A major goal of schools is to provide students with knowledge and skills applicable (Csapó, 1998). However, teachers have to deal with the misconceptions of their students described as ideas based on experience leading to faulty understanding or naïve ideas (Martin et al., 2002). Schools are of primary importance in transmitting health-related…

Based on biographical interviews from a three-generation study in Norway, this article examines the place of the contemporary "gap year" within life course transition trajectories and intergenerational relations embedded in wider patterns of social inequality. Under the heading of taking a gap year, young people on "academic…

This article reports an investigation into societal and organizational cultural influences on academic leadership in Saudi Arabian higher education, a previously underexplored area. In Saudi Arabia, it is currently unclear how university deans are negotiating the balance between organizational cultural values and contemporary influences, and how…

Background: This study aimed to identify motivation and home influence factors that predict reading literacy achievement of grade 4 students in Abu Dhabi. It drew on the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) 2011 data, which placed Abu Dhabi students' results substantially below the international benchmark of 500. Methods:…

Current university juniors and seniors have plans and expectations for after they graduate. In an effort to better understand these plans and expectations, the authors assessed a sample of 334 university students enrolled in business classes. The study examined the impact of three categories of independent variables--family influences, demographic…

In 2011, the University of Delaware underwent an evaluation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The evaluation raised concerns about the university's lack of campus diversity, low five-year graduation rates for underrepresented minorities, and the potential decline in Latino student enrollment as a result of rising admissions…

This paper presents findings from an interpretative phenomenological analysis with 20 students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who were accepted onto a Foundation Year in Oxford University. It explores the factors that impacted on their decision to apply to a prestigious university and student's views on their transition to the…

This study aimed to understand early childhood pre-service teachers' thoughts and experiences with nutrition education in their undergraduate program and how these experiences play into their perceptions and future use of nutrition education within their own classrooms. Using phenomenology, 11 in-depth telephonic interviews were conducted with…

The dropout social problem has been the focus of researchers, business and community leaders, and school staffs for decades. Despite possessing significant academic high school capabilities, some gifted students drop out of school. The research problem for this study includes how and why former gifted urban high school students chose to drop out.…

Although doctoral students in the biomedical sciences have been recognized as a population at particular risk for mental health problems such as burnout and depression, little research has been conducted to identify candidate targets for intervention. To this end, we used the stress process model to evaluate potential mediators of stress-burnout…

While reflecting on her own educational experiences, author Beth Taone discusses how she came up with an educational philosophy called Tri-Excellence. Taone believes that students will only be able to succeed in school if three things are in place--Student Excellence + Teacher Excellence + Family/Community Excellence. Here she describes…

A substantial body of research focuses on student achievement and the characteristics of schools that regularly produce it. While academic achievement is an important variable to measure, student engagement serves as a related and highly influential variable that merits more attention, particularly as it relates to preventative interventions.…

Chinese international students make up the largest group of international students in the United States, especially in the higher education sector. In the context of rising patriotism and nationalism in the China and the U.S. accompanied by deteriorating China-U.S. relationship and some recent incidents that showed Chinese international students'…

Research Findings: Children differ in their ability to adapt to elementary school. Yet, the family factors that foster a successful transition to elementary school are less well understood. Family cohesion as an indicator of a positive emotional climate within families may play an important role for children's ability to adapt to school. Thus,…

A better understanding of the social influences, self-efficacy, and communication with parents, peers, and teachers associated with teenage pregnancy is required owing to the consequences of teenage pregnancy. This article aimed to determine the prevalence of teenage pregnancy and to understand the association between social influences,…