In what ways do Jewish and Muslim faith schools in Britain play a role in promoting and contributing to community cohesion? What 21st-century skills around intercultural understanding do they foster? This book examines the nuances of faith in school settings and draws on a case study of Jewish and Muslim faith schools. The authors show how these…

This paper evaluates a participatory action research (PAR) approach to conducting family research in Ireland. Drawing on PAR methodology it describes how parents of people with intellectual disabilities were recruited and trained to facilitate focus groups of parents in Ireland, in order to create an evidence base to support improved dialogue…

In partnership with the Urban League of Greater Miami, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) released "Teacher Quality Roadmap: Improving Policies and Practices in Miami," an in-depth study of the work rules Miami-Dade teachers. This look at the state of teacher policies in Miami-Dade County Public Schools explores the…

The ?goals ?of ?this ?research? study ?were ?to ?collect ?data ?from ?previous? surveys to ?frame ?and ?define ?the ?concept ?of "parent ?engagement," ?to ?gather ?information ?about the ?barriers ?that ?parents ?face ?in ?engaging ?with ?their ?children's ?education, ?and ?to? determine ?ways ?to ?increase ?parent ?engagement.??This…

This study investigated interactions between pedagogical documentation--a formative assessment technique and instructional intervention designed to increase student learning by recording children's experiences--and kindergarten children, families and teachers in the UAE. The study sample comprised six teachers in six kindergarten classrooms, 141…

This article discusses the importance of including mothers' knowledge of their children's learning in school discourses, theories, and practices. It draws on the story of one mother who participated in the author's research. The experiences explicated in this story elucidate exclusionary practices that silence and marginalize mothers in our school…

Objective: Present US parents' perceptions about factors leading to early intercourse and strategies for overcoming them. Methods: Conducted analysis of eight focus groups with 78 male and female African-American and Hispanic caregivers of fifth-graders and sixth-graders (ages 10-12). Results: Participants gave the following primary reasons for…

Outcomes from sex education are shaped not only by the knowledge and attitudes of youth but also by groups influential in young people's lives. American youth bear one of the highest rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the industrialized world. Four constituencies with important roles in communicating about STIs are youth, parents,…

Existing research in Jamaica on children and families has focused on family structure and function. The recent worldwide focus on the rights of children, particularly young children, has highlighted the absence of research on child rights in Jamaica. This article explores the implementation of protection and participation rights within the family,…

Recent debates regarding same-sex marriage and gay and lesbian adoption highlight the role of schools as sociopolitical institutions. Accordingly, teachers operating within social norms have considerable influence through their interactions with students and their families. Previous research points to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT)…

This article describes the 1st-year evaluation of a community-wide parent and family involvement program initiated in a midsized Southeast community and school district. The program consists of three major components: community-wide efforts, school-home communication, and home involvement. Formative and summative evaluation data were gathered…

This article presents qualitative results of the first three years of the New Mexico Laptop Learning Initiative (NMLLI). Results suggest that teachers, students, and their communities support this initiative to improve student learning. Descriptive statistics were used during year two to further understand how the laptops were being used by…

Little information exists on communication about sexuality between parents and preadolescent children. This study collected qualitative data on family sexuality communication from 3 focus groups conducted with African American mothers of 6-10 year old children. Two broad themes emerged from the data: "Beyond the Birds and the Bees" and "Let's Talk…

The past ten years have seen a growing drive towards "full inclusion" of children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in schools. However, concerns about whether inclusion for children with ASD is synonymous with their right to appropriate education have been raised amongst researchers. The current study aimed to ascertain the views…

Individuals with Down syndrome typically have low fitness levels and obesity despite data that indicate physiological gains from physical activity and exercise interventions. Low fitness levels and obesity in individuals with Down syndrome may be related to sedentary lifestyles, social and recreational opportunities, or low motivation to be…