In a speech on minimum competency testing, the author discusses four issues which are still unresolved. The first is the need to recognize the political overtones which gave impetus to the competency movement as a reaction against the perceived failures of the schools and teacher education institutions, rather than as a concern for student…

Situational theory was used to isolate two kinds of publics from a sample of 294 journalism and business students to determine whether journalism majors would fit better into different publics and use different cognitive strategies than would students more interested in or more favorable toward business. In contrast to the traditional "domino"…

The extent to which second year medical students increased their positivity to psychiatry and changed their orientation toward the patient as a person, following a Behavioral Science course, was measured in two successive years. Mastery of the cognitive aspects of the course was also assessed. While performance significantly improved on the…

This paper questions public attitudes of disparagement toward child care that is privately arranged in neighborhood homes, and cites research to show that the widespread non-use of organized facilities is based on realistic alternative patterns of day care behavior. Some determinants of day care use are discussed, and an understanding of…

This study attempted to test, and in some instances develop, measures of values in a manpower training experience. An inquiry was made into the construct validity of measures of risk taking, time perspective, interpersonal trust, and fatalism. Factor analysis was used as a device for partly assessing the construct validity of a questionnaire by…

Modification of teacher behavior using videotapes and the Withall Social Emotional Climate and Golloway instruments to classify teacher behaviors resulted in maintaining positive pupil attitudes toward school and teachers and self-esteem over one academic year. Previous studies had shown a decline in these types of pupil attitudes during an…

Multicultural education shows promise for reducing tensions between diverse ethnic, racial, religious, and national-origin groups. Schools, in conjunction with individuals, families, communities and the media, should develop and implement multicultural programs which will foster more positive attitudes. (MH)

Analyzes the relationship between Christian religious education and revelation from the perspective of liberationist theology. Defines revelation less as an ecstatic spiritual experience and more as a call to live and work in a similar fashion as Christ. Discusses the implications of this for the modern church. (MJP)

Maintains that the contextualization (a critical awareness of the social forces that shape one's thinking) of religious education can only proceed with the contextualization of theology. Discusses this process from the perspective of racial-ethnic minorities. Although this process occurs at the margins of public life it often produces creative…

Discusses some of the cultural and logistical challenges faced by service learning projects. Theses challenges include a predisposition toward individualism over collective action, lack of time and emphasis on traditional learning. Provides strategies and approaches for overcoming these challenges. Includes a sample questionnaire for parents and…

Confirmatory factor analysis of data from a portion of a long-term study provided evidence for two components of math anxiety for 298 male and 266 female 6th through 12th graders. The components related to negative affective reactions and cognitive aspects. Age and gender differences were significant. (TJH)

Studies the influence of sex-typed nonverbal behavior of male and female clients on 156 college students' perceptions. Subjects viewed videotaped interviews and rated the perceived characteristics, prognosis for recovery, and problems of the client. Finds that females displaying masculine sex-typed behaviors were pervasively stigmatized. (FMW)

This article investigates attitudes toward seeking mental health treatment in a national epidemiological sample. Young adults reported the most negative attitudes, as compared to older adults. Males reported more negative attitudes, as compared to females, a consistent finding in young adults. The gender difference was not consistent in Latinos…

Parents play an important role in the development of young people's smoking behavior, through the modeling effects of their own smoking status, through the ways they raise their children and through the ways they deal with smoking at home. The present study focused on anti-smoking socialization by, first, comparing the perspectives of both parents…

The rise in the numbers of social orphans in Russia is due to a number of causes, such as the drastic decline in the standard of living of the larger portion of the population, the lack of a clear and well-thought-out program of support for mothers and children, the decline in the value of the family and family relations, and so on. The…