Research shows that students' sense of belonging in their school communities is critically linked to academic achievement. This ninth and final book in "The Soul of Educational Leadership" series offers practical strategies for promoting socially responsible school cultures that foster greater student engagement and democratic values. A joint…

Background/Context: Even though not fully realized, in legislation and theory, the requirements of the Individuals With Disabilities Education Improvement Act and the No Child Left Behind Act have created pressure to address the historical inequity in educational opportunity, achievement, and outcomes, as well as disparities in achievement between…

Evolution is a central underlying concept to a significant number of discourses in civilized society, but the complexity of understanding basic tenets of this important theory is just now coming to light. Knowledge about evolution is constructed from both formal and "free-choice" opportunities, like television. Nature programs are commonly…

As community colleges emerge as a solution to the teacher quality and shortage issue, the National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs (NACCTEP) created this pamphlet in an attempt to dispel any misperceptions individuals may have about the community college role in teacher education. "10 Myths About Community College…

Criticisms of Howard Zinn's work on U.S. History are examined in the context of increasing emphasis on the idea of "American exceptionalism" in contemporary political and cultural discourse, and particularly the insertion of American exceptionalism into revised social studies standards for the state of Texas. Analysis focusing on the…

At a time when leaders in higher education are increasingly asking students to engage the large issues of life's meaning and to think critically and responsibly about their role in the world, religious studies offers unique opportunities. Other disciplines such as philosophy, literature, and the creative arts doubtlessly engage questions of…

In this paper we consider prior definitions of the terms "ill-defined domain" and "ill-defined problem". We then present alternate definitions that better support research at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and Education. In our view both problems and domains are ill-defined when essential concepts, relations, or criteria are un- or…

This article examines the transition process of 14 international teaching assistants (TAs), who teach mathematics courses in U.S. college contexts. In particular, this study documents several major aspects of changes in their teaching, including their curriculum choice and instructional practices over time. This study reveals how the institutional…

This study evaluated the short-term effectiveness of a mixed-gender sexual assault prevention program developed for college students. Program participants (n = 177) were compared to non-program participants (n = 132) prior to the program and during a 2-week follow-up period on measures of rape myths, victim empathy, perceived negative consequences…

This research is concerned with preservice teacher understanding of six earth and space science concepts that are often taught in elementary school: the reason for seasons, phases of the moon, why the wind blows, the rock cycle, soil formation, and earthquakes. Specifically, this study examines the effect of readings, hands-on learning stations,…

The move of the University of Southern California to eliminate its German department in order to shift resources to Asian languages has sparked a debate about the relative importance of learning European languages. College administrators seem to assume that global shifts in economic power call for changes in the distribution of their budget for…

Contrary to popular hypothesis, recent research rejects the notion that most or even many children and youth are over-scheduled and are suffering as a result. In fact, less than one in ten could be described as over-scheduled. Moreover, research indicates that only six in ten children and youth participate in organized out-of-school activities at…

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of teaching designed to consider grade 9 students' misconceptions about simple electric circuits on conceptual change. Students' misconceptions were determined by using a conceptual understanding test consisting of eight open-ended questions and semi-structured interview technique. Conceptual…

In this article, the author profiles Dr. Jack Kessler, chair of the Department of Neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Jack Kessler is a renowned stem cell expert and researcher. For years, Dr. Kessler had been researching ways to repair damage to the nervous system. It was not until his own daughter became…

Many teacher educators recommend that preservice teachers examine their own backgrounds and experiences to identify assumptions, beliefs, and values, as well as cultural contexts in which they grew up, which impact on how they understand schooling and students. Commonly, Social Foundations courses initiate self-examination through processes such…