A popular term in contemporary special education circles is "empowerment," but what does it actually mean to be an empowered individual? Although many definitions exist in the literature and include such terms such as self-determination and self-advocacy, at the core of empowerment is the understanding that an individual is truly empowered the…

Micro and small enterprises comprise approximately 60-70% of enterprises in South and Central America. Most of these enterprises, particularly micro enterprises, are managed and owned by women. These women for the most part lack both skills and training in the use of computers and the Internet, and access to the use of information and…

In this article we suggest that the current popularity of student voice can lead to surface compliance--to a quick response that focuses on "how to do it" rather than a reflective review of "why we might want to do it". We look at the links between student consultation and participation and the legacy of the progressive democratic tradition in our…

The article reports from a qualitative study of family group conferencing in Wales. Family group conferences are meetings of extended family networks that are convened in order to plan for a child's care and welfare. They are an attempt to enable families to have a greater say in welfare decisions and often particularly encourage children's…

The focus of this paper will be one of the authors' transformation from reluctant teacher-researcher to empowered teacher-researcher. The authors will describe Shayla's journey through action research because it was this journey from circumspection to empowerment that strengthened her in ways that she had not foreseen or anticipated. It allowed…

This article takes a comprehensive look at the effects of pectus excavatum, a congenital deformity with psychosocial and physical ramifications, and the Nuss procedure on the quality of life of adolescents. The Nuss procedure is a minimally invasive corrective surgery. Twenty-five participants from Calgary, Alberta were interviewed (10 adolescents…

It is no coincidence, that disengagement from school by young adolescents has intensified at precisely the same time as there has been a hardening of educational policy regimes that have made schools less hospitable places for students and teachers. There can be little doubt from research evidence that as conditions conducive of learning in…

Ringeisen, Henderson, and Hoagwood have provided an important discussion of the significance of school context to children's mental health, particularly in relation to empirically supported interventions. They have outlined the influence of context on treatment integrity, and have emphasized appropriately the significant gap between…

The current model of early intervention with children who are deaf or hard of hearing emphasizes parental self-efficacy and involvement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships between mothers' self-efficacy beliefs and involvement and children's language skills in a group of mothers of children who are deaf or hard of…

Reflective dialogue is still very much an unexplored area in teacher education in Pakistan. This article presents findings of a study that engaged four teachers in the process of reflective dialogue in a school in Karachi, Pakistan. It explores the teachers' response to the process and possible reasons. It also examines the role played by those…

There have been growing reports of older women and men caring for their grandchildren and great grandchildren. Many of these grandparents are caring for children with developmental disabilities. To systematically examine the effectiveness of a support group intervention for such grandparents, we recruited 97 grandparents through three agencies in…

This article describes the pedagogy, practice and outcomes of a digital art program developed to enable high school and middle school students to become active participants in new forms of grassroots public media. Students and their teachers become producers and controllers of art-based videos and associated digital dialogue which is distributed…

Over the last two decades, researchers have presented convincing evidence that teachers are an important key to school improvement and to closing the student achievement gap. However, ensuring that all students are taught by quality teachers--those with the right talent, skills, and experience--is not enough. Teachers--even the best of them--must…

This article outlines a motivational/empowerment model for students on academic probation implemented at The University of North Carolina Greensboro (UNCG). The model draws from several theoretical orientations, and includes individual and group interaction as well as discussion in four key topic areas: personal responsibility, positive…

Students with disabilities are increasingly enrolled in postsecondary education, yet many of them are not prepared to cope with the rigor of higher education. Students who do not have the skills of self-empowerment often experience frustration and discouragement in the postsecondary setting, leading to their dropping out of school and eventually…