Profiles of Adolescents' Perceptions of Democratic Classroom Climate and Students' Influence: The Effect of School and Community Contexts.

Students' learning experiences and outcomes are shaped by school and classroom contexts. Many studies have shown how an open, democratic classroom climate relates to learning in the citizenship domain and helps nurture active and engaged citizens. However, little research has been undertaken to look at how such a favorable classroom climate may work together with broader school factors.

Individualism and socioeconomic diversity at school as related to perceptions of the frequency of peer aggression in fifteen countries.

The purpose of this study was to examine two aspects of context for peer aggression: national individualism and distributions of socioeconomic status in the school. School administrators for each school reported on their perceptions of the frequency of bullying and violence in their school. The sample comprised 990 school principals/headmasters from nationally representative samples of schools in 15 countries surveyed as part of the larger IEA Civic Education Study (Torney-Purta, Lehmann, Oswald, & Schulz, 2001).

Fostering young people's support for participatory human rights through their developmental niches.

The last 6 decades of empirical research on civic engagement among young people living in democracies and of the recognition of international human rights have seen the achievement of many milestones. This article focuses on some connections between these 2 areas and examines the ways in which everyday settings such as neighborhoods and the schools that exist within them can foster support for human rights (especially the practice of participatory rights) among adolescents. Secondary analysis of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement Civic Education (CIVED) Study (data collected in 1999 from nationally representative samples of 14-year-olds in 28 countries) is presented.

International psychological research that matters for policy and practice.

After a brief history of the Committee on International Relations of the American Psychological Association, 3 points are made about international psychological research that matters. First, it matters when the definition of the research problem area and the findings can potentially be reflected in policy change, in the practice of educators or psychologists, or in the mindsets of a new generation of researchers. Person-centered analysis of adolescents' social and political attitudes has this potential and can complement variable-centered analysis.

Depression and academic achievement among Indochinese refugee unaccompanied minors in ethnic and nonethnic placements.

Unaccompanied Indochinese refugee adolescents resettled in the United States with ethnic foster families were significantly less depressed and had higher grade-point averages than those in foster care with Caucasian families or in group homes. The ongoing presence of an adult of similar ethnicity to the adolescent appeared to mitigate against the stress of adaptation to a new country.