Search

During the Armenian Genocide, the Ottoman Empire's Young Turk government forcibly transferred and assimilated thousands of Armenian children into Turkish society. After the defeat of the Ottoman Empire in the First World War, Armenian and international bodies and individuals began to liberate the transferred children. However, they encountered resistance to child identification from both Turkish authorities and some of the children themselves. This study examines the efforts to bring back those child-survivors, many of whom, after being rescued, found it difficult to accept their Armenian identities following their traumatic ordeal. To analyse in what ways the liberated child-survivors were educated, this study investigates "Tun" magazine, prepared by the orphans of the Jbeil orphanage, and presents its history. "Tun" is a unique example of a student press that was guided by teachers, with the aim of reinforcing "Armenianness" in the students and returning them to their nation.

Purpose: This article examines the use of English medium instruction (EMI) for teaching Japanese as a foreign language (JFL) by non-native speakers with a focus on multilingual classrooms. It also explores teachers' positive and negative beliefs about using EMI in classroom settings for JFL instruction. Methods and procedure: 274 non-native Japanese language teachers from around the world (57 countries) voluntarily participated in a survey, answering a questionnaire on Google Forms and Jotform. Both qualitative and quantitative methods were employed. The research instrument was piloted before the main study and was found to be effective and adequate to elicit the desired data. The research questions aimed to identify whether there were any relationships between the use of EMI and the multilingual classroom. Findings: The results showed a clear correlation between the extensive use of EMI and the multilingual character of JFL classrooms. Translanguaging turned out to be a common practice adopted by non-native Japanese teachers regardless of the primary language of instruction. The article concludes that EMI can be a valuable tool for JFL instruction in multilingual classrooms. Based on the investigation of the teachers' beliefs, the results showed a changing positive attitude towards English employed in JFL classrooms. Implications for research and practice: The findings can be used to further investigate EMI in JFL instructional practices in multilingual classrooms, improve the quality of JFL instruction and facilitate the integration of multilingual education into foreign language teaching. Future research can explore the effectiveness of EMI in different JFL contexts and investigate the impact of EMI on students' language learning outcomes.

Modern conditions of public administration are formed in the BANI world (Grabmeier, 2020), unstable, disturbing, uniquely technological and digital. How many of today's civil servants are capable of functioning in such a world through current training and professional development systems? This issue is particularly relevant for post-Soviet countries, as most of them belong to emerging economies that are still shaping their own unique public administration system. The article is aimed at studying the practice of professional development of civil servants within the framework of additional education in post-Soviet countries in the context of digitalisation. According to the study, it is clear that the Soviet model of supplementary education for civil servants is still valid, with minor differences in the countries studied. This model is characterised by a centralised organisation of training of civil servants within the framework of specially created structures (public service academies). With the transition to digital learning, countries are differentiated by the pace and level of transition to distance and e-learning for public servants.

Through the analysis of materials such as online articles, blogs, and radio broadcasts, this paper investigates linguistic purism toward Russian and English loanwords in the understudied context of post-Soviet Armenia. Our analysis finds that public commentators categorize potential loanwords as "borrowings" ([foreign characters omitted]) if acceptable and "foreignisms" ([foreign characters omitted]) if unacceptable, while also comparing these loanwords with acceptable and unacceptable Armenian equivalent words. In categorizing both loanwords and Armenian equivalents, commentators base their arguments on evaluative contrasts related to threats to the language, the desirability of word meaning and usage, and stylistic appropriateness. Though commentators situate themselves into opposing purist and moderate camps, differentiated by their tolerance of loanwords and classifications of individual words, the two camps rely on the same ideological framework of contrasts and use similar argumentation. Thus, while the debate invokes binary criteria for evaluating words, similar to those identified in other instances of linguistic purism, Armenian commentators themselves often defy binary categorization, falling along a fluid language-ideological continuum in which seemingly opposing commentators sometimes demonstrate striking similarities. Framed alongside prior studies of language ideologies in post-Soviet spaces, this evidence suggests that the loanword debate has a more symbolic than practical function in Armenia's contemporary multilingual society.

Since the twentieth century, contemporary music has been a source of controversial perceptions and standpoints. This study aims to explore young music students' perception of the term 'contemporary music' and anticipate possible directions for improvement in music education in Armenia. Based on her pedagogical experience, and a scientific literature review, the author attempted to describe the issue in terms of perception and prejudices. A questionnaire was used to conduct the survey among music students to gather data from respondents about their insights on the subject. The findings indicate it is mostly a combination of mixed ideas of contemporary academic and popular music formed as a result of the learner's personal musical experience. The result reveals that it is possible to change the attitude of students to a positive one by actively gaining the experience of contemporary music performance. The author has also formulated observations and recommendations, which should be taken into account for further research.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate university-industry partnerships in Armenia from the viewpoint of universities. By doing so, it contributes to the existing literature on university-industry collaboration by identifying and addressing the specific challenges that impede the establishment of successful university-industry partnerships in Armenia and other post-Soviet countries. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to examine the barriers, benefits and institutional, functional framework of collaboration. Additionally, this study used a survey methodology to gather data from faculty managing staff members at six Armenian higher educational institutions on various aspects of university-industry collaboration as well as the perceptions and experiences of the participants. Findings: The results show that the effectiveness and applicability of the university-industry collaboration channels and institutional structures in six higher educational institutions are limited. Specifically, the channels that rely on academic entrepreneurship and innovation were found to be currently unviable. Moreover, the existence of spin-offs and start-ups is notably absent. Furthermore, limited access to funding and inadequate entrepreneurial support systems pose significant barriers to developing university-industry partnerships in Armenian reality. Originality/value: This study represents a pioneering effort within the context of Armenian higher educational institutions, as it is the first time a survey has been organized to specifically investigate the topic of university-industry partnerships. Before this study, there was a lack of empirical research and data collection on this topic in Armenian higher education settings. Therefore, this research holds significant originality and contributes to filling the existing gap in knowledge regarding university-industry partnerships in Armenia. The research is shedding light on a previously unexplored area and providing a valuable contribution to the field of university-industry collaboration research in Armenia and other post-Soviet countries.

Questionnaires in educational research assessing students' attitudes and beliefs are low-stakes for the students. As a consequence, students might not always consistently respond to a questionnaire scale but instead provide more random response patterns with no clear link to items' contents. We study inter-individual differences in students' intra-individual random responding profile across 19 questionnaire scales in the TIMSS 2015 eighth-grade student questionnaire in seven countries. A mixture IRT approach was used to assess students' random responder status on a questionnaire scale. A follow-up latent class analysis across the questionnaire revealed four random responding profiles that generalized across countries: A majority of consistent nonrandom responders, intermittent moderate random responders, frequent random responders, and students that were exclusively triggered to respond randomly on the confidence scales in the questionnaire. We discuss the implications of our findings in light of general data-quality concerns and the potential ineffectiveness of early-warning monitoring systems in computer-based surveys.

Perspectives of administrators, educators, parents, and students concerning the educational experiences of students who are deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH) were examined at two inclusive elementary/middle schools in Yerevan, Armenia. A qualitative study using a case study design was used. There were 33 participants including 15 educators, 6 parents, and 12 students. The students ranged from 9 to 14 years of age. The educators and parents were all typically hearing while 11 of the students were DHH and one was typically hearing. In total, there were 23 interviews and 13 classroom observations. Interviews focused on the following questions: Why is inclusion important? Why is inclusion successful? How can inclusion be improved? Themes emerging from the data included administrative support, frequency modulation (FM) systems, professional development, service delivery, and sign language. Implications are discussed and suggestions are offered to improve inclusion for students who are DHH.

The wars of the 21st century are not the first media wars, and many tropes and schema have long histories, particularly propaganda and the othering of a purported enemy. What is new today is that although mass media remains a central and hegemonic source of insight and perspective, citizen journalism, social media, spreadable media, and surveillant, data-driven media have grown in significance at an exponential level, adding a layer of complexity. In this article, we focus on disparity in media coverage and make the point that media and information literacy provide a valuable set of lenses from which to view a cluster of news and social media accounts taken from the government, mainstream media, alternative media, and the DIY mediasphere of the social media. It centers on two conflicts that receive little media exposure--the Nagorno-Karabash conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the internal Anglo-Francophone conflict in Cameroon. It also offers examples of classroom activities that could be adapted and modified to most educational settings.

The "TOEFL Junior"® Standard test is a tool for measuring the English language skills of students ages 11+ who learn English as an additional language. It is a paper-based multiple-choice test and measures proficiency in three sections: listening, form and meaning, and reading. To date, empirical evidence provides some support for the construct validity of the TOEFL Junior Standard test as a measure of progress. Although this evidence is based on test scores from multiple countries with diverse instructional environments, it does not account for students' instructional experiences. The present paper aims to provide additional evidence by examining the TOEFL Junior Standard test as a progress measure within the same instructional setting. The study took place in an after-school English program in Armenia, a non-English-speaking country. A total of 154 adolescents took the TOEFL Junior Standard test three times with different test forms at the intervals of 10 and then 20 instructional weeks (a total of 30 weeks). The difference in differences (DID) analysis shows that TOEFL Junior is sensitive to learning gains within 20 instructional hours per 10 weeks among A1-A2 level learners, according to the Common European Frame of Reference (CEFR) scale. However, the data did not provide support for this sensitivity among B1-B2 level learners even though their instructional time was twice as long. Although this methodology offers an improved control over the students' instructional experiences, it also delimits the results to a specific after-school program and comes with a set of other limitations.

Soviet higher education had a distinctive institutional landscape. It combined two institutional types in a uniform model that embedded higher education in the national economy. This paper focuses on the post-Soviet system-level changes in the institutional landscape in all 15 countries of the former USSR. It shows that over last three decades the Soviet two-type institutional model evolved into a three-type model, with the specialized university as a new institutional type. Highlighting the instruments of horizontal and vertical differentiation for each country, the paper explains how structural reforms and market forces led to the rise of the university/multiversity form of institution, and the strengthening of vertical stratification at system level. The comparative analysis shows that there have been different patterns of transformation in the 15 countries, shaped by unique combinations of structural reforms and marketization policies, with certain countries having made more distinctive steps away from the Soviet institutional model. There are now 15 formally different systems of higher education which poses further questions for comparative analysis.

Member checking is one of the key instruments ensuring the quality of qualitative research which is commonly associated with participants' approval of data accuracy. Considering multiple drawbacks of the traditional member-checking methods, this article presents an alternative technique--diagrammatic elicitation. I illustrate how this approach was implemented in a study of six Armenian EFL teachers' self-development and motivation. The data were collected in three phases over a period of 6 months using semi-structured interviews, journal writing, and unstructured classroom observations followed by post-observation interviews. I argue that diagrammatic elicitation makes member checking more participatory empowering participants and engaging them in the research process resulting in constructing the meaning with the researcher. Furthermore, it stimulates deeper reflections uncovering hidden aspects of participants' experiences leading to a more in-depth understanding of the researched phenomenon which contribute to the quality of research.

Diaspora communities use school education as a central way to reproduce their identity throughout generations. However, religious institutions, clubs and specific events can also perform a role in reproducing the groups' cultural identity, working as non-formal spaces of education. We examine how diasporic Armenian families in Brazil perceive the roles that formal and non-formal education play in supporting the conservation of their Armenian identity. The paper draws from an ethnographic study conducted in Armenian ethnic institutions in Sao Paulo. Participants expressed having ambiguous feelings towards these organisations, valuing their educational features distinctly. While they do not perceive the everyday practices of the Armenian school as having a central role in reproducing cultural identities, they acknowledge that non-formal educational spaces and one-day events are pivotal to celebrate these identities.

This article is an attempt to present the benefits and challenges of English medium instruction (EMI) and its implementation in Armenian higher education institutions. Through statistically reliable and significant findings of the surveys conducted within the framework of Erasmus + SMARTI Project a qualitative and quantitative analysis has been carried out to identify the gaps existing in the mode of delivery and methodology of EMI and offer ways of bridging that gap. The article highlights the perceived benefits of EMI that include, but are not limited to, boosting internationalisation and quality assurance in Armenian higher education institutions through revising institutional policies, mechanisms and tools in line with Tuning Methodology from a student-centred and labour-market-demand perspective on both national and international levels. To attain these ambitious goals, the article offers step-by-step solutions to a plethora of obstacles and issues that Armenian higher education institutions currently encounter.

Post-Soviet republics have undergone a variety of political and economic changes following the collapse of the Soviet Union to transform themselves into market-oriented open societies. Transitional countries have faced various problems, including social inequality, political unrest, economic hardship, and ethnic conflict. The countries had to introduce reforms in education in response to changing conditions to produce a new generation with ideas and skills that support pluralistic societies and market economies. Some countries opted for rapid, drastic reforms; others chose to restructure their economies while retaining centralized governments. Using examples from post-Soviet countries, the study examines the challenges and strategies in reforming the curriculum for states in transition. The study investigates the ideological aspects that have influenced curriculum revisions in post-Soviet nations.

This article explores teachers' self-reported learning experiences and core features of the teacher professional development (TPD) programme within a pilot reform project in Armenia. A qualitative exploratory methodology was employed, and the data were generated via survey and semi-structured interviews. Using inductive thematic analysis with elements of abductive reasoning, the study revealed three categories of teachers' learning experiences: (i) development of new modes of learning, (ii) changes in instructional practices, and (iii) attitudinal changes. The study also identifies seven core components of the TPD: (i) active learning, (ii) mentoring, (iii) subject focus, (iv) engaging with and in research, (v) duration, (vi) engagement in the professional learning community, and (vii) collective participation that fostered teachers' learning by providing new insights for designing and implementing TPD programmes. The data analysis shows evidence that the teachers' learning experiences and the components of the TPD programme are interrelated, as most of the learning experiences were reflected in specific programme components.

The phenomenon of increasing tuition fees is one of the factors which reinforce the increasingly consumerist attitudes among students towards the product (understood as a whole process of university education) they receive from universities. The aim of the study is to characterise the difference between the expectations of students and the extent to which those expectations are met by universities. This analysis also focuses on the conditions that determine this perception of what universities offer and discusses selected issues concerning the relations between universities and industry. The findings demonstrate why creativity, apart from practical knowledge, is one of the most important aspects in the process of education, where a student's graduation work is aimed at solving specific problems in companies and institutions. In the empirical part of the paper, students' opinions about the importance of selected aspects of the education process are compared with the level of support provided by universities. The research covered 505 students of economics from 10 different countries. Their expectations of the educational process with regard to the majority of its aspects (apart from theoretical knowledge) proved to be higher than those of their universities. The findings of this research may thus be useful in formulating optimal study plans.

The article investigates the roles of childhood circumstances (including parental socio-economic status, parental education, parental engagement, and sibling composition) and schooling on adult reading skills in low- and middle-income countries. Using regression models and data from surveys of urban labor-force participants in Armenia, Bolivia, Colombia, Georgia, Ghana, Kenya, Ukraine, and Vietnam, the study reaches several conclusions. First, childhood circumstances predict adult reading skills in all eight countries. Second, among the childhood circumstances variables, parental education is the most frequent predictor of adult reading skills. Third, schooling is at least as important as the childhood circumstances variables in explaining adult reading skills. Finally, an extra year of schooling is associated with larger gains in adult reading skills in the relatively lower income countries.

The broad range of English language teaching and learning contexts present in the world today necessitates high quality assessment instruments that can provide reliable and meaningful information about learners' English proficiency levels to relevant stakeholders. The "TOEFL Junior"® tests were recently introduced by Educational Testing Service (ETS) to address the assessment needs of educators of young adolescent learners by providing necessary information on their English language proficiency.This study explores the perceptions of key stakeholders (202 student test takers and 9 teachers) of the TOEFL Junior Standard test in an English as a foreign language (EFL) context (an afterschool program in Armenia). The analysis of the data gathered through questionnaires provides insights into the perceptions of test users, suggesting that the test tasks were perceived to be developmentally appropriate for the student test takers and allowed them to demonstrate their English language abilities. The findings of the current study can serve as additional validity evidence for the TOEFL Junior Standard as they reflect the correspondence found between the test construct and test users' perceptions and, thus, support the validity argument for TOEFL Junior Standard score interpretation and use in EFL settings.

The urgency of the problem is due to the insufficient development of theoretical, content-technological and methodological aspects of the integration of mathematical knowledge and chess skills. The manifestations of synergistic effects arising in the course of the integration of mathematical and game chess activity, while resolving uncertainties on the chessboard due to the activation of key components of creativity, have not been sufficiently studied. The synergistic effect of the integration of mathematical knowledge and chess skills is considered from the perspective of the components of theoretical thinking and is evaluated by the student's creative choice in the search for alternative solutions. The purpose of the study is to describe and evaluate the manifestations of the structural components of the creative effect in the context of the introduction of funded complexes of mathematical problems on a chessboard. The hypothesis of the research: theoretical analysis of educational material, reflection and an internal plan of action as comparable processes for solving mathematical problems in terms of implementation substantiate complexes will lead to manifestations of arguments-heuristic, intellectual and logical and motivational components of creative activity. The research assumed the measurement of the manifestations of the structural components of creativity in the context of the introduction of funding complexes of mathematical problems on a chessboard. In the process of identifying the structural components of creativity, psychodiagnostic diagnostics tools were developed for intellectual-heuristic, intellectual-logical, motivational and reflexive aspects, comparative diagnostics were carried out for all structural components, the average level and integral indicators in the control and experimental groups were calculated. The formation of creativity was carried out by developing the ability to argue in the process of solving multi-stage mathematical problems on the chessboard. The choice of cause-and-effect relationships stimulated creative independence and reflexivity, enhancing the manifestations of the synergistic effect. On the basis of internal cognitive consonance, non-standard original ideas were identified; by overcoming emotional instability, the logical component of argumentation was strengthened. The results of the research revealed a positive trend in the key components of creativity in the context of the introduction of a chess game in the process of learning mathematics. In the future, it is possible to upgrade the methodological educational material for the system of inclusive mathematical education.

In this article we present results from research on how education environments may influence the propensity of education participants to engage in corrupt practices. We approached this task with the help of a conceptual framework that draws on rational choice and routine activity theory, and on economic models of human behaviour. The framework guided a collection of evidence through desk research, numerous interviews and focus groups on behalf of authorities and civil society in five countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, Serbia, Tunisia, Ukraine). Our findings suggest that circumstances in education influence problematic conduct in two major ways -- by opening opportunities for the abuse of regular processes in education, and by providing education participants with incentives to engage in it. This contribution offers some insights concerning the incentives of education participants to participate in corruption and discusses why research on corruption can be a valuable source of guidance for systemic improvement in education.

Play remains a topic for discussion, debate, and research within the education community. In this article, the authors argue for a broader view of education in line with Plato's observation (gender not withstanding) that "The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life" (Jowett, 1874, p. 249). The authors begin with a short overview of the potential and traditional developmental and academic benefits of play. Their argument then focuses on a less common consideration of the holistic benefit of play: they explore teachers' cultural reflections about the nature and worth of play through their personal accounts of playful childhood in Armenia, Great Britain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America. Finally, they provide recommendations for the value of play as part of a whole child education.

The purpose of this study is to describe and reflect on the route a teacher followed to implement an inquiry-based professional learning cycle in her everyday practice and form a conceptual framework for teacher professional learning on resilience. The teacher acted as a researcher and worked with a facilitator to explore the experience of three twelve-year-old migrant students with high learning performance in an urban school in Cyprus. Diverse aspects considered as important determinants for their educational success and resiliency were explored through case study research. The data were analysed and three main categories related to resilience were formed: emotional resistance, development of responsibility and sense of belonging. The main findings of the exploratory study were used as the cornerstone for school-based teacher professional learning focusing on methods, approaches and aspects that could be applied in order to strengthen all students and enhance positive impact on students' achievement.

We examine the relationship between participation in early childhood education (ECE) and various long-term outcomes: post-ECE educational attainment, the development of both cognitive and socioemotional skills, and labor market outcomes. The data are from the recent Skills Toward Employability and Productivity surveys of urban adults in 12 low- and middle-income countries. Using OLS regression and propensity score matching techniques, we find suggestive evidence of long-term benefits across countries, as well as mixed evidence within countries. Notably, we find positive and statistically significant associations between ECE participation and post-ECE educational attainment (a mean of 0.9 additional years across countries). We find relatively fewer cases of positive associations between ECE and long-term socioemotional outcomes. The evidence on ECE and labor market outcomes is varied, with positive associations for skill use but weak associations with earnings. Such mixed results suggest that improvements in the quality of ECE programs are necessary for realizing the full range of long-term benefits.

The COVID-19 pandemic has inspired the implementation of a number of online educational activities designed to promote appropriate measures, such as social distancing, in order to avoid spread of the disease. In these circumstances, ensuring that extracurricular activities in science education adapt to the changing situation is of crucial importance. Recognizing the important role high school science olympiads play in science education, we organized an in-person socially distanced 2-day examination for the final round of the Armenian National Biology Olympiad by using Classmarker, a web-based in-browser tool for administering exams. We believe that our experience with organizing this event will prove useful to other educators faced with uncertainty regarding the return to pre-pandemic modes of instruction.

The aim of the article is to report on how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced education quality and learning efficiency in universities in the Republic of Armenia. A survey was administered to 783 students and 169 academic staff members at one of the universities in Armenia. Results indicate that both students (73%) and academic staff (54%) preferred offline (classroom) learning. The level of satisfaction with the effectiveness of online learning among academic staff was higher (65%) then among students (54%). The survey revealed some positive sides of online learning, connected with being able to record lessons; time flexibility; savings of time and money on transportation; and computer skills development. However, online learning has many negative sides, including being more tedious and stressful; lacking face-to-face communication and socialisation; a lack of control; leading to a competitive environment among students; difficulty in using interactive methods; and technical issues can occur frequently. The findings may be useful for universities in small, developing countries seeking to improve their online learning and education quality.

This article presents the Cultural Facilitation Model as a means to guide the investigation of cultural questions with benefits for English Foreign Language (EFL) instructors Native English Speaking Teachers (NESTs) and Non Native English Speaking Teachers (NNESTs) and EFL students alike. It will describe how instructors can act as cultural facilitators and empower students to answer cultural questions in the context of an advanced listening course using authentic material, and it will also show how to adapt materials for other courses and student levels.

The article explores the cultural potential of reading as one of the factors in the development of children's giftedness. The role of the book as the bearer of culture in the process of preserving national identity is revealed. The authors of the article discover the growing importance of family reading in the process of a gifted person development. The survey of respondents, university teachers living in multiethnic environment in the territories of Armenia and the Republic of Tatarstan, confirmed the importance of national literature in future teachers training. The question of the correlation of such phenomena as globalization and the preservation of national identity is touched upon.

This article provides an account of current public policy for career guidance in the Republic of Armenia. Brief background information is provided in terms of key geographical, political, social and economic facts about Armenia. Then, a more specific context is outlined with a brief overview of the education and skills system and of the labour market environment. Career guidance in Armenia needs to be understood in relation to recent public policy initiatives to introduce active labour market programmes. The scope of these programmes is outlined and a critique of current policy is provided. Finally, priorities for future development are considered.

Continued changes to legislation in countries that were previously parts of the Soviet Union cause them to become increasingly differentiated. Many of the changes are to social and economic processes. In the field of education, various parameters have changed and are continuing to change, from details concerning the way to conduct assessments to the broader issues affecting the whole architecture of the educational system. The most recent legislative act in the CIS--the "Education Code of Moldova"--illustrates the nature of changes taking place. This article discusses the most important trends in the legal regulation of the educational system in the post-Soviet area, including: how perceptions of education as a subject of legal regulation is changing; the impact of international cooperation in the field of education; the changing system of higher education and the introduction of a two-tiered system; and the increased attention to the quality of education.

With an increasing immigrant population in the United States, higher education institutions and community organizations offer a variety of adult English as a second language (ESL) courses. Given that English language learners (ELLs) come from various backgrounds, they face unique challenges. Thus, it is pivotal that adult ESL instructors effectively address the needs of diverse ELLs in their classrooms. This qualitative study was guided by Critical Language and Race Theory introduced by Crump (2014) to explore how adult ESL instructors promote culturally responsive pedagogy. Participants of this study were seven adult ESL instructors teaching at a community college in the southeastern United States. Data were collected through face-to-face, semistructured interviews, journal entries, and classroom observations. This study contributes to the body of research that highlights the importance of promoting culturally responsive pedagogy in order to create an inclusive language learning environment.

In the past decades, zoos have increasingly developed into conservation and education centers and today make an important contribution to environmental education. In this context, this study investigated which factors influence attitudes towards species conservation. The variables examined were gender, age, the number of visits to zoos in the last 12 months, perception of zoos, interest in animals and the country where the survey was conducted. A total of 3347 participants in seven different countries were surveyed. In the hierarchical multiple regression, it was found that all the variables examined were significant influencing factors with exception of gender. A mediator analysis provided evidence that the number of visits to zoos, in addition to the direct effect on attitudes towards species conservation, also has a relevant indirect effect with interest in animals as mediators. Significant differences in attitudes towards species conservation were found between some of the countries studied, but only with a small effect sizes.

This article focuses on the Middle and High school level history education of a particular minority group within the Middle East, the Armenian diaspora. In this analysis, the target group includes the third, and sometimes the fourth, generation of refugees, therefore, these students are not only entirely Lebanese, but they have also no other understanding of homeland. While portraying a feminist and ideologically fueled narrative, the historical narrative abstains from mentioning any variations of sexual violence against women. While genocide studies have become a fundamental core of Armenian history taught in Middle and High school, it has adopted a two-dimensional view of women. The author proposes the alternation of the current Middle and High school curricula of Armenians of the Middle East in order to portray degrees of sexual violence through genocide studies, without traumatizing the student. The proposed tools for enhancing the lesson plan of the respective classrooms ought to serve as an adjustable framework that may be tweaked to fit the requirements of any rendition of minority groups who have suffered from a collective tragedy within their communal histories.

The use of international curricula by minority diaspora communities poses a paradox for the construction of student identities that juxtaposes ethnonational and global discourses. Positioned in the throes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Armenian School in Jerusalem utilizes a global curriculum while also attempting to sustain collective Armenian identity among its students, who study four languages. This ethnographic case study of the Armenian School analyzes the impact of competing discourses on identity construction. Findings reveal a pervasive ethnonational discourse based upon key ethnosymbols which promotes a powerful sense of belonging to an imagined Armenian transnation. Simultaneously, the international curriculum champions English as a dominant language and prevents the anchoring of Armenian identity within local society. Global discourses associated with the international curriculum, coupled with a lack of attachment to a concrete homeland, tend to orient graduates away from the Jerusalem community and toward opportunities abroad.