Engaging in research is acknowledged as having a potentially transformative impact on the professional development of language teachers (Borg, 2010). Yet a cursory examination of the literature suggests that teachers rarely engage in research. The aim of this chapter is threefold: to introduce Exploratory Practice (EP), a form of inclusive…

Each year, the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) releases a list of scientific advances that represent significant progress in the field. The "2018 Summary of Advances" provides short, plain language summaries of the top research breakthroughs selected by the IACC from a pool of research articles nominated by the members.…

Purpose: As a result of people becoming more conscious about healthy living, the life habits of individuals are improving. People are spending more time on their physical activities and they pay more attention to healthy eating. All these changes affect their lifestyles and by making healthier choices, increase their quality of life. The present…

Teacher career plateaus hinder the high-quality development of teaching staff. Based on a nationwide questionnaire survey on Chinese kindergarten teachers' career plateaus, this study developed a kindergarten teacher career plateauing structural model. The research findings indicate that overall career plateauing among Chinese kindergarten…

The problems facing rural America are wide ranging and multilayered. Perceptions can often be reality for those unfamiliar with rural life, which can pose a hurdle for businesses to overcome. With an in-depth literature review and research study, this dissertation aims to provide context and understanding to the problems and misconceptions of…

We must reframe deficit-based residency narratives and provide welcoming, inclusive, and productive working environments to make library residencies an enriching experience for our new colleagues. This research reports survey responses asking how residency supervisors and coordinators communicate with stakeholders to ensure residents work in a…

The purpose of this study was to examine the challenges that Hispanic parents in the autism spectrum disorder encounter with their child in the autism spectrum disorder, and how these difficulties impact their quality of life. This study is important because there is an increase in the number of adults in the spectrum who have not received the…

Is public housing bad for children? Critics charge that public housing projects concentrate poverty and create neighborhoods with limited opportunities, including low-quality schools. However, whether the net effect is positive or negative is theoretically ambiguous and likely to depend on the characteristics of the neighborhood and schools…

This paper examines representations of rural lesbian lives in three young adult novels. The novels analysed are "Beauty of the broken" by Tawni Waters (2014), Julie Anne Peters (2005) "Pretend you love me", and "Forgive me if you've heard this one before" by Karelia Stetz-Waters (2014). The first of the novels by…

The purpose of the study is to describe of the nature of the relationship between quality of Life and Emotional Intelligence in a sample of Kuwait University students, as well as to identify the differences between males and females in the variables of the study, The study sample consists of 400 students from the University of Kuwait, (200) males…

Having a child with special needs can be overwhelming, emotionally draining and extremely stressful for parents and their family members. Research identifies the support systems families need in order to have quality-of-life. The current study uses mixed methods to evaluate the degree to which parents and other primary caregivers in Arizona view…

The Self-Improvement School Project was funded by The Equitable Education Fund (EEF), Thailand. The purpose program was to improve the quality of 636 schools. Choafa Ubonratana School is one of the project schools for this case study. The research used mixed method research. Key informants were 30 school stakeholders and 3 school coaches. Data…

This paper discusses the evaluation of an app that was developed to enhance student engagement, thereby transforming a rural university into a smart town. This account provides an opportunity to strengthen the deployment of smart services and digital technologies that enhance student engagement. Developed countries have integrated virtual and…

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) is a connective tissue disorder that results in negative health events. It also holds potential for periodic or permanent disability and psychosocial stress. While a diagnosis of EDS can occur at any age, the psychosocial effects of an EDS diagnosis can be especially challenging when symptoms present during…

This study investigated the feasibility and cultural validity of KONTAKT©, a manualised social skills group training, in improving the social functioning of adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). KONTAKT© was delivered to 17 adolescents (m[subscript age] = 14.09, SD[subscript age] = 1.43; 70% male) with ASD over sixteen 90 min sessions.…