toward gifted education. The teachers from both countries represented preservice teachers, regular classroom teachers, and teachers of the gifted. Emphasis was on the relationship of attitude to culture from which the teacher came. The…

Examines the similarities and differences in beliefs about the effective teaching of mathematics held by teachers from two different sociocultural backgrounds. Data were collected using a part of the Teacher General Classroom Process Questionnaire of the second IEA Mathematics Study. (Author)

Reports a study of concepts of professionalism among secondary-school teachers in India and England. Suggests the meaning of "professionalism" in India may not necessarily involve the same notions of autonomy or power that it does in England. Proposes this is a residue of the Indian colonial experience. (DHP)

Study examined perceived competence of school health educators in Taiwan and Florida and effectiveness of the Self-Assessment for the Health Educator instrument. In both groups, teachers rated perceived usefulness of health educator skills higher than perceived level of competence. Results suggest the instrument may help in examining professional…

Reports survey findings on job satisfaction and other work attitudes among 686 secondary teachers in northern England. Compares results to those from four other countries. Provides background on the British teacher's changing role in light of radical educational reforms and teacher labor disputes in the 1980s. Contains 27 references. (SV)

Reports a cross-cultural analysis of dispositions and philosophical beliefs underpinning the ethical dimension of exemplary teachers' roles. Knowing students is a necessary condition for caring; respect is indispensable for establishing classroom relationships; and an ethic of care is a prerequisite for effective teaching and optimal student…

Compared parent and teacher expectations concerning development and learning in 3- to 5-year-olds in Finland and Ireland. Found that both Irish and Finnish teachers consider social skills with peers the most important for preschoolers; however, Irish teachers stressed language and preacademic skills, while Finnish teachers stressed…

A review of the school-effectiveness literature found that the concept of school effectiveness has been shaped by researchers and policymakers, not by those being asked to implement the concept. This paper presents findings of a study that sought to establish an understanding of what "school effectiveness" meant to the people involved in…

This paper explores the presence of "groupism" in Japan; that is, the phenomenon that youth in Japan are seen in groups and very seldom alone. The text focuses on "groupism" and what that means for schooling practices in both Japan and the United States. Cultural comparisons between the two countries examine the typical…

This report describes the outcomes of a study that investigated how Chinese educators and researchers have implemented programs for the gifted in 11 elementary schools (28 teachers and 112 gifted students), in Taiwan. The most frequently used alternatives for gifted students in Taiwan were found to be separate classes and pull-out programs. A…

Nearly parallel studies in two different cultural settings are compared. The interpretations teachers make of students' classroom behavior was the aspect of teacher cognition discussed. One study took place in southern California while the other was done in west central France. The participation of "problem" and "non-problem"…

This document consists of the two issues of the journal "Visual Arts Research" published in 1995. This journal focuses on the theory and practice of visual arts education from educational, historical, philosophical, and psychological perspectives. Number 1 of this volume includes the following contributions: (1) "Children's Sensitivity to…

Focuses on potential usefulness of eliciting "critical incidents" that occur in multicultural supervision. Ethnic minority interns were asked to describe a positive critical incident related to multicultural issues. Results, presented under the three groupings of "openness and support,""culturally relevant…