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This study reports on the results of a semester-long Chinese-American telecollaborative exchange via WeChat, in which students from China and the U.S. shared thematically similar songs in their respective languages and discussed relevant cultural topics that were suggested by the students. Various types of qualitative data collected from the exchange (i.e. WeChat group discussion transcripts, videoconferencing audio recordings, final reflection journals, and end-of-semester interviews) showed that the students participated actively in the program and were able to engage in in-depth conversations on various topics with their partners through WeChat group discussion and one-on-one videoconferencing. Many students attributed their positive experience to the intrinsic ability of music to engage college students. In order to evaluate the students' intercultural learning, Byram's intercultural competence assessment model was adopted to guide the data analysis. Results showed that the students demonstrated evidence of developing four types of intercultural competences during the exchange: interest in knowing other people's way of life and introducing one's own culture to others, knowledge about one's own and others' culture for intercultural communication, ability to change perspective, and knowledge about the intercultural communication process, with particularly overwhelming evidence indicating the prominence of the first two types.

The purpose of this mixed-methods research was to investigate changes in preservice elementary teachers' science teaching beliefs and explain how these beliefs influence the way these teachers interpret their science teaching and learning experiences. Supported by the theoretical underpinnings of teacher beliefs and drawings as a tool to investigate teacher beliefs, this research utilized qualitative (written science autobiographies and reflections) and quantitative (Draw-a-Science-Teacher-Test-Checklist as a pre- and post-measure) data collection techniques. A total of 55 preservice elementary teachers participated from two public universities located in the United States and Canada. Quantitative analysis revealed positive shifts in science teaching beliefs of preservice elementary teachers largely in two ways: A small shift representing small positive difference or a large shift representing large positive difference between the pre- to post-course DASTT-C scores. Qualitative data analysis for the two sub-groups of participants (small shift and large shift) provided evidence that preservice teachers' beliefs were linked to their personal histories and were influenced by their prior science experiences. Preservice teachers' beliefs and their self-images changed as they participated in the field teaching experiences in elementary classrooms and engaged with elementary learners, during the science methods course. Implications for preservice teacher education programs, science teacher education, and research are included.

This is the first meta-analysis to examine the outcomes of nonfamilial, intergenerational programs (IGP) on youth and older adults. Relevant studies were identified by screening the abstracts from five systematic reviews on the impact of intergenerational programs on psychosocial outcomes. After all studies were screened 23 independent studies were included in the meta-analysis. An effect size, d, was calculated for the change in youth attitudes toward older adults, as well as older adults' change in generativity, quality of life, depressive symptoms, and physical health. Results suggested that IGP have a small, but significant association with improved youth attitudes toward older adults (d = 0.42). For older adults IGP were associated with a small, significant, reduction in depressive symptoms (d = > -0.30) and increased generativity (d = 0.25), quality of life (d = 0.48) and physical health (d = 0.10). Nonsignificant heterogeneity precluded the use of moderator variables to explain variation among the studies. With a better understanding of the effectiveness of IGP, researchers can more effectively develop IGP and assess their outcomes.

This grounded theory research investigated the experiences of 25 Chinese graduate students attending a Christian university in the United States, most of whom self-identified as atheist or nonreligious upon entry. Interview and questionnaire data identified that 23 of 25 participants experienced an overall increased openness to Christianity during their graduate studies; two students' worldview remained approximately the same. However, in that process of worldview change, all participants experienced competing influences that affected their perceptions of Christianity--some influences increased their openness to Christianity and some influences inhibited their openness to Christianity. To restate: Whereas my first article published in this journal focused on influences that increased openness to Christianity, this sequel article focuses solely on the influences participants described as having "decreased" (or "inhibited") their openness to Christianity in theoretical--curricular and relational--cultural dimensions. These 10 inhibitors include (a) Participants' Surprise at Discovering They Were Attending a Christian University; (b) Modern Chinese Education's Naturalist Training; (c) Nonsystematic Presentations of Christianity; (d) Religious Pragmatism and Relativity; (e) China's Climate of Pressure and Corruption; (f) Chinese Communist Party Membership, Affiliation, or Influence; (g) Pushy Chinese-Speaking Church Movements; (h) Cynicism of "Fake" Conversion; (i) Mockery From Peers; and (j) Perceived Hypocrisy of Christians. The article concludes with Implications for Practice for Christian university administrators and faculty working at institutions that enroll Chinese students as well as student life organizations and other personnel seeking to serve the Chinese university student population.

Utilizing a mixed method approach, this study focuses on the perceptions of good teaching held by graduates of a teacher education program in the U.S. Specifically, this paper examines whether graduates embrace their program's vision of good teaching and core standards as a guide to their self-reported teaching practice. Six cohorts of graduates' responses were recorded and analyzed upon arrival and completion of preparation to examine whether students' ideas changed during the course of the program. Findings suggest mixed results suggesting that teachers adopted several ideas about good teaching that are related to the core standards of the program (e.g., collaborating with a colleague, encouraging risk taking, and asking open-ended questions).

The goals of this research were twofold. First, to measure changes in cultural awareness levels between two groups of students in their third semester of a Spanish class. The trained group formed by university students from the USA collaborated with another group of university students from Colombia using Skype. The second aim was to identify attitudes of "decentering" or "thirdness" in the trained group. This group met seven times during a 13-week semester to discuss a variety of cultural topics such as college life and daily routines. The control group addressed the same issues by examining them among members of the same class and answered a pre-and post-self-awareness questionnaire. Mixed factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed a significant increase in interculturality scores in the trained group. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis of the video recordings, essays, and video chats from the trained group showed dispositions to "decentering" ("thirdness") or to engage in an understanding process of the other (Kramsch, 1993). This group exhibited attitudes of curiosity and openness during the Skype sessions. Their essays were elaborate; the topics were varied, indicating the experience of productive social interactions. This group also avoided the use of essentialist or static cultural representations of the other in their narratives.

This paper reports the findings of a dialogical narrative analysis conducted by two white academics in distinct higher education contexts -- one based in the United States and the other in South Africa. Through the retelling of actual classroom scenarios, the authors assess their own teaching methods, responses, and classroom practices in order to examine how whiteness has shaped their classroom and teaching practices. As a result of this critical examination, the authors present strategies that centre around reorienting 'habits of mind' (vulnerability, flipping curriculum, collective buy-in, challenging safety, and inter-racial collaborations) to break the cycle of pervasive whiteness that exists in classroom environments and curricular endeavours. In an effort to work against reifying the colonial wound and move towards decolonising teaching practices, the findings of this analysis and the discussion that follows is our attempt of 'stepping back' in order to travel forward in our professional lives.

In this paper, I unpack how youth organizers became politicized activists through their engagement in the prefigurative practices of the fair trade movement. Prefiguration refers to the practices of a movement that are embedded in and reproduce their shared political visions; prefigurative politics allows social movement groups to embody their politics through their interactional practices, their tactical repertoires, and their outwardly oriented campaigns. As novices within United Students for Fair Trade (USFT), through their immersion in the organization's community of practice and their increasing participation in the prefigurative practices of the community, participants came to identify as and be identified as activists, shift their worldviews, and adopt new political philosophies. This paper examines the activist practices that supported legitimate peripheral participation, including group agreements, keeping stack, and antioppression interventions. The article concludes with a discussion of the ways that prefigurative politics enabled particular activist identities and philosophies and encourages further investigation into political identity development as a learning phenomenon.

This study explored two teacher educators' understanding of multilingualism and a change in their perception from monolingual native speakerism to multilingualism. Through exchanging the narrative about learning to be a professional and being a teacher educator in ESL and EFL settings, they deepened their understanding of multilingualism and heightened their critical awareness of monolingualism in their local contexts thereby gaining critical insights into the roles of language ideologies. The findings of the study were twofold. Firstly, native speakerism was still working as a dominant view in teacher education and had a great impact on nonnative English teachers' identities and their teaching confidence. Secondly, critical reflection through narrative writing allowed the participants to reflect on the hidden sociopolitical influences of native speakerism that shape their perceptions and perspectives and reconstruct their identities as multilingual teacher educators. The findings imply the benefits of collaborative narrative for critical reflection on ideologies about race and language and for building empowered professional identities.

Cultural intelligence (CQ) is critical to students' academic and career success. Drawing on experiential learning theory, the current study investigates the extent to which students' prior international experience and short-term study abroad destinations foster the development of their CQ. We examined the learning of 121 undergraduate students participating in two-week global business immersion programmes in four different locations (Russia, the UAE, the United States and Vietnam). Survey data collected pre- and post-immersion show these short-term study abroad programmes serve as a cultural eye-opener for students with low international experience and contribute to fostering a significant level of CQ development in culturally close countries. Our study uncovers a cultural distance paradox, suggesting that programme destinations with similar cultures to the students' home cultures facilitate a higher increase in the development of students' cultural intelligence. The study provides important implications for higher education institutions in the design and development of short-term study abroad programmes as an affordable, fast-growing and effective format for student mobility.

This research reports on studies conducted in two early childhood education (ECE) teacher preparation programs focused on increasing preservice teachers' intercultural competence through intercultural teaching and learning and diverse US and international field experiences. Study 1 took place at a large U.S. Midwestern university with the first cohort (n = 43) of preservice teachers to have completed the revised internationally focused program. Study 2 took place at a midsized rural university in the U.S. Rocky Mountain region with preservice teachers (n = 9) who completed an eight-month university-led program with Nepal field experience. The researchers used the same instrument to measure preservice teachers' intercultural sensitivity -- the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) -- before and after completion of the respective programs. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences was used for the analysis of the IDI scores of participants; paired samples t-test yielded individual and composite results. IDI pre and post results showed statistically significant increases in the composite scores for preservice teachers' levels of intercultural competence for most participants. Attributes of movement away from trivializing other cultures and toward recognizing cultural similarities, appreciation of and curiosity about cultural differences, and the ability to interpret phenomena taking place in a cultural context became evident.

How does short-term study abroad affect students' attitudes toward human rights? What role does study abroad play in human rights education? This study assesses the learning outcomes of two study abroad programs that aimed to promote human rights education. I applied a mixed methods approach to measure the changes in the opinions of students who completed my courses in two countries with poor human rights scores: The Gambia and Vietnam. I expected that The Gambia course would push the students toward ethnocentrism, and the Vietnam course would push the students toward ethnorelativism, but I was wrong about the impact of both courses Intergroup contact theory provides the best theoretical framework for explaining these unexpected learning outcomes. My findings suggest that we need to question the compatibility between human rights education and study abroad in terms of learning objectives.

In recent years, museums have recognized the urgent need to address several challenging issues. These topics include gender equality, racism, and environmental issues, just to name a few. As museums embrace the role of community-building change-makers, how can we include our audiences in the mission of making positive change? How can our scholarship, facts, and histories inform our audience's understanding of the present? More importantly, how can we empower them to activate their understanding and change their behavior in order to create a better future? In a dialogue between Eva Rossmanith, a German museum educator and Julie Garner, a theater specialist from the U.S., we offer best practices in using participation and empathy to engage the museum public in fact-based dialogue about challenging topics. With an inclusive approach to content, we can encourage civil discourse and give people the tools to change their behavior and facilitate positive change.

We investigated knowledge and attitudes before and after reading refutation texts augmented by different kinds of persuasive information and how emotions mediated the process of knowledge and attitude change. Undergraduates (N = 424) enrolled in 4 universities from 3 countries read a refutation text on genetically modified foods (GMFs) and were then randomly assigned to receive additional information about advantages of GMFs, disadvantages of GMFs, or both. After studying, students reading about advantages of GMFs had significantly more positive attitudes than students who read about disadvantages. There was also a significant reduction in misconceptions; participants in the positive-oriented text condition showed the largest learning gains, particularly those who held more positive initial attitudes. Epistemic emotions of curiosity, frustration, hope, and enjoyment mediated attitude change while confusion mediated relations between prereading attitudes and postreading knowledge. In addition, the direct relationship between prior attitudes and surprise was moderated by type of text. When reading about both advantages and disadvantages of GMFs, participants reported significantly less surprise when compared with those who read about either advantages or disadvantages of GMFs. To foster conceptual change when learning about complex topics, refutation texts may be paired with persuasive information that is aligned with accurate conceptions.

Research has shown that preservice teachers' beliefs are engrained and difficult to change through teacher education programs. Yet work to examine and improve teacher education shows programs can affect beliefs. Many programs use teaching practicums, but this research study examines a different experiential approach, structured language learning experiences (SLLEs), and its potential for enhancing teacher education. Whereas many SLLE studies have focused on monolinguals, this study examines bilinguals along the U.S.-Mexico border. Participants' (N = 70) changes in beliefs about language learning were examined through an SLLE using French embedded in a university course in language acquisition using pre- and post-SLLE questionnaires and focus groups. The results show that participants' beliefs changed during the course, including heightened recognition of the role of anxiety, self-esteem, and introversion/extroversion, while decreasing the emphasis put on intelligence in language learning. Further, the participants showed greater recognition of the relative difficulty of language learning, a belief found resistant to change in previous research. Finally, participants reported that they enjoyed the SLLE experience, it helped make connections with course readings, and it increased their empathy for second language learners. Given the results, SLLEs are recommended as a potential experiential project for inclusion in teacher education programs serving bilinguals.

Changing mindsets may influence college students' motivation to learn, which in turn affects how they engage in learning activities. Based on mindset theory (Gollwitzer 1990; Gollwitzer 2012), this study explored the extent to which the concepts of the deliberative and implemental mindset are value-laden, and hence, might have different effects for individuals from different cultural backgrounds. More specifically, we investigated if these types of mindsets have a positive or negative effect on college students' motivation to learn in the context of higher education in two different countries, the United States (US) and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Participants were 327 college students: 205 from the UAE and 122 from the US. Students were randomly assigned to one of four conditions (neutral, deliberative or implemental mindset, or control). Questionnaires assessed their motivation to learn, defined as attitudes, values, and goals on academic tasks, and self-regulatory strategies to complete them. Results suggested that differences in the consequences of being in a deliberative mindset for college students' motivation to learn for students from the US and the UAE; only students in the US sample were disadvantaged, whereas no such effect was found for students from the UAE. Being in an implemental mindset did not benefit students' motivation to learn. Cultural factors that may explain the results are discussed. The findings reinforce the need to examine motivation and possible interventions aimed at strengthening motivation in the context of higher education across individuals from different cultural background.

Previous publications in applied linguistics concerning nonnative English speaker teachers have analyzed how native-speakerism associated ideologies engender discrimination and affect students' and teachers' sense of self-worth. This qualitative study examines how Colombian English pre-service teachers' telecollaboration with U.S. Spanish heritage language students (SHLSs) influences the Colombian future teachers' self-perceptions as (non) native speakers. This research joins the call scholars have made to expand telecollaboration into critical perspectives to challenge pervasive and harmful language beliefs and attitudes. Findings suggest that Colombian participants' cooperative relationships with U.S. peers provided them affective and knowledge-based resources to build more favorable views of themselves, attitudes to confront the detrimental effects of native-speakerism ideologies, and informed judgments to dismantle them.

Background: Although gender plays an important role in health, most healthcare providers lack knowledge in providing gender-sensitive care. Offering gender-sensitivity training for healthcare providers can help to address gender-based health inequalities. Method: A mixed-methods systematic review of gender-sensitivity training programmes or interventions for healthcare providers was undertaken to assess their outcomes and to document areas for future research. Comprehensive searches of seven international databases were conducted for peer-reviewed literature published between 1998 and 2018. Eligible studies included at least one outcome related to gender-sensitivity training for healthcare providers. Results: Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria. Fourteen studies focused on gender-sensitivity in reducing gender bias towards men and women, and 15 studies focused on addressing the needs of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) patients. Thirty-seven percent of studies showed a significant improvement in gender-related knowledge, attitudes or practice after the training. Multiple training methods were used to teach gender-sensitive care. Common content of the training included learning sex/gender terminology, understanding gender issues and inequalities in health, stigma and discrimination and communication skills. The duration and frequency of interventions ranged considerably. Sex differences in training outcomes also occurred among the learners. Conclusion: Review findings highlight that although gender-sensitivity training for healthcare providers is increasing, there is insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness. Additional, more rigorously designed studies are needed to assess the long-term implications on learner behaviours and practices, especially across a wide variety of healthcare providers.

Korea and the US have different levels of tolerance toward homosexuality. At the same time, the school in both countries is considered to reinforce homophobia and heteronormativity. This study focuses on juxtaposing Korean and American prospective teachers to compare their past and current understanding and attitudes toward homosexuality. The research highlights the differences and similarities between the attitudes of the prospective teachers from the two countries and analyses reasons behind these attitudes. This study also examines how the participants face their own biases, understand the complicated issues related to sexual minorities, challenge their own perceptions, and decide whether they would change or keep them. Ten Korean and 10 American prospective teachers participated in a journal writing project guided by anti-homophobic discourses. In the beginning of the project, the Korean participants displayed greater homophobia in a more drastic way than the American participants did. However, the difference between the two countries might be only superficial in that heterosexuality is placed as a norm in both countries. In other words, even though homosexuality is more tolerated in American society, it does not mean that it is accepted as part of the norm. At the end of the project, the American and the Korean participants agreed that heterosexist beliefs and practices permeate society and that such social institutions as schools play an important role in reproducing and reinforcing homophobia. However, three American participants remained silent on the final question of whether they would fight against homophobia and three Korean participants decided not to support homosexual issues. If one says nothing, one cannot be accused of homophobia. By their silence, they voiced their true feelings on the issue, that they didn't support it, showing that silence is far from neutral in a heterosexual society.

The author argues that despite demonstrable successes of public education, school leaders have not framed an effective defense against decades-long charges of school failure. Drawing on leadership literature from Aristotle through today's airport best-sellers, the author suggests that school superintendents have an obligation to make a case for public schools through a strategy of inoculation that acknowledges some shortcomings, reframing to point out the strengths of public schools, and communication that introduces audiences to the complexities of public schools in today's world. The case to be made: we have the best public schools in the world, international rankings compare apples and oranges, and many children in the United States are living in Third World conditions.

Previous research on service-learning in international contexts tends to focus on the benefits and outcomes for students and educational institutions. This essay is intended to provoke further examination of issues related to university-community engagement in global contexts, particularly in terms of the consequences for host communities. In order to explore complex issues surrounding international service-learning, the author offers a composite scenario in a series of snapshots gleaned from projects organized by U.S.-based organizations and universities in partnership with host country organizations and communities. Revealed are a variety of typical outcomes--intended and unintended, positive and negative--for students, faculty, organizations and their staff, and the communities that host visiting service-learning teams. A framework for analysis is offered along with recommendations for ways to mitigate potential unintended negative consequences of international service-learning.

The purpose of this study is to investigate how of a group of prospective teachers' beliefs and perceptions about teaching (as a profession) change as they complete a teacher education program offered by the Curriculum and Instruction Department at an Eastern U.S. University. Considering the fact that there is quite a difference between prospective teachers' entering and exiting perceptions and beliefs about teaching as a profession, there exists a need to provide new insight into the reasons causing this difference. The findings indicate that field experiences gave the prospective teachers the opportunity to modify their self-perceptions about teaching careers. (Contains 1 footnote.)

The racial/ethnic populations in public schools have changed dramatically in recent years and will continue to shift to a majority non-White population. The National Center for Education Statistics (2010) reports 67.3% of the student population in urban districts is composed of students of color. Yet, the population of teachers in the United States is 83% White (National Center for Education Statistics, 2011), the majority of whom are from middle class English-only backgrounds. These differing life experiences can create borders between students and their teachers. Often, White teachers will interpret differences in life experiences, cultural frames of reference, race, class, and gender as a deficit on the part of students, which leads to inequitable educational opportunities for the nation's children. The changing demographics within schools create an immediate need for teacher preparation programs to better prepare all teachers for the diversity that exists within their schools. This article focuses on one elementary teacher education program that has responded to the call from the literature by redesigning teacher preparation specifically for urban schools. The author describes the programmatic features and results of a study that examined the impact of two courses, "Community Immersion" and "Working with Families and Communities," on candidates' perceptions of teaching in urban communities.

Universities in the United States and elsewhere offer study abroad programs to meet requirements that graduates have cross-cultural competencies and an international perspective on their discipline. Study abroad courses and field experiences for preservice teachers address two major challenges specific to the teaching profession: (1) how to prepare White, middle class, female students enrolled in teacher education programs to work with the increasingly diverse populations of students they will teach in the future; and (2) how to develop global perspectives in preservice teachers. The authors conducted a study of the experiences of preservice teachers on a three-week summer study abroad program in Honduras in order to examine how differences in understanding ethnicity, race, class, and gender affect the process of teaching and learning in diverse settings. This article provides an overview of this study abroad program, the qualitative methodology of the research study, an analysis of students' perceptions and perspectives, and a discussion developing preservice teachers' global multicultural competencies through international cross-cultural interactions. The authors' research indicates that the lived experience of studying abroad provides preservice teachers the intellectual and critical starting point for multicultural awareness of the educational, social, and political relationships between their lives and other cultures. (Contains 9 notes.)

The prevalence of plagiarism, cheating, and other acts of academic dishonesty may be as high as 80% in populations of high school and post-secondary students. Various educational interventions have been developed and implemented in an effort to educate students about academic integrity and to prevent academic misconduct. We reviewed the peer-reviewed research literature describing face-to-face workshops, e-learning tutorials, or blended approaches for promoting academic integrity and the effectiveness of these approaches. In general, the educational interventions were described as effective in terms of satisfaction with the intervention, and changes in students' attitudes and knowledge of academic integrity. Few studies provided evidence that the educational interventions changed student behaviour or outcomes outside the context of the intervention. Future research should explore how participation in educational interventions to promote academic integrity are linked to long-term student outcomes, such as graduate school admission, alumni career success, service to society, and personal stability.

The results of the 2016 British referendum on membership of the European Union and the presidential election in the United States of America initiated political changes that will arguably have resounding impacts, within and beyond the UK and the US for years to come. Much of the rhetoric accompanying these political victories appears to confront humanist ideals associated with inclusion, rationalism and transnational exchange. This article argues that these seismic political events in Europe and America will have an international impact on policies, practices and pedagogies associated with dance education, inevitably challenging those who seek to broaden meanings of socially, culturally, economically and politically inclusive arts education. We have gathered the queries of leading dance education researchers from around the world, to better understand how these political shifts are perceived, who feels they may be affected, how they feel it may affect them, and how research into dance education may respond to, and address, these effects. In doing so, we hope to provide a global snapshot of concerns felt by dance education academics in the aftermath of the 2016 British referendum and US Presidential election, and a research framework for investigating the implications of these events on dance education.

With equal access requirements and increasing rates of enrolment of students with disabilities in higher education, universities must find appropriate and efficient ways to create accessible materials which benefit and support all students. In response to cuts to disability funding, issues relating to the provision of an inclusive curriculum are now dominating institutional policy and educational discourses. This paper reports on a trans-Atlantic project which utilised student employees to convert and develop inclusive learning materials for their peers, with the expressed purpose of piloting a sustainable intervention method generalisable to meeting similar needs of diverse universities for inclusive material provision and a future workforce aware of disability issues and accommodations. Qualitative in-depth interviews with ten students (eight UK and two US) find that involving student employees in the delivery of inclusive materials improves partnerships and attitudes around disability and accessibility measures.

Preservice teachers need opportunities to understand the special needs of English Language Learners (ELLs) before they begin to teach them, yet frequently their exposure is limited to a journal article or college lecture. This collective case study aimed to explore the experiences of 17 American, native English-speaking preservice teachers as they collaborated with 28 middle-grades ELLs in Madrid, Spain, on a video remix through a mobile phone app. The participants communicated exclusively through the free messaging app, WhatsApp, to build relationships and generate ideas for a digital composition on the themes of Edgar Allan Poe's "The Tell-Tale Heart" short story. Data analysis revealed that participants experienced enhanced cultural understandings and connections, as well as favorable views on the use of digital composition as a means to engage English Language Learners (ELLs). Data also indicated that the app was an essential component in collaboration and relationship building. The findings have implications for international collaboration and applications for preservice teachers and teacher educators working with ELLs.

During the past century the U.S. family system has seen vast changes--in marriage and divorce rates, cohabitation, childbearing, sexual behavior, and women's work outside the home. Andrew Cherlin reviews these historic changes, noting that marriage remains the most common living arrangement for raising children, but that children, especially poor and minority children, are increasingly likely to grow up in single-parent families and to experience family instability. Cherlin describes the economic and cultural forces that have transformed family life. Job market changes have drawn married women into the work force and deprived less-educated men of the blue-collar jobs by which they traditionally supported their families. And effective contraception and legalized abortion have eroded the norm of marriage before childbearing. Cherlin notes that sentiment in favor of marriage appears to be stronger in the United States than in other developed countries. The share of U.S. adults who are likely to marry is higher, but so is the share likely to divorce. U.S. children are also more likely to live in single-parent families at some time in their childhood. Although nearly all Americans, whether poor or well-to-do, hold to marriage as an ideal, today marriage is increasingly optional. To a greater extent than ever before, individuals can choose whether to form a family on their own, in a cohabiting relationship, or in a marriage. Given U.S. patterns of swift transitions into and out of marriage and high rates of single parenthood, American policymakers eager to promote marriage are unlikely to be able to raise U.S. family stability to levels typical of other developed countries. Consequently, a family policy that relies too heavily on marriage will not help the many children destined to live in single-parent and cohabiting families--many of them poor--during their formative years. Assistance must be directed to needy families, regardless of their household structure. Policymakers must craft a careful balance of marriage-based and marriage-neutral programs to provide adequate support to American children. (Contains 5 figures and 81 endnotes.)

This study examined emotional and perceptional changes American people had experienced 10 to 12 months after the September 11 (9-11) terrorist attacks. A nationally representative sample of 807 U.S. adults ages 18 or older was interviewed using random-digit dialing that included unpublished numbers and new listings. The results indicated that 5 to 8% of the respondents had probable posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms such as angry outbursts, trouble falling asleep, difficulty concentrating, and experiencing nightmares even 10 to 12 months after the attacks. Twenty-two percent reported more frequent life-threatening perceptions and 50% more concerns about personal safety than before the 9-11 attacks. Chi-square and logistic regression analyses indicated that gender, age, race/ethnicity, geographic region, and employment status were significant predictors for experiencing differential emotional and perceptional changes. (Contains 3 tables.)

The relationship between attitude and the practice of teaching writing among preservice teachers is an important consideration for a number of reasons. Perhaps most significantly, these students will soon be responsible for teaching writing in schools where superior writing instruction is needed. The need for improving the effectiveness of future writing teachers is underscored by a recent evaluation by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), which indicated that only half of the students in grades 4, 8, and 12 in the United States are able to write adequate responses to informative, persuasive, or narrative writing tasks. The NAEP report also reveals that students generally receive little writing instruction. Furthermore, work by Lucas (1993) indicates that writing process is not as well established in the United States as advocates might have hoped. Therefore, it seems that greater efforts should be "given to the professional development of teachers who will be expected to guide students' writing." Certainly in any profession there are "certain sets of attitudes essential to the effective conduct of that profession." Since research clearly demonstrates the important relationship between teachers' attitudes about writing and their performance in the classroom, research that explores where writing attitudes originate and how they influence practice are worthy of attention. In this study, the author asks the following questions: (1) What attitudes did pre-service teachers hold regarding writing and the teaching of writing when they entered their final semester of pre-service professional education?; (2) What were the major influences on these attitudes?; and (3) What was the relationship between the participants' writing attitudes and the teaching process they actually employed during student teaching? (Contains 1 table.)

This study explored how a study abroad experience affected preservice teachers' (PSTs') dispositions towards and plans for teaching English Language Learners (ELLs). This qualitative study involved 16 elementary education initial licensure PSTs who participated in a 2-month study abroad trip to Germany. Data in the form of surveys, interviews, and reflections were collected. The PSTs' experiences left them feeling like outsiders, fostering greater empathy for ELLs. As the PSTs faced the challenges of studying abroad, they developed ways of coping, which influenced their dispositions toward ELLs and the accommodations they wanted to make when teaching ELLs in their future classrooms. A model of the PSTs' learning progression within the study abroad experience is offered as a lens to consider their transformations. Findings suggest it would be beneficial for educators traveling abroad with PSTs to find ways to make explicit the connections between personal encounters and future teaching experiences.

This study seeks to examine perceptions of attitudinal change in relation to the primary assessment activity within four Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) that were designed for attitudinal learning. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, we sought to understand if by focusing on assessing cognitive learning (quizzes) as opposed to behavioral learning (personal projects), the courses would result in greater reported attitude change in the respective areas. The second component of the study examined whether learners who identified cognitive learning (quizzes) as opposed to behavioral learning (personal projects) as the most impactful learning activity (or vice versa) reported stronger learning in the respective attitudinal component. Using an author-created survey that included learner reported attitudinal learning, perceptions of attitude change were collected. Results revealed that learners who utilized assessment activities focusing on behavioral learning did not report higher perceptions of behavioral learning. In contrast, learners utilizing assessment activities that focused on cognitive learning did report higher perceptions of cognitive learning. We conclude with a discussion of instructional design and facilitation of learning in MOOCs, as well as instruction for attitudinal learning within open-learning environments.

Today, science is a major part of Western culture. One advantage of informal learning environments is that they are (potentially) open to a wide range of populations with varying levels of interest and knowledge. Because of their informal nature, documenting learning has proven challenging. Studies that assess learning in museums, therefore, must employ theories of learning that encompass a more complex view of what learning is. This qualitative study was conducted with a population of high-level pedagogical staff from museums in Israel, Europe and the USA. Its purpose was to characterise staff perception of the goals of science museums and how these goals are manifested in the exhibits. Interviews with 17 staff revealed a wide range of goals that come into play in the different science museums. Findings suggest that the pedagogical staff perceive the science museum's goals as being to change public views regarding science, promote science education, and reduce disparities between populations. According to museum staff, science museums have an important role in changing visitors' approach towards science, as well as providing an additional source of science education.

Coed sport environments can be paradoxical settings where pre-existing gender biases influence participants' enjoyment and success. Furthermore, gendered messages and stereotypes as well as low expectations for females within coed sports can create participation barriers by reducing feelings of confidence and performance. Within university intramural sport programs, administrators have a significant role in determining participation opportunities and experiences. From a critical perspective, this investigation examined administrators' perspectives about coed intramural flag football gender modifications. Specifically, four research questions guided this study: (1) How do intramural sport administrators view coed flag football gender modifications?; (2) To what extent do intramural sport administrators perceive gender modifications to impact coed flag football environments?; (3) What level of awareness do intramural sport administrators have about the gendered messages of coed flag football gender modifications?; and (4) To what extent are intramural sport administrators willing to modify their perceptions of the rules in light of critical questioning? Qualitative interviews were used to obtain the perspectives of 12 intramural administrators from across the USA. Administrators reported that coed gender modifications impacted perceptions about female ability, often by sending messages of inequity. Moreover, administrators revealed that the modifications created competitive strategy that often diminished the integrity of the game and undermined perceptions of female ability. Findings also indicated that administrators were highly influenced by previously existing gender stereotypes, leading to an endorsement of the modifications. Endorsements were accompanied by questioning of the rules but reluctance to enact changes. These findings elucidate the importance of scrutinizing the existence and application of coed gender modifications. Furthermore, engaging flag football participant feedback on the specific attributes of the coed modifications is important to better understand the needs of female populations. Lastly, eliminating modifications may help diminish the gendered messages that currently exist within coed flag football.

Teachers play a crucial role in promoting more equitable educational outcomes for marginalized students from low socio-economic backgrounds. Correspondingly, there is a clear warrant for preservice teacher education to work toward the development of teachers who are socially just in their beliefs and practices. This article comprises a systematic review locating empirical research at the intersection of social justice--as it is variously defined within the literature--and teacher education published in peer-reviewed journals within the last 10 years. We explore the focus, design, and findings of the research identified as a basis for recommending future research in the field. By taking stock of the current state of the field and articulating questions that remain under-researched and research approaches under-utilized, we are better placed to move beyond revisiting familiar research terrain.

Massive open online courses (MOOCs) have gained significant attention in recent years for their potential to impact education at a global scale. This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the cases of three MOOCs, including Human Trafficking, US Food System, and Animal Behavior and Welfare, that were specifically designed to effect attitudinal change in its participants, specifically focusing on the three aspects of attitudinal change, cognitive, affective and behavioral as well as general learning. The study examined learners' perceptions of attitudinal change, including according to the MOOC they took, the instructional method utilized, and the influence of attitudinal components on each other. The findings from this research provide a number of implications that could be helpful for understanding instruction and instructional design of MOOCs, particularly those MOOCs addressing attitude change.

Digital intercultural training tools play an important role in helping people to mediate cultural misunderstandings. In recent years, these tools were made to teach about specific cultures, but there has been little attention for the design of a tool to teach about differences across a wide range of cultures. In this work, we take the first steps to create a digital self-contained culture-general training tool. In the first part of the article, we focus on different aspects and methods of intercultural training. This information is then used in the second part to evaluate the effect of these different methods on the perception of behaviour in misunderstandings. We found that experiential and story-based approaches may lead to different perceptions of participants. In the third part, we expanded on these critical incidents, and incorporated virtual characters, to evaluate if experiential incidents in an embedded story can lead to an attribution of perceived differences in behaviour to specific differences in culture and to users becoming less judgemental of inappropriate behaviours by people from different cultures. The results suggest that the tool had some effect, but that a debriefing relating the general differences to specific instances would be beneficial.

There appears to be a dramatic decline in attitude toward reading between 2006 and 2011 for ten year-olds taking the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) examination. This "decline", however, is probably not real but is the result of a change in the attitude questionnaire, mentioned only in the fine print in the 2011 PIRLS publication. The scoring of the 2011 version of the questionnaire was profoundly influenced by students' report of outside school reading; the scoring of the 2006 version was not.

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 findings from six field courses about student's perceptions of iPads as mobile learning devices for fieldwork. Data were collected through surveys and focus groups. The key findings suggest that the multi-tool nature of the iPads and their portability were the main strengths. Students had some concerns over the safety of the iPads in adverse weather and rugged environments, though most of these concerns were eliminated after using the devices with protective cases. Reduced connectivity was found to be one of the main challenges for mobile learning. Finally, students and practitioners views of why they used the mobile devices for fieldwork did not align.