In this mixed methods study, we examined the responses of 82 preservice teachers to the acclaimed documentary "Which Way Home", a film that profiles unaccompanied adolescents who hitchhiked the train system of Central America and Mexico en route to the United States. Using pre- and post-surveys (n = 82) and focus group interviews (n =…

Analysis of differential item functioning (DIF) is often used to determine if cross-lingual assessments are equivalent across languages. However, evidence on the causes of cross-lingual DIF is still evasive. Expert appraisal is a qualitative method useful for obtaining detailed information about problematic elements in the different linguistic…

Powerful Learning Experiences (PLEs) of Suzuki music teachers were examined in this fifth study in a series. The definition of a PLE is: "Experiences that stand out in memory because of their high quality, their impact on one's thoughts and actions over time, and their transfer to a wide range of contexts and circumstances." Ten…

The aim of this study was to assess the role of social support systems for Saudi Arabian students in the United States. A survey was conducted with Saudi sojourners using the Index of Sojourner Social Support (ISSS) instrument and the Ethno-Cultural Identity Conflict Scale (ECIS) (N = 210) and semi-structured interviews (N = 15). Saudi students…

Research has identified the need for additional teaching strategies to address issues within intercultural computer-supported collaborative learning (iCSCL) environments. While some strategies have been proposed to support teacher effectiveness and student participation, to date no research has traced issues back to students' underlying, intrinsic…

This study examined the experiences of parents receiving an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis for their child. Mixed methods were used to give a detailed account of the sequence of events, parents' experiences and actions associated with the ASD diagnosis. Parents waited nearly two and a half years (mean = 28.72 months) before receiving the…

The use of online collaborative assignments (OCAs) between two flipped organic chemistry classrooms, one in Canada and the other in the United States, was examined for impact on learners. The intervention was designed to support content mastery, aid in increasing students' communication skills through chemistry drawing and verbalization,…

How does short-term study abroad affect students' attitudes toward human rights? What role does study abroad play in human rights education? This study assesses the learning outcomes of two study abroad programs that aimed to promote human rights education. I applied a mixed methods approach to measure the changes in the opinions of students who…

Higher education is an increasingly competitive global market. Consequently, it is crucial that universities fully understand students' motivations in university selection. While past research mainly focused on university-level attributes, this study extends the factors used to evaluate different international universities to include both the…

Many education doctoral programs offer extensive amounts of coursework online or from a distance utilizing a variety of combinations of course delivery. Given the increase in the number of online programs in recent years, it is reasonable to believe that blended, distance, and online practices will continue to be integrated more widely into…

The current study aimed at investigating how mobile seamless technology can be used to enhance the pragmatic competence of learners of Chinese as a second language (CSL). 34 overseas CSL learners participated in this study. They were randomly assigned into two groups: the classroom group, executing language tasks in fake contexts in a traditional…

Students commencing studies in biochemistry must transfer and build on concepts they learned in chemistry and biology classes. It is well established, however, that students have difficulties in transferring critical concepts from general chemistry courses; one key concept is "energy." Most previous work on students' conception of energy…

This multi-method study examined (a) preparation and licensure practices of the 50 states with respect to students with low-incidence sensory disabilities (LISD) and (b) the experience of Ohio school districts (including "community schools") in providing services to students with LISD. The 50-state phase of the study used document review…

A mission statement that identifies the goals and aims of an honors program is a key step in program development. The National Collegiate Honors Council's Basic Characteristics of a Fully Developed Honors Program states unequivocally that a successful honors program "has a clear mandate from the institution's administration in the form of a…

This research investigates whether the flipped classroom can lead students to increased gains on learning outcomes in 2 ESL/EFL contexts in Macau, China, and the US. A pretest posttest quasi-experimental mixed-methods design (N = 64) was used to determine any differences in student achievement that might be associated with the flipped approach…