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In this study, we carry out a qualitative and quantitative analysis of abbreviations in 300 randomly collected research paper titles published in the most prestigious European and US-based Astrophysics journals written in English. Our main results show that the process of shortening words and groups of words is one of the most characteristic and recurrent features in Astrophysics research paper titling construction. In spite of the convenience of abbreviations as a mechanism for word-formation, some of them may pose certain difficulties of understanding and/or misinterpretation because of their specificity, ambiguity, or overlapping. To overcome these difficulties, we propose a series of options which with no doubt would lead to a better interaction among the different branches of Astrophysics in particular and of science in general and would definitely improve how research is currently performed and communicated.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) and metacognitive processes are important in education because they contribute to effective learning and improved academic performance. Metacognitive SRL may be facilitated by the implementation of computer technology. This qualitative study examined the presence and use of metacognitive SLR processes among elementary school students as they completed computer-and paper-based reading assignments. Students in two after-school programs were recruited from a public school district in a southeastern region of the United States (U.S.). The participants consisted of 52 elementary students in Grades 2-5. Students participated in two, counterbalanced, conditions that involved computer- and paper-based reading assignments. Observations and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The results indicated that students were more likely to apply metacognitive SRL skills when reading on paper than reading on a computer. Overall, students showed signs of planning more in the paper than in the computer condition but student behaviors and responses differed between grades. Monitoring practices appeared in both the computer- and the paper-based reading assignment, with monitoring connected with background knowledge in Grades 2 and 3 but reading content in Grades 4 and 5. Control processes such as retrying and representing graphically were more common in the computer- than in the paper-based reading across all grades. Students used their score in a reading assignment as an evaluation tool to assess performance in the computer- and paper-based reading condition. These findings suggest that the utilization of prior information, integration of multimedia and verbal signals, and comfort level with the reading medium all influenced students' SRL decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The confluence of the two major challenges has combined to create special challenges for rural nonprofits serving victims of crime: the fluctuation of federal funding, and the Covid-19 pandemic. We discuss the challenges faced by Child Advocacy Centers in northwestern South Carolina in the context of these shifting challenges. From qualitative interviews conducted at 14 centers in this primarily rural region, we explain the challenges they face and the potential effects on the communities they serve interpreted through the lens of Resource Dependence Theory, which predicts that organizations reduce uncertainty of funding through increasing their partnership bonds with cooperative entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine changes in preservice teachers' beliefs about technology integration during the student teaching semester in USA. This study used in-depth interviews, review of documents, and observations. The findings indicated the preservice teachers' beliefs about technology integration changed in two directions. Although changes may be attributed to cooperating teachers' practices about technology integration, this study suggested that cooperating teachers' modeling does not necessarily lead preservice teachers to change their beliefs about technology integration in a positive way. Thus, this study suggested a need to build reflective activities for preservice teachers to gain access to the cooperating teachers' thinking process in the modeling process. (Contains 4 tables.)

PURPOSE Consent processes are critical for clinical care and research and may benefit from incorporating digital strategies. We compared an electronic informed consent (eIC) option to paper consent across four outcomes: (1) technology burden, (2) protocol comprehension, (3) participant agency (ability to self-advocate), and (4) completion of required document fields. METHODS We assessed participant experience with eIC processes compared with traditional paper-based consenting using surveys and compared completeness of required fields, over 3 years (2019-2021). Participants who consented to a clinical trial at a large academic cancer center via paper or eIC were invited to either pre-COVID-19 pandemic survey 1 (technology burden) or intrapandemic survey 2 (comprehension and agency). Consent document completeness was assessed via electronic health records. RESULTS On survey 1, 83% of participants (n = 777) indicated eIC was easy or very easy to use; discomfort with technology overall was not correlated with discomfort using eIC. For survey 2, eIC (n = 262) and paper consenters (n = 193) had similar comprehension scores. All participants responded favorably to at least five of six agency statements; however, eIC generated a higher proportion of positive free-text comments (P < .05), with themes such as thoroughness of the discussion and consenter professionalism. eIC use yielded no completeness errors across 235 consents versus 6.4% for paper (P < .001). CONCLUSION Our findings suggest that eIC when compared with paper (1) did not increase technology burden, (2) supported comparable comprehension, (3) upheld key elements of participant agency, and (4) increased completion of mandatory consent fields. The results support a broader call for organizations to offer eIC for clinical research discussions to enhance the overall participant experience and increase the completeness of the consent process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Fresno, California, is home to more than 30,000 Hmong. The purpose of this research was to explore the utilization of Hmong shamans 40 years after the first Hmong immigrants arrived in the United States. Hmong shamanism is examined to identify and analyze changes to shamans' practices or patients. Methods: Using grounded theory, semistructured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 20 shamans in their homes. Transcribed data were qualitatively analyzed. Results: Shamans continue to train and practice in this community; utilization by older patients persists while young adult patients have become the fastest-growing group of users. Healing rituals have changed in response to the legalities of animal sacrifice in urban areas and the time demands of work schedules. Discussion: Nurses' awareness that the availability of biomedicine does not preclude the continuing or recurring utilization of traditional healers can facilitate understanding of culturally defined health care needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Language teaching is a profession which is international in character. Language teachers often work and study in foreign countries, and distance education has become very important in the education of language teachers. Drawing on two international surveys, this paper explores language teacher education by distance from the perspective of students (i.e. trainee or practicing language teachers) and teacher-educators in such distance programs. There are significant educational advantages for language teachers who choose to study by distance, and e-learning technologies have enhanced these benefits. This paper also includes an in-depth analysis of the qualitative survey responses from two individual students, highlighting an individualized perspective on the data that complements the "collective" analysis, and provides additional insights into how student experiences of such programs can vary widely, and how such disparities may be addressed.

Research has shown that arts-based approaches facilitate literacy learning in children; however, few studies have focused on the integration of art and early writing in community-based Chinese heritage language classes, which have been marginalized from the formal educational discourse in the United States. By drawing on the theoretical perspectives on social semiotics, this paper explored how young Chinese heritage learners engage in "writing" Chinese characters using fallen leaves. The data sources included field notes of observations, video recordings of the class, and the artifacts made by the children. Multimodal analysis revealed that the teacher invited the students to write together and created a social context for children to compose writing artwork. Children engaged with their composition through a variety of modes. This study has implications for research, practice, and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper argues that the way future teachers are being initiated into the ethical dimensions of their future profession is largely out of step with the movement to professionalize teaching. After recalling the role that codes of professional conduct play in the ecology of professional self-regulation, and arguing that familiarizing students with their local code of ethics should be considered as the bare minimum of an adequate ethics education for professionals, the paper presents research findings indicating that education students are not leaving colleges and universities with a clear understanding of what is expected of them by society, their peers and the profession. The paper concludes with three suggestions about how to begin bringing ethics education for teachers more into line with teaching's aspiration to professional status.

Teaching and learning research in higher education, often referred to as the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL), is still relatively novel in many academic contexts compared to the mainstay of disciplinary research. One indication of this is the challenges those who engage in SoTL report in terms of how this work is valued or considered credible amongst disciplinary colleagues and in the face of institutional policies and practices. This paper moves beyond the literature that describes these specific challenges to investigate how 23 experienced SoTL researchers from five different countries understood the notion of credibility in relationship to their SoTL research and how they went about developing credibility for their work. Semistructured interviews were facilitated and analyzed using inductive analysis. Findings indicate that notions of credibility encompassed putting SoTL research into action and building capacity and community around research findings, as well as gaining external validation through traditional indicators such as publishing. SoTL researchers reported a variety of strategies and approaches they were using, both formal and informal, to develop credibility for their work. The direct focus of this paper on "credibility" of SoTL work as perceived by experienced SoTL researchers, and how they go about developing credibility, is a distinct contribution to the discussions about the valuing of SoTL work.

In this study, the variables having impact on the student motivation have been analyzed based on the articles, conference papers, master's theses and doctoral dissertations published in the years 2000-2017. A total of 165 research papers were selected for the research material and the data were collected through qualitative research techniques through document review and content analysis. According to the research results, the most important factors affecting student motivation are the fields of teacher, teachers' classroom management skills and their teaching methods. In this research, factors having less influence on the student motivation are parental communication, student characteristics and study fields. In addition, relational search type was used more than others, mostly students were selected as the study group and most researches were conducted in USA and Turkey.

This research paper discusses the accomplishments, issues, and challenges experienced by Open University of Sri Lanka (OUSL) academics when offering the first cross-border professional development online course to train online tutors and mentors. The course was delivered exclusively online and facilitated by OUSL academics and e-mentors from the USA. The course was comprised of 30 participants: 9 from Pakistan, 10 from Mauritius and 11 from Sri Lanka. This qualitative study is based on reflections of both faculty and participants. Data were collected using reflections and informal anecdotal records of the three OUSL academics and self-reflection instruments (pre, mid and final) administered to participants, and reflective journal entries made by participants. Participants' views were triangulated with the reflections of the OUSL academics to validate the results. While there were many accomplishments in the design and delivery of the course, the findings revealed that there were many challenges in implementing the course: pedagogical, organizational and technological aspects in particular. The paper provides recommendations to address such challenges when offering cross-border online courses in the future.

Acute care nurses continue to rely on personally created paper-based tools—their “paper brains”—to support work during a shift, although standardized handoff tools are recommended. This interpretive descriptive study examines the functions these paper brains serve beyond handoff in the medical oncology unit at a cancer specialty hospital. Thirteen medical oncology nurses were each shadowed for a single shift and interviewed afterward using a semistructured technique. Field notes, transcribed interviews, images of nurses’ paper brains, and analytic memos were inductively coded, and analysis revealed paper brains are symbols of patient and nurse identity. Caution is necessary when attempting to standardize nurses’ paper brains as nurses may be resistant to such changes due to their pride in constructing personal artifacts to support themselves and their patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 ( HHKA) required schools to make changes to meals provided to children. Rural school districts have limited resources, with increased obesity rates and local food insecurity. In this study we sought to understand the perceptions of rural food service directors and the barriers to implementing the changes. METHODS Food service directors from rural school districts were invited to complete a semistructured telephone interview and online survey. A total of 51 respondents completed both, 6 completed only the online survey, and 16 completed only the telephone interview. Qualitative interview data were analyzed through open thematic coding; descriptive statistics were calculated for the quantitative data. RESULTS Food service directors mostly perceived the changes as negative, challenging, and burdensome. They believed that the changes resulted from concern about childhood obesity, which they did not view as a problem for their students. Diverse challenges were reported related to cost, preparation, and student preference. CONCLUSIONS Food service directors in isolated, rural areas need support to enhance understanding of HHKA requirements, build professional networks to learn from one another, and communicate with students, families, and other stakeholders. Future efforts should focus on changing perceptions and supporting directors in order to make implementation a success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between theory and qualitative research has been extensively examined in the literature and has emerged as a problematic matter. This debate has been driven forward mainly in Anglo-Saxon countries and has done scant justice to an understanding of these issues in regions of the South. This paper addresses this matter by drawing on a geopolitical perspective. The study here provides an analysis of 24 papers by Latin-American researchers in higher education, as included in the Web of Science between 2006 and 2015. Theories in Latin America are mainly produced in the North and exhibit two patterns: (i) critical perspectives are used to address local problems -- 'epistemic problematization'; and (ii) a nuancing of Northern theories so as to contextualize them -- 'epistemic nuancing'. Suggestions are also made for a new configuration of knowledge production in higher education studies -- a model of knowledge from and for the South.

This paper reports on an international experience designed, within a sociocultural frame, for teacher education students to examine theoretical knowledge and make visible local knowledge on diversity issues, and the interrelatedness and complexity of language, literacy and culture and its impact on educational practices. It examines the context of international education, as part of a graduate program of studies, as a promising way for teacher education students to gain knowledge of communities' funds of knowledge and situated cultural and literacy practices, use knowledge and engage in action as learners in an uncommon, out-of-the-ordinary context, and act on personal, professional and instructional implications. This international experience, which involved a course taught in the U.S. and Brazil, was designed to engage American graduate students, with different levels of teaching experience, in active exploration of their assumptions about the nature of literacy and culture, and communities' funds of knowledge. The purpose of this situated learning experience was to deepen teacher education students' understanding of self, cultural identities and deficit beliefs, and its impact on their curriculum design and instructional process, and interactions with their own students and their families. This paper also examines the American students' explorations and cultural clashes, what became visible about their invisible assumptions that turned into "rich points" and led to transformed understandings and actions. (Contains 2 tables and 1 figure.)

The analysis of exemplars of different quality is a potentially powerful tool in enabling students to understand assessment expectations and appreciate academic standards. Through a systematic review methodology, this paper synthesises exemplar-based research designs, exemplar implementation and the educational effects of exemplars. The review of 40 empirical exemplar-based studies indicated frequent use of post-intervention evaluation designs. The integrated use of exemplars and strategies such as rubrics, peer or self-assessment was a major pedagogic feature to enhance students' understanding of standards and aid their generation of internal feedback for self-monitoring. There was evidence suggesting that the combined use of exemplars with these strategies could advance students' academic performance and development of self-regulated learning. The review results set future directions for exemplar-based studies: quantitative research would benefit from controlled manipulation of variables to disentangle the effects of exemplars and those of other strategies; qualitative research could profitably use self-reflective diaries, think aloud protocols or classroom observations to develop deeper understandings of exemplar implementation. The key pedagogical implication recommends students' production of an assignment draft prior to exposure to exemplars so that they can compare their own work with exemplars and then make improvements independently of teachers.

Theoretical and practical implications of incorporating Quick Response (QR) codes in a traveling international art exhibition are addressed in this paper. Blending the physical and virtual dimensions, the exhibition undergirded a pilot study of the integration of technology into traditional museum settings in both China and the United States. The conceptual and methodical framework highlighted in this study included the participatory museum, informal education, and an array of evaluation research methods and techniques. Data collected for analysis comprised a set using Google Analytics, questionnaires completed by exhibition visitors, and other in-depth qualitative findings collected from participating artists from both cultures. This paper shows that the technological aspects of display can lead directly to participatory learning with the potential for new directions and avenues of inquiry.

The purpose of this study was to investigate an interdisciplinary international service learning program and its impact on student sense of cultural awareness and competence using the Campinha-Bacote's (2002) framework of cultural competency model. Seven undergraduate and one graduate student from Human Development and Nutrition Science disciplines participated in the program. Reflections from a synthesis paper post-travel were analyzed using an inductive approach. Six themes emerged from the reflective journals and were applied to Campinha-Bacote's cultural competency constructs. Participating and learning together while reflecting helped deepen and progress this process for ISL students. Overall, the experience proved to be an effective educational tool for sensitizing students towards cultural competency within interdisciplinary programs.

Introduction. Data, information and knowledge together constitute a vital business asset for every organization that enables every business activity, every business process and every business decision. The global legal industry is facing unprecedented change, which inevitably creates challenges for individual law firms. These global changes affect law firms' business as well as information environments. Method. Qualitative interview-based empirical research was conducted with partners and practice managers in law firms in Australia, South Africa and the United States of America, to investigate the changes in the legal industry, the challenges subsequently faced by law firms, and how these challenges are being addressed. Analysis. The interview transcripts were thematically analysed, supported by the NVivo10 qualitative analysis software. Results. The legal sector, one of the most data, information and knowledge intensive industries, is currently undergoing unprecedented change resulting in numerous challenges for law firms that are creating increased pressure to be more effective and efficient. Conclusion. The findings show that significant improvement to law firms' business performance can be driven by overcoming barriers to information asset management such as lack of executive awareness, justification, business governance, leadership and management, as well as ineffective tools. This paper recommends the steps that law firms can take to overcome these barriers.

This paper explores the concept of "community-engaged research" (CEnR) within the context of Veteran health care delivery and reintegration programs. A multi-sector expert panel (msExP) was formed to evaluate and make recommendations on Veteran community reintegration research and programs. The panel consisted of Veterans, care partners, clinical providers, researchers, community stakeholders, and subject matter experts. The paper examines the composition and lifecycle of the panel, highlighting the characteristics and experiences of the participants. Shifts in the panel's purpose and engagement levels occurred in response to unanticipated disruptions, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The transformation of the panel emphasizes the importance of aligning individual and group needs and deepening intrapersonal relationships Findings based on observations, surveys, and interviews with panel members contribute to the field of community-engaged research by demonstrating the utility of catalytic validity that balances group and individual development. As part of a broader study on Veteran reintegration, the panel and its development over time allowed for various perspectives on Veteran experiences and reintegration within the community that shaped the overall project. Despite the challenges of developing and maintaining a panel alongside a research study, feedback from the panel members on their participation provides insight into the potential for future working alliances in community-engaged health research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Benefits of effective team-based working in healthcare settings are well established, with the ultimate form being transdisciplinary teams. Achieving transdisciplinary teams at the large organisation or system level has not been extensively studied. Purpose: To examine and describe exemplar organisations where transdisciplinary working was enabled and that can be reproduced in other organisations. Methods: An expert panel reached consensus on three healthcare organisations in the USA that exemplified transdisciplinary working. Available public information about each organisation was reviewed and site visits with direct observation and interviews were conducted with two of the three exemplar sites (the third completed remotely due to the onset of COVID-19). The process of immersion-crystallisation was used to review the collated material and to identify key themes that were then repeatedly checked with the expert panel. Results: Consistent themes were identified across all three organisations, although they each arrived at these commonalities via distinctly different routes. All had a clear and shared creation story as to how they came about as an entity, which was supported by consistent longitudinal leadership. This enabled an environment whereby each organisation created its own language that reflected their culture as an organisation, thus continually reinforcing the uniqueness of their organisation. Conclusions: Large healthcare organisations can achieve the concepts of transdisciplinary practice. While no single achievement pathway was identified, common themes noted were a clear creation story, consistent leadership, and building a language that reflected the organisation. What is known about this topic? Much research has been generated around the benefit of teamwork in healthcare, little has been generated around how to achieve this at an organisational level. What does this paper add? This paper specifically seeks to bridge the gap in understanding how teamwork can be enabled at an organisational level, and the pathways organisations have undertaken to achieve this way of working. What are the implications for practitioners? This paper identifies the key themes across three exemplar organisations that have enabled team working at an organisational level for potential application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In higher education music instrument teaching, there is a strong tradition of high-level performers being recruited to teach advanced students within the private studio despite the fact these educators often have no training in pedagogy. The studio environment also continues to be dominated by the one-to-one lesson format and the master-apprentice tradition. While the literature overviews a long history of the master-apprentice tradition in various fields, there is to date minimal empirical research that specifically evidences the extent to which it is cyclical in nature. This paper reports on survey data from 54 current tertiary educators across four countries who were asked to identify the key influences on how they work within the music studio. The data point not only to the influence of the master-apprentice tradition, but also to the fact that most current educators rely on previous teachers and experiences of teaching to inform their pedagogy.

The purpose of this study is to analyze the process of school principal selection and appointment in Turkey and some other developed countries in a comparative way. The specific purpose is to make suggestions in order to improve the school principal selection process in Turkey by comparatively analyzing school principal selection process in Turkey and some developed countries. The focus is on the principal selection processes in the USA, Germany, and Finland, and it makes a comparison with the current situation implemented in Turkey. In most of the states in the USA, in order to be a principal, a certificate, a master's degree, and being an actual teacher are required. In the study methodology, official papers and documents have been analyzed in the context of research review in order to study the existing materials that do not require collecting through a data collection tool. These documents include related official reports, graduate thesis, articles, proceedings, National Education Councils conclusions, and legislative texts consisting of official regulations. The findings indicate that there are various selection methods used for this purpose. District Board of Education is in charge at selection procedures. In Germany, there is a variety of selection procedures among the states. The states' Education Ministries and administrators are in charge of selection and appointment of principals and modifications of selection procedures. The state exams and regular official performance assessments by superiors are decisive in the centralized selection process in most federal states. In Finland, a certificate and teaching qualification are required to be a principal. Interviews and tests are used in the selection procedures. Administrators and educational committee members are in charge of the highly decentralized selection process. There are some common and varied features in principal selection process between Turkey and the mentioned countries in the study. In Turkey, school principality is regarded as a secondary role to a teacher and the principal selection processes, procedures, and rules change very frequently in time.

Online students use highly emotional language to describe their experiences, indicating that learners do feel a great deal online. This paper draws on Wetherell's exploration of affective practice to theorise learners' responses to the pedagogical and technological online environment. Findings of a research project that focused on two cohorts of online doctoral students are presented, including survey responses and interview data. Thematic analysis indicates that participants experienced positive and negative affects circulating around three sites of intensity: a sense of progression; community interaction and assignment feedback. However, narrative analysis of extracts from the interviews reveal a further level of complexity to the data, drawing attention to the unfinished and shifting character of these affects. The paper concludes by pointing to the implications of this research for designing the online environment in ways that will allow students to experience the full potential of online learning.

The paper highlights the role of translation in qualitative research that involves multiple languages. Its particular focus is on untranslatables, that is, those words or phrases in a source language that pose challenges to translators because no direct equivalent is available in the target language. "Untranslatables" create moments of productive difficulty by forcing a critical examination of both the data and the assumptions that framed the research questions. The paper discusses two cases: research with Mandarin-speaking participants on the topic of democracy and democratic subjectivity, and research with Q'eqchi'-speaking participants on the topic of civic engagement and political participation.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the process of development of cultural knowledge and cosmopolitan identities among international management students in multicultural learning environments and to investigate how international business students develop global mindset during their studies. Design/methodology/approach: A comparative analysis was conducted within four undergraduate management and business administration programs in international higher educational institutions, based on constructivist grounded theory methodology. The empirical study is grounded in data that were collected from triangulated multiple sources: qualitative semi-structured interviews with students, faculty and student services professional (n = 95) from 23 countries, participant observation in four programs and document reviews, and were analyzed using the dimensional analysis. Findings: The study presents a global mindset development process model, which takes into the account social capital of the learners, as well as the existing and emergent social ties. Practical implications: The paper provides tentative recommendations for the steps that management educational programs and multinational companies can take to promote an environment conductive for cultural knowledge exchange. Originality/value: The paper presents the development of global mindset as a social learning process; in particular, it addresses the role social capital plays in knowledge generation and sharing in multicultural learning environment. It contributes to the understanding of cultural knowledge development in social networks. Additionally, the paper examines the feasibility of development of global mindset in international higher educational.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore how university-based entrepreneurship programs, incorporating real-life venture creation into educational design and delivery, can bridge the gap between entrepreneurship education and technology transfer within the university environment. Design/methodology/approach: Based on a literature review and snowball sampling over a two-year period, 18 entrepreneurship education programs were identified as applying a venture creation approach. Ten of these programs were selected for case study, including direct interviews and participatory observation during a two-day workshop. Empirical findings were iteratively related to theory within entrepreneurship education and technology transfer. Findings: The paper identifies the bridging capabilities of venture creation programs (VCP) across five core themes, illustrating the potential benefits of closer collaboration between entrepreneurship education and technology transfer in a university environment. Research limitations/implications: A definition for "VCP" is tested empirically. These programs are shown to be sophisticated laboratory environments, allowing for clinical research towards the understanding of entrepreneurship and technology transfer processes. Practical implications: Findings identify practical benefits of combining entrepreneurship education and technology transfer activities, such as increased value creation through not only new firms, but also an entrepreneurially equipped graduate population. VCPs allow for "spin-through" of innovative ideas in the university environment, while simultaneously contributing to entrepreneurial learning. Originality/value: This paper presents findings from the first multiple case study into entrepreneurship education specifically designed to develop real-life venture as part of the core curriculum. Findings provide basis for investigating the value of integrating entrepreneurship education and technology transfer at the university.

This paper addresses a niche in studies on immersion programmes for English as second language learners. While studies on the impact of the experience of studying abroad are replete with reports about the enhancement of participants' language proficiency or intercultural skills, the present study investigates the types of language and culture strategies used by a group of student teachers on an overseas immersion programme by coding their interview responses and documenting the types of strategies reported. It also traces changes in the participants' perceptions of their strategy use before, during and after studying abroad. The findings show that while participants reported using speaking strategies and listening strategies much more than other language strategies, only a narrow range of both strategy groups are reported. Similar findings are found in their use of culture strategies. Different changes in strategy use before, during and after the immersion are reported. The paper interprets the findings. Both short-term and long-term pedagogic implications for strategy development on study-abroad programmes are proposed.

This paper reports a Spanish-American telecollaborative project through which students used "Twitter," blogs and podcasts for intercultural exchange over the course of one semester. The paper outlines the methodology for the project including pedagogical objectives, task design, selection of web tools and implementation. Using qualitative and quantitative data collection, the study explored how the application of Web 2.0 facilitated cross-cultural communication. How the use of digital technology affected the way in which the students viewed intercultural learning and peer feedback was examined. The findings showed that students viewed the online exchange as a superb venue for intercultural communication with native speakers. Through social engagements, students not only gained cultural knowledge but also became more aware of their own beliefs and attitudes toward their own culture. In addition, discussions on topics of tangible and intangible cultures afforded the opportunity to raise students' awareness of cultural norms and practices. Peer feedback helped learners increase lexical knowledge, prevent language fossilization, and acquire native-sounding discourse. The study suggests that allocating sufficient time to complete each task and making personal commitment to online contributions are essential to successful intercultural exchanges.

Transnational Asian adoptees are a unique and understudied population that potentially faces oppression and confusion. Educational institutions are often unresponsive to the needs of immigrant groups, particularly ones with unique circumstances like transnational Asian adoptees. Not only is there a gap generally in the critical and empirical literature across fields when it comes to this population, but it is almost entirely missing from the educational literature. This conceptual paper contributes a better understanding of transnational adoptees through a third space framework. We seek to critically analyze and synthesize the literature on transnational Asian adoptees. The outcome of the investigation bridges the adoption and education literature, situating it within the educational context. In doing so, we present educational implications of transnational Asian adoption that lay the groundwork for much needed empirical analyses.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the sources of meaningfulness at the workplace, according to the perceptions of hospitality employees from different national cultures in one US-based hotel, based on Dimitrov's empirical study about the features of the humane organization. Design/methodology/approach: This was an exploratory research that employed a single embedded case study. There were 17 employees, selected via purposeful convenience sampling. The process of data gathering involved: personal statements, interviews, complete observations, and document analysis. Data were coded using open and theoretical codes. Content and constant comparative analysis was used to link the emerging themes. Findings: The respondents felt that sources of meaningfulness in the workplace are: work itself and pride in the product; the social environment; the self and spirituality at work; and becoming a humane organization. Research limitations/implications: The main recommendations for future research are to: explore the meaning of work and meaningful workplace human resource development concepts in more culturally diverse organizations in different counties and economic sectors (government and non-profit); study the national cultural differences more specifically per cultural type, utilizing systematic methodologies for cultural differentiation; and explore other study designs. Practical implications: Organizations are advised to: create flexible schedules and WFB policies; exhibit social responsibility; and broaden the cultural horizons of their workforce. Originality/value: The discussion in this paper will further enhance the understanding of international human resource development as it provides a focused review of the sources of meaningfulness in the workplace found in the study of one US-based organization, populated by the international influences of a global industry in a global world. (Contains 4 tables.)

The current article analyses the papers presented at the 2011 BELMAS Conference in order to understand the sorts of works it contained in terms of topics addressed and types of papers, as well as authorship patterns of the presenters. Based on an analysis of 57 works presented at the Conference, it was found that the typical paper was authored by a single individual, who might originate from countries other than the UK. Additionally, the presenter is usually a university member who presents empirical and conceptual works mostly in the area of policy/reforms and headship (leadership) but not solely. Compared to the 2007 BELMAS Conference, some increase in the works authored by practitioners from schools and a variety of educational agencies was observed. A major shift between the conferences is evident in respect to the topics discussed by the presenters. Some suggestions for BELMAS end this paper. (Contains 7 tables.)

Social studies education [Sosyal Bilgiler] in Turkey has been defined as an integrated field of study after the curriculum reform over the last decade. This interdisciplinary notion of social studies education is established in the curriculum as a result of modeling NCSS (National Council for the Social Studies) standards. This new social studies movement in Turkey has taken a thematic approach and focuses on developing skills and values in the curriculum. Unlike the former curriculums, this new curriculum has adapted alternative assessment methods such as portfolios, self and peer evaluation, projects, poster presentations, and rubrics where in the past Turkish educational system has been dominated by the standardized testing. On the other hand, there have been discussions in the United States regarding the influence of high-stakes testing in diminishing the instructional time of social studies classes and instructional decisions in these classes. The purpose of this paper is to compare and discuss the influence of standardized testing on social studies education both in Turkey and the United States. This discussion may help to redefine and restructure social studies education and will consider the disintegration of the field, as has been one of the major trends in the last two decades.

A common theme in the literature on care-giving is the issue of "hidden" carers, that is, people who undertake caring roles and responsibilities, yet do not identify themselves as carers. One reason people do not recognise themselves as carers relates to the nature of the caring relationship. When providing care for a family member, intra-familial bonds of love and reciprocity do not encourage parties to view the relationship as anything other than a "normal" familial relationship. The lack of self-identification amongst young carers is complicated further by societal norms surrounding care-giving. Whereas adults are expected to provide care to other adults and children, young people are not expected to be care-givers but rather care recipients. As a result, many young carers remain "hidden" and beyond the reach of services and supports designed to help them in their caring role. This paper draws on qualitative research with young carers and service providers to explore the issue of self-identification amongst young carers. The paper concludes with recommendations for identifying and supporting hidden young carers. (Contains 6 notes.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to build a detailed description of the Global Seminar (GS) curricula model by exploring its on-the-ground participatory practices in America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Australia. Design/methodology/approach: Within a qualitative research design framework, the authors interviewed 20 faculty members from the USA, Mexico, Costa Rica, Italy, Australia, Sweden, Honduras, South Africa, Germany, Austria, and Denmark. They observed 11 class sessions; and analyzed available course documents. Findings: The GS model provides a broader notion of teaching and learning for sustainability that incorporates greening and education for sustainability into curricula. This participatory model proves the emerging shift towards a new paradigm of teaching and learning for sustainability in academia. Originality/value: This paper shows how academia can address sustainability through curricula models that promote a fundamental change to the dominant academic paradigm and challenge the existing understanding of sustainability in higher education. (Contains 1 table and 5 figures.)

Current science assessments typically present a series of isolated fact-based questions, poorly representing the complexity of how real-world science is constructed. The National Research Council asserts that this needs to change to reflect a more authentic model of science practice. We strongly concur and suggest that good science assessments need to consist of several key factors: integration of science content with scientific inquiry, contextualization of questions, efficiency of grading and statistical validity and reliability.Through our Situated Assessment using Virtual Environments for Science Content and inquiry (SAVE Science) research project, we have developed an immersive virtual environment to assess middle school children's understanding of science content and processes that they have been taught through typical classroom instruction. In the virtual environment, participants complete a problem-based assessment by exploring a game world, interacting with computer-based characters and objects, collecting and analyzing possible clues to the assessment problem. Students can solve the problems situated in the virtual environment in multiple ways; many of these are equally correct while others uncover misconceptions regarding inference-making. In this paper, we discuss stage one in the design and assessment of our project, focusing on our design strategies for integrating content and inquiry assessment and on early implementation results. We conclude that immersive virtual environments do offer the potential for creating effective science assessments based on our framework and that we need to consider engagement as part of the framework.

The paper reflects critically on the use of arts-based approaches to (re)present ethnographic educational research data, positing that the use of these artistic genres while creating new opportunities for engaging and enacting the complexities of twenty-first century realities also pose new challenges particularly in relation to the application of a performative methodological rigour. In engaging with this issue, the author conceptually borrows in part from Boal to situate himself as "impresario-joker" and through this lens reflects critically on the performative process and performance ethic underpinning his work--as a non-artist researcher--to stage a piece of ethnographic educational research as performance art. The paper while supporting the potential of using the arts in the (re)presentation of ethnographic data, also acknowledges that the securing of its academic legitimacy requires the establishment of a performance ethic if it is to be taken seriously within the academy. (Contains 1 figure and 3 notes.)

This paper offers a comparative reflection on how two nations, the U.S. and Lithuania, are implementing inquiry-based science in elementary classrooms. The qualitative study explored how fourth grade teachers in Southern California and in Lithuania employed effective inquiry-based strategies in their classrooms. A teacher's use of questioning strategies to guide critical thinking and the role of inquiry-based pedagogy plays in promoting student engagement were commonalities in both countries. "Exercise moments", resource conservation, and "voyeuristic investigations" were noted in Lithuanian inquiry practices while pacing guides and standards coverage were prevalent issues in US inquiry practices.

This paper seeks to add to the discussion surrounding young adults' relationship and engagement with learning technologies, exploring whether they naturally engage with these technologies when the use of them is either compulsory or optional. We discuss our findings in relation to whether young people are truly engaging with technologies or whether they are simply passive consumers of some technology, and unenthusiastic innovators in others. Participants in the UK (N = 6, Mean Age 20.66, undergraduate psychology students) provided their responses to a short series of face-to-face interviews using open-ended questions designed to elicit a critical exploration of their learning experience with particular emphasis on learning technologies. Participants in the US (N = 26, Mean Age = 22.38, pre-service teachers) responded to a series of short open-ended questions submitted online using asynchronous video journals uploaded to a private classroom space on YouTube. We found that young people are generally unenthusiastic users of learning technologies, which has significant implications for the educational sector in the UK and the US, as many of our participants are pre-service teachers. At a time when great emphasis is being placed on increasing student access to technologies in the classroom to enrich the learning experience, and to offer greater opportunity for understanding and discovery of information, trainee educators seem reluctant to engage with many types of educational technologies.

New learning environments with communication and information tools are increasingly accessible with technology playing a crucial role in expanding and reconceptualizing student learning experiences. This paper reviews the outcome of an innovative course offered by four universities in three countries: Canada, the United States, and Mexico. Course objectives focused on broadening the understanding of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples primarily in relation to identity as it encouraged students to reflect on their own identity while improving their English skills in an interactive and experiential manner and thus enhancing their intercultural competence.

The meaningful integration of technology in teaching and learning is consistently called for in all sectors of education. Recently it has appeared as a key tenet for achieving what has been termed as personalising learning. Personalising learning, a concept that addresses a range of current best-practice approaches with an added emphasis on ICT and the voice of individual learners, is becoming more prevalent in both general discussion, and in some countries, in policy regarding education. If its prevalence continues to grow, teacher educators need to consider how they too can incorporate personalising learning approaches in their courses to ensure graduate teachers are equipped with the necessary skills and knowledge to implement personalising learning approaches in their own classrooms. This paper considers the components of personalising learning and describes one approach to creating a technology-infused learning environment that has been trialled in the tertiary sector. The key focus of this trial was the effective integration of technology as an enabler of personalising learning. Findings indicate that meaningful student learning experiences can be achieved through a personalised approach which also supports the emerging tenets of effective, pedagogical use of ICT for learning. These findings led to a model of Technology for Personalising Learning (TPL) which is presented as a planning framework through which personalising learning with technology can be achieved in higher education. (Contains 1 table and 1 figure.)

This paper examines the results from a qualitative study conducted with teacher education candidates enrolled in the foreign/world language licensure programs in two different universities located in the United States. The purpose of the paper is to help us better understand how critical pedagogy and multicultural education can help meet the challenges that world language teachers experience in the teaching of culture. It draws attention to some of the complexities that exist in the integration of the "cultural standard" (my italics) in foreign/second language teacher education programs and some of the challenges faced in its implementation in the K-12 classroom setting. Although the current study took place in the United States, the growth of an increasingly global society fosters the need for increased cultural understanding and communication around the world. The researchers call for collaboration across programs, states, and countries to learn from one another and express the need to promote honest dialogue that opens the floor to discussion, different ideas and the values of others in order to challenge assumptions and transform thinking. The following are appended: (1) Student Standards for Foreign Language Learning in the United States; and (2) The ACTFL/NCATE Teacher Standards (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages/National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education Teacher Standards).

Framed from positioning theory and dynamic systems theory, the paper reports on a naturalistic study involving four Chinese participants and their American peers in an intercultural asynchronous computer-mediated communication (ACMC) activity. Based on the moment-by-moment analysis and triangulation of forum posts, reflective essays, and retrospective interviews, this study charts out participants' positioning trajectories and identifies five discursive practices (pronouns, epistemic phrases, evaluative phrases, emoticons, and posting style) as control parameters of participants' positioning systems. The study also reveals that positioning in ACMC is multiple, emergent, and contested, defying preconceived roles and identities. Therefore, the success of ACMC can be attributed to the participants' ability to make sense and make use of discursive practices to negotiate positions and achieve positioning alignment. The pedagogical implications of positioning interrogation and positioning intervention in ACMC are also discussed.