The learning environment comprises the psychological, social, cultural and physical setting in which learning occurs and has an influence on student motivation and success. The purpose of the present study was to explore qualitatively, from the perspectives of both students and faculty, the key elements of the learning environment that supported…

This study focuses on the importance of having a safe space, brave space and a facilitated space in student-staff partnerships. The importance of having a facilitated space of drop-ins and workshops supporting students pastorally was investigated as part of an initiative called the Inclusive Practice Partnerships (IPP) Scheme, drawing on…

In order to construct a shared body of knowledge, research involving the relationship between the psychosocial learning environment (PSLE) and the physical learning environment (PLE) needs a commonly-accepted conceptual framework. By means of a thematic literature review, we collected the main aspects of the PSLE and PLE, their definitions and…

This study is a phenomenological study that explores the impacts that racial affinity groups and varsity athletic teams have on the perceived sense of belonging, social capital development, and identity development of students at one New England independent boarding school. The rationale for this study comes from the notion that many independent…

This reflective essay advances a model of transformative education based on the collaborative experiences of a professor and three students who sought greater opportunities for flourishing through reflective and contemplative methods in an instructor-created open space. Open space derives from research in education, child psychology, and…

This qualitative study furthers educational theory and research related to resilience and personal transformation. It develops connections between existing educational resilience research and change theories, and it utilizes these bodies of scholarship to propose a theory of personal transformation. Based on interviews with students who were…

In the ongoing effort of designing school contexts in support of proactive discipline, a range of practices and theoretical frameworks have been advanced, from behaviorist approaches to social and emotional learning. This article describes the theory and practice of restorative justice with the aim of defining this distinctive paradigm, in…

Allophilia refers to an individual's feelings of affection, engagement, kinship, comfort, and enthusiasm toward members of a group seen as "different" and "other" (Pittinsky, Rosenthal, & Montoya, 2009b). The term allophilia is derived from the ancient Greek words for "liking" or "love" and the "other". The concept of allophilia mitigates the…

This paper discusses the background and key findings of a two-year Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded mixed-method research project (2006-2008) which was designed, within the context of university internationalisation, to provide an investigation of the experiences of first-year international students during their undergraduate…

Learning how to teach depends on the dynamic inter-relationships among many parts and people; however, research on learning how to teach has typically focused on confined aspects of teacher education (e.g., a specific methods course) over short periods of time (such as one semester). In response, Wideen, Mayer-Smith, and Moon (1998), in their…

The investigation involved the assessment of a model predicting that family and university relationship environments are linked with identity processes and identity states (statuses) that predict psychosocial resources among first-year university students. A sample of 351 university students, between the ages of 18 and 21 years, completed measures…

Contemporary training programs should be free of false assumptions and focus on individual growth and those functions that support every training effort: manpower development with planned direction, relevant training tied to a career path determining real needs through pretraining research, and performance measurement. (Author/BP)

At the heart of all human learning is the person seeking to grow, develop, and realize something of value in and through another person. Learning is essentially dependent on the relationships between student and teacher, and between the students themselves. In that all knowledge is value-based and developed to achieve something of personal…

The means by which different delivery strategies can be matched with or made to accommodate to different inservice goals are discussed. A framework for assessing when one delivery strategy is more appropriate than another is provided. The framework for planning inservice delivery outlines distinct but complementary strategies that focus upon three…

Explores, by way of students' stories, how Chicancas establish and maintain their identity. Also examines to what extent and how race, ethnicity, family, language, school, peer relationships, and romantic relationships are gender based. Explores how young Chicanas manage conflicts emerging from traditional culturally prescribed gender roles as…