The impact of teachers’ individualized practices on gifted students in rural,heterogeneous classrooms

Several factors have increased teachers’ frustrations in the regular classroom as they try to meet the needs of students with varying levels of ability. Limited educational funding, the attitude that gifted students can do without special services, and a push for increased heterogeneous grouping have all contributed to the teacher's problem. The Mustard Seed Project was developed and supported by a grant from the Javits Gifted and Talented Students Education program to train teachers to differentiate for student needs by curricular adaptations. The training for teachers modeled the process of individualization for each learner's level, pace and style. A follow‐up support system of human and material resources was implemented to sustain the teachers through the difficult transition required of change. The sites participating in this study were all rural, ethnically diverse, and economically disadvantaged. Profiles of six gifted fifth‐graders were developed using interviews and classroom observations. The research questions sought to determine the extent of the gifted child's intellectual challenge, exploration of in‐depth selected topics of interest, and social and emotional satisfaction in adapted classrooms.     

Speaking of books

Changing Aims in Religious Education. Edwin Cox. New York: Humanities Press, 1967. 102 pp. $3.50.

Contemporary Mathematics for Elementary Teachers. Howard F. Fehr and Thomas J. Hill. Boston: D. C. Heath and Company, 1966. 394 pp. $7.95.

Creative Encounters in the Classroom: Teaching and Learning Through Discovery. Bryon G. Massialas and Jack Zevin. New York: John Wiley &; Sons, Inc., 1967. 274 pp. $3.50.

Gods and Rituals: Readings in Religious Beliefs and Practices. John Middleton, New York: The Natural History Press, 1967. 468 pp. $6.95.

Language and Learning. Janet A. Emig, James T. Fleming, and Helen M. Popp, editors. New York: Harcourt, Brace and World, Inc., 1966. 301 pp. $3.50.

Schools of Europe. Richard Emerson Werstler. Adrian, Michigan: Swenk‐Tuttle Press, 1967. 203 pp. $10.00.

Teaching Adults to Read. Wayne Otto and David Ford. Boston: Houghton‐Mifflin Company, 1967. 176 pp. $3.95.

What Is a Teacher? Henry W. Simon. New York: Collier Books, 1966. 96 pp. $.95.

Paul A. Witty, editor. The Educationally Retarded and Disadvan‐taged The Sixty‐Sixth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education, Part 1. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1967. 384 pp.

Report of the Harvard Committee. The Graduate Study of Education. Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1966. 125 pp. $2.75.     

Who is listening? An examination of gender effects and employment choice in sustainability education in an undergraduate business school

Whilst universities acknowledge the importance of sustainability education, numerous problems exist in relation to the nature, delivery and outcomes of sustainability instruction. Many of these problems arise due to a lack of understanding about students’ perception towards, and knowledge about business sustainability. This article examines gender-specific perceptions of business sustainability issues, sustainability education and the importance students attach to sustainability in their choice of future employer. A paper-based self-complete survey was used to collect data from a convenience sample of 224 undergraduate marketing students at an Australian University. Factor analysis, T-tests, and multiple regression were used to test the hypothesised relationships. Results show significant differences between the female and male cohorts, supporting all but one of the hypothesised relationships. In addition, gender differences were observed across the constructs predicting employment choice. Implications for teaching practice and future research are provided.     

Motivational Factors and Predictors for Attending a Continuing Education Program for Older Adults

The objectives were to describe the stated motives of participants who enrolled in a program at the Open University for the Elderly (UnATI, in Portuguese), identify correlations between the stated motives and sociodemographic data, and find a set of predictors related to the listed motives. A total of 306 middle-aged and elderly adults aged 50 or older were surveyed through a sociodemographic questionnaire and a five-item scale to check their motives to enroll in the program. The following motivational factors were identified, in order of importance: enhancing general knowledge, investing in personal development, increasing social interaction, learning more in order to help others, and employing one's free time profitably. Age and years of schooling combined were strong predictors of participants seeking new knowledge. Being single and not retired was correlated with the motive Investing in Personal Development. Having attended elementary school only and being married was closely correlated to the motive Increasing Social Interaction. Employing One's Free Time Profitably was associated with single or widowed individuals with family income between 3.1 and 4.0 times the minimum wage. As for Learning More in Order to Help Others, no predictors were found for this motive. It was found that participants seek to satisfy a desire to learn/ know more, to be up-to-date, to exercise their rights as citizens, and to play an active role in society. Our data suggest that these are the assumptions that drive middle-aged and elderly adults to look for various types of educational programs.