Aboriginal education in Canada needs to shift away from the assimilative model to a model of culturally responsive pedagogy. Teacher education programs that serve Aboriginal teachers have an important role to play in developing an education system that both meets mainstream and Indigenous criteria for success. This paper examines the experiences…

Parent involvement in children's education remains one of the most significant predictors for children's academic achievement. This finding generally holds across the range of social group categories including race, culture, class, and family structure. However, relatively little research has been conducted on parental involvement in children's…

Many immigrant children might face challenges in maintaining their heritage languages--that is, continuing using their first languages (L1s) or the L1s of their parents. Factors such as pressure from schools and the desire to assimilate into the mainstream society might lead these children to learn a dominant language at the cost of losing their…

Drawing on a recent research project, this paper questions the literature's dominant representation of children with special educational needs (SEN) as holding negative perceptions of themselves and being socially isolated. The study examined dimensions of pupils' self-concept and their social position in their class network. Contrary to previous…

The nine-month study reported in this paper used mixed methods data and a qualitative analysis to examine the skill and perceptual development of 17 graduate design students. Individual differences, perceptions and preferences that apparently promoted rapid and productive development included: design efficacy, mastery goals, preference for…

Formal and informal partnerships between rural schools and their communities can provide a wide range of supports for all students, but particularly those from low-income families. In this analysis of six small rural school districts in Virginia we show how the broad participation of community groups and individuals supports academic achievement…

This article examines whether there are changes in students' teaching practices as a result of their experiencing an overseas professional development course (PDC); the process of any such changes; and whether any changes found are sustainable in the long term. Three forms of data gathering are used, lesson observation, in-depth interviews, and…

This paper investigates the collaboration of Greek secondary school teachers of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) with psychologists and advisers for dyslexia issues. Data were collected through audio recorded observations and interviews with head teachers and teachers. Taking a Vygotskian approach to learning, activity theory is applied to…

Physical self-concept plays a central role in older adults' physical health, mental health and psychological well-being; however, little attention has been paid to the underlying dimensions of physical self-concept in the elderly. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate a new measurement for older adults. First, a qualitative study…

Background: Although studies have shown that school-based obesity interventions can be effective, little is known about how to translate and implement programs into real-world school settings. Methods: Semistructured interviews were conducted in spring 2012 with 19 key informants who participated in a multifaceted childhood obesity intervention…

The purpose of this paper is to identify how ethnically diverse schools can discursively maintain a good reputation. Reputation allows attracting the mixed student population necessary to achieve inclusion or closing the gap between the attainment of ethnic majority and minority students. In semi-market educational systems where students are free…

This paper reports the findings of a qualitative study that investigated 25 international students' use of online information resources for study purposes at two Australian universities. Using an expanded critical incident approach, the study viewed international students through an information literacy lens, as information-using learners. The…

While internationally there is a growing body of work investigating mainstreaming of English as an additional language (EAL), this topic has not featured strongly in research in the United Kingdom, and there are only a few studies that focus on the extent to which government policies and prescriptions concerning EAL students are actually being…

This paper explores how eight women experience, and are incorporated into, the regulatory regimes and pedagogical practices of a corporate (sporting) university in their first semester of college. Using Foucault's conceptions of power, discipline and subjectivity, we situate women's participation on the soccer team within the context of…

Current research has shown that about one-third of new teachers in the United States leave the profession within the first three years, thus, making it a priority to support new teachers in the classroom. To address this issue, research is needed to better understand the needs and experiences of novice educators in a variety of educational…