This paper discusses preschool teacher competencies and personality traits but makes no attempt to establish a picture of an ideal teacher. Five personal qualities necessary for success with young children--good physical and mental health, fondness and respect for children, a sympathetic understanding of their capacities and ways of growing, an…

Considers two aspects of knowing language, besides grammar and vocabulary, that are often understressed: 1) perspective taking (through rhythm and intonation) and 2) manipulation of language variation. This observation is discussed in relation to the contrast between incidental and intentional learning, and an argument is made for an intimate…

This study examined the development of empathy and role-taking skills in 194 Finnish students in Grades 6 and 9. Students wrote a story about a moral conflict in their school involving themselves or their friends. Story content and theme were analyzed and compared across age groups. Findings indicated that the themes of conflicts could be…

Presents moral development as consisting of reasoning and action. Analyzes it from the perspective of small-group processes and behaviors. Discusses the bureaucratic and authoritarian nature of the school system and suggests it mitigates against moral behavior and reasoning. Concludes that schools should promote moral education toward action.…

Observers coded student-teacher classroom discussions and laboratory conversations which could be described as advisement, interpretation, confirmation, or reflection. All four verbal response modes imply presumption of knowledge of the person addressed. As hypothesized, teachers were more presumptuous than students, suggesting a link to social…

Describes a classroom-based research project that studied the development of social skills of eight heterogeneously grouped deaf students, ages 8 and 9. Activities that fostered empathy development are described, as well as ways students learned and applied an understanding of perspectives in communication exchanges, literacy development, and…

Examined in 2 studies development and consequences of 6- to 10-year-olds' awareness of others' stereotypes. Findings indicated that children's ability to infer an individual's stereotype and awareness of broadly-held stereotypes increased with age. Academically stigmatized groups (African American and Latino) were more likely to be aware of…

Examines the use of role play for early childhood teachers so that they may better understand children's emotions and behavior, better understand teachers' emotions and behavior, sort out and respond to children's needs, and discover new strategies for dealing with problem situations and challenging children. Offers advice for using role play with…

Introduces the Reflective Judgment model of intellectual development which illustrates how reasoning skills develop in adulthood and relates this to multicultural education at the college level. The model can inform instruction and help students think about complex issues from different perspectives. (MJP)

A program for Canadian middle school students addressed bias, specifically bias toward First Nations people, through the arts. Students progressed through an antibias continuum containing four stages: no awareness of bias, awareness of bias, political correctness, and transfer to personal life. A survey of 123 students attributed program success…

Analyzes the difficulty of depicting a round world on a flat surface by identifying distortions in the traditional Mercator Projection. Questions whether its Eurocentric bias culturally conditions students. Presents other world maps that attempt to resolve more fairly the shape/area problem, including some drawn with computers. Encourages teachers…

Discusses a series of steps and strategies that teachers can use to work with and help "troubled" children. (BB)

Studied development of moral reasoning in friendship conflicts by interviewing 120 children, ages 7, 9, and 12, using a moral dilemma narrative. Selected four issues to represent the levels of sociomoral reasoning. Showed sociomoral reasoning development is sequential and cumulative. Identified how commitment and responsibility progress in…

Ontario Agri-Food Education's curriculum unit, "From Both Sides," applies a cooperative-learning method of conflict resolution to environmental issues. Two groups of students are assigned polar views on an issue such as pesticide use. Five steps involve preparing and presenting a position, refuting opposing positions, reversing…

Maintains that in an increasingly multicultural and globally interdependent world, learning to value diversity will become a curriculum imperative. Outlines two activities designed to facilitate this goal. The activities consist of students examining either random facts or visual images that reflect global perspectives, and responding to…