In 2006, the administration of a state-run, secure juvenile correctional facility initiated an attempt to transform its institutional culture using a strength-based approach to assessment and case planning. This resulted in a rapid improvement in institutional climate. The current study revisits this setting several years later to see if those…

Generativity is a concept first introduced by Erik Erikson as a part of his psychosocial theory which outlines eight stages of development in the human life. Generativity versus stagnation is the main developmental concern of middle adulthood; however, generativity is also recognized as an important theme in the lives of older adults. Building on…

Social changes in indigenous Maya communities in Chiapas, Mexico toward increasing levels of formal education, commercialization, and urbanization are transforming traditional Maya developmental pathways toward adulthood. This mixed-methods study is based on interviews with a sample of 14 first-generation Maya university students who have also…

Since the military became an all-voluntary force (AVF), men and women have chosen to serve as a career, viewing it as a way to accomplish their life goals. Whether these goals include advancing in rank or transitioning into civilian life, service members find themselves needing additional training and/or education while serving. Although the…

This article describes the findings of a 3-month study on how social encounters mediated by an online Virtual Immersive Environment (VIE) impacted on the relational self-concept of adolescents. The study gathered data from two groups of students as they took an Introduction to Design and Programming class. Students in group 1 undertook course…

Youth constitute an important section of our society. They are the biggest reservoir of human resources and are the future of our country. Their development has direct affect on the development of the nation. Street Theatre is not a moment's act. It is a participatory approach which deals with fictional narratives and thus used for communicating…

A set of ten students from an urban high school were interviewed regarding experiences in Advanced Placement (AP) and non-Advanced Placement courses in high school. Those participants who took an AP Calculus course described opportunities during high school where cultural capital and social capital lead to a successful experience in college. Those…

This paper reviews the recent literature on the production of skills of young persons. The literature features the multiplicity of skills that explain success in a variety of life outcomes. Noncognitive skills play a fundamental role in successful lives. The dynamics of skill formation reveal the interplay of cognitive and noncognitive skills, and…

South Africa's democratic state has been clouded by various social and economic ills like joblessness, skills shortage, poverty and crime. These are a result of various complex issues which include the apartheid legacy, misdirected education system and poor planning for long term national priorities. This article looks at the lost opportunities to…

This exploratory study examines identity exploration and commitment in different domains and how family structure (original/alternative), gender, and age affect these processes in a convenience sample of 388 college students. Results reveal that participants from alternative family structures explore more in the political and gender role domains…

The status of poetry both in the writing curriculum and in wider popular culture is best described as mixed (Wilson, 2009). In spite of a strong post-war tradition of enthusiasm for the teaching of poetry writing, it is currently felt to be marginalised in the writing curriculum (Dymoke, 2007; Ofsted, 2007). This paper reports on the beliefs,…

Basic education has two main goals: to promote high quality learning outcomes and pupils' personal growth and well-being. The interrelated nature of learning and well-being is here referred to as pedagogical well-being. In this study, we explore Finnish comprehensive school pupils' (N = 518) experienced pedagogical well-being by examining the…

Close mutual friendships may help protect socially anxious early adolescents against concurrent psychosocial risks. This study investigated whether close mutual friendships moderated associations among social anxiety and several indices of psychosocial maladjustment (loneliness, peer victimization, and low social self-efficacy) in early…

The present study explores the role of "praise and worship" activities in the spiritual well-being of a select group of Pentecostal youth. Forty youth members completed an adapted version of the Spiritual Well-being Scale (SWBS) and a questionnaire. In addition to ranking "praise and worship" activities, they were asked about the roles that…

This paper presents the findings from a survey of Primary One and Primary Five teachers' experiences of delivering the new learning area personal development and mutual understanding (PDMU) in its first year of implementation in the Northern Ireland Curriculum, September 2007-June 2008. The study was funded by St Mary's University College,…