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Objective: Schools and the education system are powerful tools for cultivating healthy lifestyles. This research focuses on characterising the factors contributing to the development of health-promoting schools in Israel, and understanding how schools can offer a framework for improving students' health. Fullan's triple change model with its focus on three phases in the change process in schools -- the initiation phase, the implementation phase and the institutionalisation phase -- served as a framework for analysis. Design and setting: This qualitative-constructivist study involved the analysis of data collected from 26 elementary school principals in Israel, 15 of whom belonged to the health promotion school network (HPSN) and 11 who did not. In addition, 10 health promotion leaders from within the schools were interviewed. Methods: Data collection took place by means of semi-structured interviews. in which the questions asked referred to the three phases identified in Fullan's process of change model. We analysed the data using thematic content analysis. Results: Each identified theme was associated with one of the phases proposed in Fullan's model of change. The "initiation" phase included collaboration with key stakeholders, principals' personal commitment, and dissemination of ideas through personal connections. The "implementation" phase included gaining access to appropriate tools and materials, action to deal with barriers to change, and the creation of a holistic health promotion environment. The "institutionalisation" phase included the development of administrative strategies such as adherence to routines, the inclusion of regular events in the school calendar, and the allocation of time frames for the activities undertaken. Conclusion: Fullan's model proved useful in analysing efforts to develop health-promoting schools. The model signalled the importance of using a structured approach throughout the institutionalisation phase in a manner attuned to the unique nature of the school. Alongside identifying key factors that support assimilation, it is crucial to assess their integration into the school culture. The school principal's role is critical throughout all the phases of the development process.

This study examines how teachers' perceptions of academic emphasis moderate the relationship between their middle leaders' transformational leadership and organizational resilience subdimensions (principal organizational resilience and faculty organizational resilience). Academic emphasis in schools prioritizes academic excellence in teaching and is crucial in evaluating school effectiveness. The study used a two-source survey design with self-report data from 609 participants in 103 secondary schools in Israel. The results indicate that academic emphasis moderates the relationship between transformational leadership's sub-dimensions ("idealized influence," "inspirational motivation," "individualized consideration" and "intellectual stimulation") and principal organizational resilience but not faculty organizational resilience. The findings suggest that middle leaders can create a positive academic emphasis to optimize their transformational leadership's effects on organizational resilience. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This case study examined the characteristics of classroom discourse during physics lessons in two single-sex high school classes--a boys' vs. a girls' class. All lessons were taught by the same teacher and covered the same topics. For each class, six lessons were recorded, transcribed, and coded and the characteristics of the discussion were counted, including the number of words spoken by the teacher and students, the number of open-ended and closed-ended questions posed, and the number of open and closed discourse segments and their initiator. A total of 549 closed-ended questions, 1,151 open-ended questions, 139 closed and 168 open discourse segments were analyzed. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the teacher on his views of the discussion characteristic in his lessons and the differences he has observed between boys and girls in terms of these characteristics. The average number of all classroom discourse parameters examined was similar in both classes and no significant differences were observed. In both classes, the students participated very actively in the discourse throughout most of the lesson, both among themselves and with the teacher. From the teacher's perspective, the differences in discussions between the classes, if any, are not related to the student's gender, but rather to the character of the students and the classroom environment. The main conclusion that emerges from this study is that the girls' discourse in a single-sex class does not differ significantly from the boys' discourse, as discussed in the article.

The study aimed to examine the effectiveness of two intervention programs in improving dietary habits in two groups of preschool and fifth-grade students. The programs were tailored to the target age group. The composition of each of the children's breakfasts that were brought from home was recorded both before and after the intervention program. Every food item received a score according to its nutritional quality, and each meal was summed accordingly. T-tests were performed in order to determine the significance of differences between the nutritional quality of the children's breakfast items before and after the intervention. It was found that the nutritional quality of all breakfast components and its overall health quality improved significantly in both age groups. The study's results indicate that the intervention program is effective for a range of young ages. It is recommended to conduct such programs starting in preschools, and subsequently in schools.

This study examines the attitudes of Israeli preschool teachers towards the teaching of science and technology (S&T) in preschools in general, and towards the Israeli Ministry of Education's S&T program in particular. It assesses the connection between the teachers' attitudes and their implementation of the program and examines the difficulties they expressed and improvements they suggested regarding the implementation of the S&T program in their classes. Ninety preschool teachers responded to a questionnaire assessing their attitudes regarding teaching S&T to preschool children. Eight of these teachers were interviewed regarding the content, methods, and application of the S&T program in their preschools. The results show that most of the teachers are engaged in teaching scientific content in the preschool, despite time constraints. All the teachers expressed positive attitudes towards teaching S&T in preschool, attributed great importance to it, and said it is appropriate for children of that age. However, they admitted that they do not fully apply the official S&T teaching program in their classes. Further, they teach mainly according to their personal knowledge, rather than the professional program. Many said they lack sufficient knowledge and are not fully familiar with the S&T program. They stated that professional development could improve utilization of time and resources, increase cooperation with other educators, and promote positive attitudes towards teaching S&T in preschool. The main implication of this research is that a nationwide, professional training program for preschool teachers must be introduced along with the new S&T curriculum. Such training should provide teachers with in-depth knowledge of the program's content, and methods for implementing it, and provide them with personal guidance to enable them to teach S&T with minimal difficulties or concerns.

Young children are familiar with astronomical phenomena from everyday life, such as the movement of the celestial bodies or the shift from day to night. The present study examines the extent to which kindergarten students understand abstract concepts related to celestial bodies and processes (such as gravity and time), and whether they change their perceptions of these concepts following an educational intervention. The study also examines what children report about this learning experience. The study, conducted in a kindergarten in Israel with 32 students, combined quantitative and qualitative research methods. The children's knowledge of astronomy was examined before and after the intervention. The teacher conducted observations, collected the children's creative projects, and interviewed them. She also asked them if they enjoyed the learning process and why. The findings show that few of the children had knowledge about concepts related to astronomy prior to the learning process, and some expressed misconceptions. Following the intervention, there was a significant increase in the children's knowledge and ability to explain astronomical concepts and many of their previously expressed misconceptions had been corrected. Most of the children said they were interested in learning, although some said they felt fear during the lessons. The results indicate that kindergarten students are able to study topics related to astronomy, although they are abstract and difficult to demonstrate. The conclusion of the study is that teachers should be encouraged to integrate studies of astronomy and space into the science curricula for kindergartens. This should be done using appropriate pedagogy that will increase the children's interest and involvement in learning and avoid causing them fears. [Note: The page range (305-328) is incorrect. The correct page range is p305-327.]

Student body diversity is a key goal of Israeli higher education policy. While this goal aims to reduce inequality, a group-based national plan with differential guidelines for Arabs, ultra-Orthodox Jews, and Jews of Ethiopian descent uncovers systemic stratifying mechanisms. This article examines why a policy intent on promoting equality does so through different paths for different groups. It employs discourse analysis of policy narratives arising from 75 policy documents and 54 interviews with national and institutional policymakers. The findings reveal that simultaneous equalizing and stratifying mechanisms are explained by an intersection of socioeconomic and ethnonational guiding logics. This is conceptualized through a threefold diversity policy model: (1) "Universal," encouraging higher education participation as an inclusive civic and social right; (2) "Socioeconomic," providing enhanced support based on needs and on perceived economic benefit; and (3) "Ethnonational," with stratified recognition, allocation, and implementation mechanisms. This model clarifies how the policy is designed to reduce socioeconomic inequality while still allowing for ethnonational stratification. It contributes to the higher education policy literature by adding citizenship as an important construct of policy processes in diverse societies, to be considered in the pursuit of equity and equality.

Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate whether the sub-dimensions of transformational leadership are differently influenced by middle-leaders' personality traits from the Big Five typology, namely, extraversion, conscientiousness, openness to experience, agreeableness, and neuroticism, and whether the sub-dimensions of transformational leadership influence teachers' professional and organizational commitment differentially. Design/methodology/approach: Data were collected from two sources: 114 middle-leaders and 282 teachers randomly chosen from elementary schools in Israel. Hierarchical regression analyses and structural equation modelling were used to test the research hypotheses. Findings: First, the findings indicated that the teachers perceived their middle-leaders as transformational leaders without distinguishing between the sub-dimensions. Second, transformational leadership was positively correlated to teachers' professional and organizational commitment. Finally, positive relationships were found between the middle-leaders personality traits of agreeableness and openness to experience and teachers' commitment. The study findings point to two paths to facilitate teachers' professional and organizational commitment, either through the middle-leaders transformational leadership or their personality. Originality/value: Although recent research has shown that leaders' personal traits are critical components in leading a team effectively and promoting employee behaviors, few studies in the educational context have focused on the differential impact of the Big Five typology on middle-leaders' tendency toward the sub-dimensions of transformational leadership (TL) and its implications for teachers' commitment. By integrating research from both educational and non-educational literature, the goal of the present study, then, is to address these important yet relatively unstudied issues.

Background: Discourse is the teacher's principal pedagogical tool in class. Studies stress the importance of research on discourse in science education and demonstrate its cruciality for understanding science. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate characteristics of the classroom discourse in lessons on physics. Sample: Classroom discourse was studied in five classes at five high schools in Israel, 110 students in all. Altogether, seventeen lessons comprising 373 discourse episodes and 1,892 questions were analyzed. Design and Methods: The discursive characteristics examined were patterns of discourse episodes and their frequency in each lesson, the initiator of discourse (teacher or student), and the types, frequency, and initiators of questions asked. Results: The findings show that despite variance in teachers' and students' traits, all lessons were similar in various parameters of discourse. Most classroom discourse was dynamic and continual; many questions were asked and were of diverse types that induced large numbers of discourse episodes. The lessons differed mainly in the number of teacher-initiated higher-order thinking questions and the number of open discourse episodes -- elements indicative of dialogic teaching. However, even among teachers who asked more high-order questions and initiated open discourse with higher frequency, the discourse episodes were brief and rarely led to meaningful discussions and deep thinking. Conclusions: Investing more in dialogic discourse may be useful in building knowledge and effective learning of abstract ideas in a challenging subject such as physics.

Background: Learning disabilities (LD) are lifelong disabilities that affect all facets of a person's life. Aim: Identifying the relationship between academic students' attitudes toward learning disability, self-image, and selected factors. Methods: A questionnaire was distributed to 213 students from an academic center in Israel. Two different scales were used: (1) Students' Attitudes scale toward students with learning disability; (2) Students' Self-image scale. Results: (1) the student attitudes scale were found to be relatively high. (2) A significant positive relationship was found between students' attitudes and their self-image. (3) More positive attitudes were found among those students who have friend with learning disabilities. Conclusion: The results of this study indicate the necessity of reinforce students self-image and to encourage the students to socialize with students who have LD, in order to strengthen the positive and favorable attitudes of students at the academy, which will positively have impact on the success of the integration of students with learning disabilities into the community and society.

Background: Outdoor learning and computer-based learning are two different alternatives to in-class conventional teacher-centered learning. Purpose: This study compares the outdoor learning setting with computer-based learning in class. It examines the influence of the two different learning settings on academic achievements, the learning experience, and pro-environmental perceptions. Sample: A total of 90 elementary school students (third and fourth-grade classes) participated in the study. Design and methods: The academic knowledge of the study participants was tested through identical exams for both learning settings. In addition, in each group the students' perceptions were examined by means of a questionnaire about environmental values and the learning experience. Results: The study demonstrates that academic achievements in the two settings were similar, but the students expressed more enthusiasm about the outdoor learning experience than about in-class learning. In addition, the outdoor learning setting contributed more to promoting positive environmental perceptions even though students did not learn directly about environmental issues and sustainability. Conclusions: These findings suggest that learning in the natural environment is valuable--Alongside the fostering of computerized learning, it is also important to promote outdoor learning settings and integrate both settings by implementing mobile technologies in the outdoor teaching.

This paper presents an approach to planning academic courses for pre-service teachers and for researching development of teacher identity. The approach was implemented in a course, conducted in an Israeli Master Teach program, designed to foster pre-service teacher identity transformation. The research described here addresses two questions: (1) To what extent does the approach contribute to the understanding of teacher identity formation? (2) Using this approach, how can pre-service teacher educators support teacher identity transformation? Using a metaphorical tool, students designed their "ideal school" at the beginning and at the end of the course. Identity transformation was evaluated by comparing their designs. Demonstration of this approach methodology is presented through an analysis of the designs of one female student. Findings highlight the potential of this approach to reveal and cope with obstacles inhibiting transformative learning: narrow, imbalanced, inconsistent, and shallow perspective; rigid patterns of thinking; and lack of emotional awareness.

This qualitative study investigated a 'personal education' program that operates in some middle schools in Israel. This article focuses on three teachers in three different Jewish Israeli middle schools, and their students, and the intrapersonal and interpersonal teaching and learning processes in their classrooms. The theories of Dewey, Piaget and Vygotsky provided the theoretical lens through which teaching and learning processes were viewed. The findings show that in order for peer group dialogueue to reinforce participants' personal development the teacher must reinforce group norms of mutual trust among the participants, enabling inclusive, authentic dialogueue and classroom discourse which builds mutual respect. In addition, the teacher reinforces these norms via overt and covert messages, and via the model that he or she displays to the participants.

As part of the Bachelor's degree of nursing education, nursing students are exposed to the increasingly complex world of Information Technology. Aim: To evaluate the feasibility of a situated learning approach for Information Technology course by assessing students' perceptions at the end of the course. Methods: Course participants completed a pre and post-course survey describing their knowledge and perceptions of the course. Results and discussion: Results demonstrated increased knowledge and satisfaction with this new learning strategy, which was also apparent in their good final course grades. Students had considerably more knowledge after the course (comparing to pre course survey), with a positive correlation between students' perception of the usefulness of the course and their knowledge after completion of the course. Therefore, enhancing learning using a simulated learning curriculum may allow students to be more aware of the challenges that nurses face in actual practice, and may provide a more contextualized understanding of the issues relating to Information Technology.

This article addresses the challenging task of preparing baccalaureate social work students to master proficiency as first responders in stress and trauma situations. We begin with a brief description of the context, goals, admission procedure, structure, and process of a stress and trauma studies (STS) program. We then compare the development of resilience and general and specific self-efficacy among STS students and graduates, with parallel developments among non-STS students in the BSW program. The evaluation of the program by the participating students should further an understanding of the significance of their learning experience.

It is important to develop commitment to community practice among social work students to encourage their engagement in this field as professionals later in life. This research examines factors that affect commitment to community practice among social work students. A structured questionnaire was administered to 277 social work students in one university and one college in Israel. The findings indicate three main factors that explain variance in commitment to community practice: specific self-efficacy for this field, positive experience in a community project during training, and experience with politics. Surprisingly, theoretical studies and support for community work during supervision did not significantly contribute to explanation of commitment to community work. The findings are discussed.

We use existential theory as a framework to explore the levels of and relationship between job and couple burnout reported by dual-earner couples in the "sandwich generation" (i.e., couples caring both for children and aging parents) in a sample of such couples in Israel and the United States. This comparison enables an examination of the influence of culture (which is rarely addressed in burnout research) and gender (a topic fraught with conflicting results) on both job and couple burnout in this growing yet understudied group of workers who are reaching middle age and starting to face existential issues as part of their own life cycle. Results revealed significant differences in burnout type (job burnout higher than couple burnout); gender (wives more burned out than husbands); and country (Americans more burned out than Israelis). Job related stressors and rewards as well as parent care stressors predicted job burnout, and marital stressors and rewards predicted couple burnout. In addition, there was evidence for both crossover and spillover. (Contains 3 footnotes and 5 tables.)

This paper focuses on factors that influence the appropriateness of entrepreneurship studies to the needs and expectations of management students in Israel, where entrepreneurs are considered cultural heroes. The results of the authors' research revealed great interest in entrepreneurship studies among most of the students surveyed. However, differences were found between those students who intended to start a business and those who did not--in their business-related background, entrepreneurial traits and their business needs and expectations from entrepreneurship studies. These results highlight the disparity between the supply and the expectations from entrepreneurship programmes in universities, and as such have important implications for entrepreneurship education. (Contains 6 tables.)

Purpose: The paper addresses the influence of culture and gender on the choice of a management career among men and women MBA students in Israel, the USA, the UK, Turkey, Cyprus, Hungary and India. The culture by gender comparison enabled an examination of five theories: two that focused on culture (Hofstede's and an application of Schneider's ASA model) and three that focused on gender (evolutionary theory, social role theory and social construction theory). The five theories have contradictory predictions about the relative influence of culture and gender. Design/methodology/approach: Seven hundred and forty-seven MBA students (390 male and 357 female and approximately 100 in each country) responded to a self-report measure that was assembled especially for the purpose of the study. Findings: The findings showed large cross-cultural differences and small gender differences in the influences and aspirations associated with a career choice in management. Research limitations/implications: The findings support Hofstede's research and social construction theory, which predicted the cross-cultural differences. They provide some support for social role theory, which predicted both gender and cross-cultural differences, and very limited support for evolutionary theory, which predicted large and universal gender differences, and for the application of Schneider's ASA model, which predicted no cross-cultural differences. Originality/value: The findings are important in light of the small percentage of women in top management positions and the view of an MBA as means for breaking through the glass ceiling into top management. The findings can be translated to recommendations for encouraging women's entry into management. (Contains 5 tables.)

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to introduce the papers in this special issue and some issues surrounding choosing management as a career. A jointly developed questionnaire is also presented. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is descriptive in nature. Findings: It is crucial for researchers and practitioners to expand their perspectives to include other cultures and other theoretical perspectives beyond those offered by traditional vocational choice theories. Originality/value: Understanding the antecedents, correlates and consequences of people's vocational choice to become managers will not only help researchers and practitioners and benefit managers, but will improve the understanding of career choice in general. (Contains 1 note.)

This study aimed to identify aggression patterns among students, compare teachers' and students' reports on aggressiveness, and examine whether emotional and behavioral problems and self-control intercorrelate with aggression and can explain it among students. The study investigated 363 students aged 8 to 11 years and their 12 homeroom teachers in two elementary schools in central Israel. As expected, students reported higher verbal aggression than physical without gender differences in the general tendency. Also, students reported a higher rate of others' aggression toward them than their own aggression toward others. Similarities emerged between students' and teachers' reports. Four types of students were classified: the aggressive initiator (proactive), the aggressive responder (reactive), the passive victim, and a neutral type. An important outcome was the significant negative association of aggressiveness with self-control. Students with higher rates of self-control skills presented lower rates of aggressive behavior.

Purpose: This study investigates gender differences in the association between self-rated health (SRH) and mortality. This association has been well-documented, but findings regarding gender differences are inconsistent. The specific objectives were (a) to examine these differences in a short and a long time frame, (b) to examine these differences among old and old-old people, and (c) to address the question of whether this association is based on the accuracy of poor SRH as a predictor of future decline, and/or of better SRH as a predictor of longevity. Design and Methods: The study is based on an Israeli nationally representative sample of 622 women and 730 men who were interviewed about their SRH, as well as sociodemographic information and other measures of health, physical functioning, cognitive status, and depression. Results: For both genders, SRH was associated only with shorter term mortality (within the next 4 years) and not with longer-term mortality (9 years of follow-up). This association was strongest among the old (ages 75-84) women, compared with the old men and with the old-old (85-94) women and men. A possible explanation may be related to differences in the accuracy of excellent SRH at very old age. Implications: The SRH-mortality association may differ among age and gender groups. Identifying the conditions under which it is more accurate will enable researchers and practitioners to know when it can be utilized. It is important to assess differences in the accuracy of poor SRH as well as of excellent SRH as predictors of future health outcomes.

Interviews with 485 Jews and 384 Arabs living in Israel showed how different cultural orientations affect occupational burnout. For Arabs, burnout correlated negatively with quality of parent relationships, for Jews with supervisor and coworker relationships. Arabs were significantly less likely to discuss or seek counseling for work-related problems. (Contains 74 references.) (SK)

The goal of this study was to describe environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure using urinary biomarkers and its correlation with parent report, among children presenting to emergency room. This is a case control study among children aged 3 to 12 years at a tertiary pediatric emergency department in Israel. Children with respiratory (case) or gastrointestinal (control) symptoms were recruited and their accompanying parent completed a short survey. Urine samples were obtained and analyzed for nicotine, cotinine trans-3'-hydroxycotine. Clinical data were extracted from medical records. We compared tobacco exposure using urinary biomarkers, parent report, and Pearson's product-moment correlation, including 95% confidence intervals, between cases and controls. Forty-nine cases with respiratory symptoms and 96 controls with gastrointestinal symptoms were enrolled in the study. Parent-reported ETS exposure in the previous month was higher in the cases compared to control (71.4% vs 57.3%), although the difference was not statistically significant. The mean values of detectable biomarkers did not differ by between cases and controls. However, there was a correlation between urinary biomarkers and reported ETS exposure (0.278–0.460 for various biomarkers) only among cases. The majority of children in this study had detectable nicotine urinary biomarkers, regardless of their symptoms. However, correlation between parental report and urinary biomarkers was only found among children with symptoms potentially related to ETS. These findings imply that parents of children without respiratory symptoms may underestimate exposure. Efforts to educate parents and caregivers on the risks associated with exposure to ETS should be intensified, regardless of illness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the reported prevalence of unprofessional behaviours, including incivility and bullying, experienced by nursing students during their clinical practice. To assess the prevalence of students' abilities to speak up about unprofessional behaviours encountered and infection control concerns; their compliance with standard precautions and COVID-19 guidelines; and their perceived responsibility for infection prevention. Lastly, to describe the potential impact of unprofessional behaviour on compliance with these guidelines. Unprofessional behaviours in healthcare settings are associated with a wide range of individual and organisational negative outcomes for nurses and nursing students, which may affect patient safety. The COVID-19 pandemic created new challenges for clinical education and for infection control. A descriptive cross-sectional design. A multi-centre survey was carried out in six academic universities and colleges in Israel. The research study involved 369 undergraduate nursing students during 2022. Their clinical experiences were assessed using an online questionnaire. The STROBE guideline was used for accurate reporting. 301 (81.6%) students reported experience of unprofessional behaviour while undertaking clinical practice. Students with reported skills to speak up about unprofessional behaviour were less likely to report having experienced these behaviours (p = 0.003). Students who did not experience unprofessional behaviours were more likely to report higher compliance with standard and COVID-19 precaution guidelines (OR 3.624, 95% CI 1.790–7.335, p < 0.001). These students also had a higher perception of personal responsibility toward patient safety (OR 1.757, 95% CI 1.215–2.541, p = 0.003). Nursing students experiencing unprofessional behaviours in the clinical setting reported lower compliance with standard and COVID-19 precautions. In addition, cultivating personal responsibility towards patients' safety may have a positive impact on guidelines compliance. Nursing educators and leaders should develop strategies to enable students to better cope with unprofessional behaviours. Closer cooperation between all stakeholders may promote civility among nurses and nursing students in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the tremendous advancement of women in Western society, they are still exceedingly underrepresented in positions of leadership and policymaking in the public sphere. This study aims to explore the ways women may overcome the traditional barriers on their path to key positions of influence by examining the factors that contributed to the success of women who have reached senior policymaking positions in their organizations. The study combines qualitative and quantitative methodologies, consisting of in-depth interviews with high-ranking women in different spheres of Israeli society, such as parliament members, directors in the public and private spheres, senior military commanders, and the like, along with self-report questionnaires. The findings identify diverse factors that contributed to the rise of these women to the top, including organizational properties, familial features and personal attributes. Practical recommendations for the advancement of women to influential leadership positions are suggested in accordance with the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Multicultural teams are task-oriented groups from different national cultures that are often involved in dynamic, project based arrangements. They are fast becoming the norm in businesses and NGOs worldwide. The study examined team member's stereotypes as embedded in the complex environment that characterizes global teams. It contributes to the scarce research on stereotypes as embedded in contexts. The study explored the stereotypes of 120 Israelis and 80 Indians working in the high-tech industry. The conceptual frameworks of convergence, divergence and crossvergence and social identity theory provided the backdrop for the study's hypotheses. The quantitative findings documented the existence of crossvergence in global and national stereotypes and of in-group favoritism. The qualitative findings revealed that Israelis and Indians created mirror pictures of two basic stereotype categories: work related and personal characteristic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study examining the process of social work socialization based on the responses from faculty members in the social work department at a college in northern Israel. The article discusses the mission of the school of social work, the integration of personal and professional identity education, the role of the community in social work education, the school's preference for applicants who embody certain personality traits such as empathy and personableness, and the school's teaching model that focuses interactive learning.

Many Israeli Gardens may be considered to be of international importance. Yet, historic gardens conserved in the past have started to deteriorate, have been modified and some are even facing destruction. To save them, there should be greater public awareness of their value and the need for their conservation. The gardens represent landscape architecture creations, and document the development of urban settlements. They need to be preserved as part of Israel's collective memory and identity. However, the subject of historic gardens was only included in the agenda of the Israeli Council for the Preservation of Buildings and Historic Sites during the past decade, and has not yet received proper legislation. This study documents selected historic gardens in Israel, from the beginning of the renewed Jewish settlement, discusses their conservation and the policy, laws and regulations pertaining to them. It surveys the history of landscape design over the last hundred years and analyses three historic gardens - the Benjamin Garden in Haifa, the Meir Dizengoff Garden in Tel Aviv and the Ramat Hanadiv Gardens in Zichron Ya'acov. The paper concludes with a discussion of the future of these gardens and indicates the need to shape clear policy regarding their conservation and inclusion in the law as sites of national heritage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on visual preference of the public for vegetation groups in Israel. Botanical-ecological classification of vegetation groups; Land use preference.

While cross-disability consciousness developed in the United States and England in the 1970's, a similar consciousness failed to emerge in Israel until the late 1990s. Furthermore, even in countries with a long history of cross-disability collaboration, there is a tendency for people with psychiatric disabilities to remain excluded from the ensuing disability community. The present article had its origins in the course "From Personal Coping to Social Responsibility: Leadership Training for Social Change for People with Disability," initiated and funded by the Disability Rights Commission in Israel, and developed and implemented by Shatil, the Empowerment and Training Center for Social Change Organizations. An explicit goal of the course was the development in Israel of a cross-disability consciousness inclusive of people with psychiatric disabilities. In the present article, three course graduates and the course facilitators reflect upon the insights that emerged from the cross-disability discourse generated among participants, during the course and in the course of joint writing about the course. Special emphasis is given to the dynamics and effects of the inclusion of a large sub-group of people with psychiatric disabilities in the cross-disability group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reclaimed landfills can be used after closure, yet environmental andphysical problems impose restrictions on their after-use. Due to these restrictions, there is an advantage in using landfills as open spaces. A procedure for selecting a suitable open space for a closed landfill site is presented. The procedure includes two main parts: criteria for selecting open space uses suitable to the planning conditionsof the landfill, and criteria examining the compatibility of functional sub-units of open spaces ('activity environments') under the physical potential risks and environmental conditions prevailing in a landfill. The main contribution of the procedure is in forming environmentally sound planning alternatives. The procedure demonstrates how a systematic approach to landfill recycling can integrate environmentalcontrol for the benefit of the community. The logical procedure developed can be used for examining the suitability of other land uses toa landfill. The basic method used can serve to create decision-making procedures in order to select land uses for various types of land having physical restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]