The report on values education in cross-cultural studies applies the methods of cultural anthropology to values education and provides guidelines for the selection, organization, and application of values education. It is designed for use by teachers and curriculum developers. The major features of five approaches to values education are…

Comprised of excerpts from the Responsive Classroom Newsletter, this book details practices for use during the beginning of the elementary school year to build a foundation for a successful school year. Chapter 1, "The First Six Weeks of School: Building the Foundation for a Successful Year" (Ruth Charney and Marlynn Clayton) introduces…

This report summarizes a three-year project to design a graduate level course in ethics and scientific research at Dartmouth College (New Hampshire). The goals of the project were: (1) to train faculty to teach a course in research ethics, (2) to pilot-teach a graduate course in ethics and scientific research, and (3) to develop teaching materials…

In child-centered education programs, children construct their own knowledge from their experiences and interactions with the world around them, and teachers foster children's growth and development by building on children's interests, needs, and strengths within a safe and caring environment. The Step by Step educational partnership developed a…

This book of essays explores the explicit and hidden curriculum of sexuality from kindergarten through college. The 15 interrelated essays challenge conventional assumptions regarding sexuality and the curriculum by applying non-traditional perspectives to traditionally unresolved problems while proposing specific curricular strategies and…

This study investigated student teachers' views on their best and worst teachers' characteristics. Students in four sections of a sophomore-level teacher education program prerequisite course were required to write half-page descriptions of their best and worst teachers from elementary and high school, focusing on the behaviors and attitudes that…

This paper discusses practices, issues, and trends in Japanese middle school education that have bearing on U.S. education, grouping them into four categories. Section 1, "School Reform," discusses central control of education, opportunities for student creativity, improved teacher education, and the examination system. Section 2,…

Articulates an expanded vision of citizenship education that incorporates two powerful reform movements: character education and community service. Addresses the reservations teachers have about initiating these programs and provides suggestions for organization and administration. Includes a list of student-designed citizenship education…

Offers some examples of integrating character education into curriculum and instruction through service learning and provides a rationale for incorporating service learning throughout the grades. Briefly summarizes educational research supporting service learning and identifies five critical elements of service learning projects. Provides a list…

Examines the planning, implementation, and mission of the Clearinghouse for Character Education at California State University, Fresno. Materials collected at the Clearinghouse include samples of model programs, research, contacts for program development, and instructional resources for teachers, schools, and districts interested in character…

Reports on the background and philosophical base of the Community of Caring program. Originally started as a teen pregnancy prevention effort, the program has grown to include teacher training, values discussion, student forums, parent involvement, and community service learning. The program is sponsored through the Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation.…

Formulates a pedagogical position that articulates religious experience as complementary to formal-rational thought. Recent postmodernist criticism has located secular thinking as a coequal position to subjective religious experience on the now-leveled philosophical playing field. Explores what this newfound (academic) respectability means for…

Traces the origins of Protestant and Jewish religious educators' ideas about the role of religious education in building a multicultural democracy. Maintains that Protestant and Jewish educators were brought together by common interests in transforming religious education, along progressive lines, into character education. (MJP)

Provides a brief history of character education and categorizes current efforts. Recommends combining civic participation programs with character education in an attempt to provide consistency, depth, and support. Notes that civic participation programs teach a recognized set of values, use interactive teaching strategies, and promote critical…

Presents a strategically designed plan of moral education that was incorporated into a physical education curriculum. The plan enhanced the social skill development of elementary school students identified as at risk for dysfunctional behavior. The program helped improve communication skills and increase cooperation and sharing among students. (SM)