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Purpose The current research presents findings from an innovative online Teachers Professional Development (TPD) program entitled – The Israeli Society is Meeting Online. This study aims to examine to what extent does online contact promote meaningful acquaintance among teachers from different cultures in Israeli society, and how did the online TPD program influence the way teachers perceive their roles in the Israeli education system. Design/methodology/approach This study implemented a qualitative phenomenological approach to learn about the teachers’ experiences (through the TPD program. Findings The findings indicate that teachers who live and study in a diverse and divided society can improve intergroup relations using online contact with teachers from other groups. This contact may lead to a significant acquaintance, which, in turn, prepares teachers as agents of change in the field of multicultural education. Originality/value Israeli society is diverse and divided and these divisions are reflected in the educational system, which is characterized by high degrees of prejudice, stereotyping and racism between groups. The findings highlight the educative potential of online contact in a diverse society and the importance of improving intergroup relations between teachers from different cultures prior to their attempts to promote multicultural education.

PurposeThe research examined factors of academic studies as perceived by Jewish and Arab students in Israel, and changes in their implementation of activities in a multicultural context in the field of education, comparing between undergraduates studying for a BA in education and graduate students for MA in education and attending a course titled “Multiculturalism in the Global Era”.Design/methodology/approachThe findings are derived from a questionnaire distributed to Arab and Jewish students (N = 434), studying together in the Faculty of Education of one academic college in Israel. In total, 251 of them were graduate students, and 183 who were undergraduates.FindingsIt was found that insofar as the students from either programme acquired knowledge and tools regarding multiculturalism, they reported (1) more positive attitudes regarding the “Other” group and regarding multiculturalism, (2) implementation of a larger number of activities relating to multiculturalism in the field of education, (3) Arab students performed more activities in multicultural contexts and (4) older students performed a larger number of activities in multicultural contexts. The research findings also indicated a direct relation between participation in the course and activities conducted in the field of education. In addition, students' acquiring of knowledge on multiculturalism mediated the relation between participation in the course and implementation of multicultural activities in the field of education.Originality/valueThe research stresses the importance of higher education institutions in promoting knowledge and practice of multiculturalism in Israeli society.

En el presente estudio se examinó un programa de desarrollo profesional en línea diseñado para fortalecer las relaciones significativas y reducir estereotipos y prejuicios entre profesores de diferentes culturas en la sociedad israelí. La fundamentación del programa en línea se basó en la premisa de que el contacto indirecto en línea podría mejorar las relaciones intergrupales en sociedades distintas. El programa se diseñó para poder progresar gradualmente. Se inicia desde lo básico para después llegar a una relación más profunda mediante una variedad de herramientas de comunicación mediada por computadora (CMC). Los resultados indicaron que, al finalizar el programa, los participantes eran más respetuosos entre sí que antes del programa. Tenían una visión positiva del aprendizaje en línea y estaban abiertos al multiculturalismo (eran más tolerantes y aceptaban a otros mejor que antes) mientras conservaban aún sus propias identidades culturales. Los participantes del programa notaron la progresión gradual en el diseño de las tareas y señalaron expresamente que esta estructura paso a paso contribuyó a la creación de una conexión y posteriormente fomentó la familiarización. Este estudio llena un vacío en la investigación, pues demuestra la manera en la que el contacto en línea (contacto indirecto) puede usarse para fomentar el contacto y reducir estereotipos y prejuicios entre profesores de diferentes grupos de la sociedad israelí.

The Covid-19 pandemic that entered our lives suddenly in 2020 compelled higher education systems throughout the world to transfer to online learning, including online evaluation. A severe problem of online evaluation is that it enables various technological possibilities that facilitate students' unethical behaviors. The research aimed to investigate these behaviors, as well as the reasons for their appearance, as practiced in exams held for the first time during the Covid-19 pandemic, and to elicit students' and lecturers' perceptions of students' academic dishonesty (AD) during this period. The sample included 81 students and 50 lecturers from several Israeli colleges and universities. The findings expand extant knowledge on academic dishonesty, identifying significant differences between the perceptions of students and lecturers concerning attitudes towards online exams and the reasons for dishonest behaviors. The findings among the students also indicate that younger students and Arab students tended to cheat more in online exams. Moreover, the findings indicated a lack of mutual trust between students and lecturers with regard to academic dishonesty, a deep distrust that will probably continue even after the Covid-19 crisis. This last finding should be a cause of concern for higher education policy-makers, affecting future policies for improving lecturer-student relations, especially during crises. Recommendations are proposed for addressing academic dishonesty in exams in general and during the pandemic in particular.

Students of Ethiopian origin belong to one of the weakest sectors in the Jewish population of Israel. During their studies they have to deal with social alienation, cultural gaps, economic hardships, and racial stereotypes which reduce their chances to successfully complete their academic degree. In this respect, the present research asks whether online social media could provide those youngsters with tools and resources for their better social integration and adaptation to the academic life. For this purpose, the study was conducted in one of Israel’s largest academic colleges while adopting a design-based research approach, which advanced gradually on a continuum between ‘ambient’ and ‘designed’ technology-enhanced learning communities. The interventions applied for this study aimed at examining how they may encourage students of Ethiopian origin to expand their activities in the online social learning groups. The findings indicate that the main pattern of students of Ethiopian origin online participation was peripheral and limited to viewing only. Nevertheless, the level of their online activity has been improved after a series of two interventions, which also led to a slight improvement in indicators of their social integration and in a change in their usage of online learning groups from social to academic uses.