In the tragic aftermath of the December 2004 tsunami off the coast of Thailand, a group of nomads known as the Moken village sea gypsies were featured in an investigative report for their high rate of survival along with the animal population (Simon, 2005). In seeking to discover why this particular group of people survived when so many others had…

This study examined how the link between neighborhood poverty and the timing of sexual initiation varies as a function of age, gender, and background characteristics. A sample of N = 2,596 predominately White Canadian adolescents from the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth was used. Sexual initiations occurring between 12 and 15…

Addressing the spiritual development of young people has the potential to strengthen youth work and its outcomes. Spiritual development matters because it is an intrinsic part of being human and because young people themselves view it as important. This article reviews the research that points to positive impacts of spiritual development for youth…

The paper addresses the failure of the Professional Development Schools movement in bridging the cultural gap, existing between schools and academic institutions. A model, based on the "ecological edge", is suggested. It is believed that this metaphor has a higher potential for constructing collaborative communities because of the unique nature of…

In this article, the author profiles Paul D. Houston, an executive director of the American Association of School Administrators (AASA), who became one of the few major education leaders to publicly reject the new No Child Left Behind bill, even as it became federal law. The AASA has never before seen the likes of an executive like Houston, a…

In this reply, the author agrees with Eric Jensen on several important points, among them: that neuroscientific data are relevant to educational research, that these data have already proved useful, and that neuroscience alone should not be expected to generate classroom-ready prescriptions. He sharply disagrees with him, however, on the prospects…

A longitudinal study was conducted to follow children, in a city in Scotland, to understand their experiences of primary-secondary transition. The children were purposively selected as known to be having/potentially having problems with transition. Initial interviews were conducted with children, their parents and professionals when five were in…

This book overturns the typical conception of standards, empowering educators by providing concrete examples of how top-down models of assessment can be embraced and used in ways that are consistent with critical pedagogies. Although standards, as broad frameworks for setting learning targets, are not necessarily problematic, when they are…

This qualitative study used a case study design to explore the teaching and learning that takes place in an adult Latino financial literacy education that was aimed specifically at Latina single mothers. The theoretical framework of the study was informed by a blend of critical and Latina feminist sociocultural adult learning perspectives, as well…

Background: Expeditionary Learning Schools opens and transforms K-12 schools. Through engaging, long-term interdisciplinary projects designed to achieve academic standards and an emphasis on a healthy school culture, Expeditionary Learning aims to develop students who are not only high-achieving but also highly motivated to do challenging…

This article describes a holistic approach to designing an introductory, object-oriented programming course. The design is grounded in constructivism and pedagogy of phenomenography. We use constructive alignment as the framework to align assessments, learning, and teaching with planned learning outcomes. We plan learning and teaching activities,…

Leadership and leadership development are popular topics today. Concurrent with the construction of leadership theory, leadership development has emerged as a practice, with programs, consultants, reports, and networking opportunities proliferating. Given the reality of limited resources, it is critical that investments in and approaches to…

This document is the report of a study commissioned by Education International. The aim of this study is to present key characteristics of ECE systems, to highlight strengths and successful approaches and to identify major challenges and areas where urgent action is needed. To achieve this aim, the report comprises two main sections. The first…

Background: The Service-Learning and Research Scheme (SLRS) is the showcase of Lingnan's Service-Learning model, which is the manifestation of Lingnan University's Liberal Arts education and mission "Education for Service". The scheme was a pilot project, from 2004 to 2005, which led to the development of a University-wide protocol for…

Dramatic changes have occurred in the composition of the schools' workforce in England over recent years to incorporate a much higher proportion of support staff. Consequently, policy-makers and school leaders are now placing increasing emphasis on addressing the training and development needs of the whole workforce, rather than solely focusing on…