Objectives. Asthma affects 25-30% of children living in certain disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods, a rate twice the national prevalence (13%). Children living in poor, minority communities tend to rely heavily on the emergency department (ED) for asthma care and are unlikely to be properly medicated or educated on asthma self-management. A pilot project implemented and evaluated a community health worker (CHW) model for its effectiveness in reducing asthma morbidity and improving the quality of life among African-American children living in disadvantaged Chicago neighborhoods. Methods. Trained CHWs from targeted communities provided individualized asthma education during three to four home visits over 6 months. The CHWs also served as liaisons between families and the medical system. Sev...

The complexity associated with reducing inequality in Indigenous education incorporates a multitude of causal factors. Issues associated with education delivery and outcomes in remote Indigenous communities are endemic nationally, yet the communities of the Northern Territory are uniquely disadvantaged due to their geographical and cultural isolation. By looking at the factors affecting the quality and continuity of teachers in remote Indigenous communities, as well as the need for institutional collaboration, targeted recruitment strategies and a reorientation of expectations, this article will consider one strategy developed in order to recruit and retain effective teachers in these communities. (Contains 1 table.)

This investigation examines the role of students' home and school variables in producing the achievement gap between second-generation Turkish students and their native peers in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Using the data from PISA 2006, this study supports past findings that both home and school resources affect the educational outcomes of immigrant students in their host society's school system. Specifically, the findings reveal that in Austria, Germany, and Switzerland, second-generation Turkish students had significant disadvantages in terms of allocated resources at home and in school. More often than not, these disadvantages were found to have significantly negative effects in terms of second-generation Turkish students' test outcomes relative to their native peers. In all three countries, however, the differences between the second-generation Turkish students and their native peers in terms of their family/home resources were found to explain more of the achievement gap than the differences in their schooling resources. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

Through an analysis of quantitative and qualitative data on school funding in South Africa, this paper aims to analyse the user fee policy option in public schooling in South Africa. Debate is ongoing about the role of private input into public schooling and whether this practice affects access (and the constitutional right) to basic education, and the effects of decentralised school finance policy and its outcomes. A central question is whether school fees have led to greater equality and equity in the schooling system or whether they contribute to greater inequity. Differentiation in the public schooling system is often caused by the presence of private contributions which are used to employ extra educators and lower educator ratios-significant quality differentials. Using empirical data and a disaggregated methodology, this paper illustrates how key equity indicators are affected by the presence of private contributions. Further, it is suggested that while non-state provision of education is limited in South Africa the model of user fee and private contributions is an important feature of post-apartheid education. Finally it is argued that a key challenge in post-apartheid South Africa is to address equitable access to quality education for the majority of disadvantaged learners, and enhance redistributive mechanisms in education financing in public schools. (Contains 4 figures, 5 tables and 3 notes.)

As Barker notes, the link between disadvantage and poor educational attainments is an enduring one. Educational policy over the last 40 years or so has tended to respond to educational inequality in predominately one of two ways--attempts to raise standards across the system as a whole and attempts to redistribute resources to families, schools and neighbourhoods in mainly poor urban contexts to help improve educational outcomes. Over time these later compensatory educational policies and interventions have become known as area-based initiatives (ABIs). This article categorises and documents these important initiatives and provides evidence of impact. The key finding is that although there have been improvements in attainments linked to these interventions, there continues to be an enduring link between disadvantage and educational outcomes. In an attempt to conceptualise why this is the case, this article utilises Barker's ecological macro, meso and micro perspective on educational disadvantage and Fraser's social justice ideas of redistribution and recognition. (Contains 50 footnotes.)

This paper reviews recent studies on the effectiveness of services and incentives offered to disadvantaged youths both in the US and abroad. We focus our analysis on three types of interventions: mentoring, educational services, and financial rewards. The objective of this article is threefold. First, we explain alternative theoretical points of view in favor (or against--when applicable) each of these interventions. We then discuss how recent empirical work has affected that view and summarize the latest findings. We conclude by considering which questions remain to be examined. Our hope is that this article will serve as a resource for those seeking to understand which educational interventions work and for whom, and to be used as a starting point for the debate on where to go next. (Contains 1 table.)

Postsecondary noncredit education has become increasingly common; many community colleges now enroll more noncredit than credit students. Much of the growth has occurred in workforce instruction and contract training, programs are noted for their role in meeting shifting workforce demands and providing skills in a way that is flexible and responsive to employer needs. Growth in this sector raises questions about whether colleges are keeping pace with need, using resources efficiently, and providing access to all students. This report describes a study conducted by the Community College Research Center (CCRC) that explores the overarching issues affecting community college noncredit workforce education. Specifically, the study examined: (1) the extent to which noncredit workforce education and state policies play a role in workforce development, provide disadvantaged groups with access to higher education, and generate revenue for colleges; (2) how colleges organize their noncredit workforce programs to balance the tradeoffs between the desired flexibility of noncredit education and the integration of credit and noncredit programs; and (3) the extent to which noncredit workforce education provides recorded outcomes for students, such as transcripts or industry certifications, and the extent to which outcome data are available. Study findings lead to five key recommendations: (1) Provide state funding to support noncredit workforce education with clear and targeted goals that promote workforce development and help students access credit education by cultivating better ties to career pathways; (2) Encourage increased coordination between credit and noncredit programs to benefit both students and employers; (3) Better assess student needs and support efforts to recruit noncredit students into credit programs and to articulate noncredit and credit programs to promote student transfer, when appropriate; (4) Explore the development of nondegree forms of validation for all noncredit workforce education and standard systems to record outcomes that promote the portability of evidence of skills for students and accountability for colleges and state workforce education funds; and (5) Collect more information on individual and employer outcomes from noncredit workforce education to assess the contributions of noncredit workforce education for students, employers, and the economy. Five appendixes are included: (1) Departments and Additional Resources Consulted; (2) State Policies on Noncredit Workforce Education; (3) State Policies on Noncredit Workforce Education in Case Study College States; (4) Description of Case Study Colleges; and (5) Summary of Findings and Recommendations. (Contains 9 figures and 4 tables.) [This study was conducted in collaboration with the National Council for Workforce Education and the National Council for Continuing Education and Training. Funding for the study on which this report is based was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Socioeconomic position is often operationalized as education, occupation, and income. However, these measures may not fully capture the process of socioeconomic disadvantage that may be related to morbidity. Economic opportunity, subjective social status, and financial strain may also place individu...

...Education Act of 1965, as amended (ESEA) (e.g., economically disadvantaged students, students from major racial and ethnic...who are far below grade level, who are over-age and under- credited, who have left school...

Assesses continuing education programs and initiatives in library and information service (LIS) in South Africa. Reviews how apartheid left educational institutions unevenly developed and argues that despite the availability of programs to most LIS personnel, those not belonging to professional organizations and those from previously disadvantaged institutions have not benefited. Identifies critical areas for continuing education. (PEN)

Health-related behaviors [physical activity (PA), nutritional quality of breakfast and sleep]; personal variables (self-esteem, attitudes to PA and gender) and socioeconomic status (SES) (school SES and parental education), were examined in relation to literacy and numeracy scores of 824 grade 3-7 children. Participants completed a questionnaire, and their national literacy and numeracy test scores were retrieved. Mothers (N?=?755) completed a telephone interview. Students of highest school SES, maternal education, nutritional quality of breakfast, more sedentary time and female gender had higher literacy scores. SES, maternal education, male gender and total minutes of daily PA were predictors of numeracy with an interaction between greater total PA in boys and greater numeracy. Even though the socioeconomic factors that have predicted children's academic achievement for many decades are still clearly set in place, there are also other modifiable health influences that affect literacy and numeracy and are independent of SES. The current findings provide evidence for health educators and school administrators who may garner support for both breakfast programs and daily school PA for the dual purposes of health promotion as well as for the improvement of literacy and numeracy in settings in which social class may be acting against the educational interests of disadvantaged children. PMID:22798563

Society's failure to educate proportionate numbers of African American students in mathematics is an ongoing problem. The roots of this problem lie in systemic racism and segregated schools. The overwhelming majority of economically disadvantaged African American high school students at segregated schools receive substandard mathematics education. One part of this study consists of analysis of Chicago Public Schools (CPS) data, showing vast inequities in the education delivered to the 72% of African American CPS students who attend segregated schools. Data from interviews of 24 freshmen in low-level algebra classes at one such CPS school support the major part of this study. The interviewees answer questions about their experiences as mathematics students and as African Americans. Results of this study found students to be teacher dependent, to approach math lessons as unconnected to previous knowledge, and to take a narrow view towards the value of mathematics. Students had not encountered autonomous learning in mathematics, learned to approach difficult problems with confidence and perseverance nor experienced the joy of solving a challenging problem. While students are aware of racism's existence, they are unclear about how it affects them directly. Students do not recognize that the segregated schools and neighborhoods of their lives are a result of racism. They accept their substandard education as normal and are uncritical of their schools. Students repeat anti-Black stereotypes about fellow students in relation to violence, interest in education, and self-responsibility. Mathematics educators need to be aware of the social context of math education. Segregated, economically disadvantaged African American students are likely to have learned teacher-dependence and narrow approaches to mathematics. It is therefore crucial that teachers develop lessons and practices aimed at moving students in the opposite direction, to become independent conceptual thinkers. This is no simple task, particularly for students who have developed these practices over many years of school. Researchers can prioritize the development of autonomy-building, conceptually based lessons and practices and school systems can support teachers' collaborative efforts in this regard. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.

Against the background of the long-time educational disadvantages of the migrant youth in Germany that again have been explicitly indicated by the dissatisfactory PISA results, this dissertation project has explored the contingencies in online informal learning space to moderate the educational ineq...

Psychosocial factors have been shown to play an important role in the aetiology of coronary heart disease (CHD). A strong association between CHD and socioeconomic status (lower-level education, poor financial situation) has also been well established. Socioeconomic differences may thus also have an effect on psychosocial risk factors associated with CHD, and socioeconomic disadvantage may negatively affect the later prognosis and quality of life of cardiac patients. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence on socioeconomic differences in psychosocial factors which specifically contribute to CHD. A computer-aided search of the Medline and PsycINFO databases resulted in 301 articles in English published between 1994 and 2007. A comprehensive screening process identified 12...

This paper presents the findings of a study on the current knowledge and attitudes of pre-service teachers on the use of scenario-based multi-user virtual environments in science education. The 28 participants involved in the study were introduced to "Virtual Singapura," a multi-user virtual environment, and completed an open-ended questionnaire. Data from the questionnaire indicated that gender and current computer game use were likely to affect the perceived benefits of using virtual worlds in a classroom setting. Behavior management was seen as being a constraining factor on a pre-service teacher's willingness to use a virtual world in the future. Overall, the results of the study indicate that pre-service teachers as a result of their use of "Virtual Singapura" are both aware of virtual worlds and have a reasonable understanding of both their potential advantages and disadvantages within a classroom setting. (Contains 3 figures and 5 tables.)

Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the ?Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships? (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to provide greater access and support to academically talented students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Originally intended to provide financial support to lower income students, this NSF program also advocated that additional professional development and advising would be strategies to increase undergraduate persistence to graduation. This innovative program for economically disadvantaged students was extended in 2004 to include studen...

tion accuracy. Other flow field factors affecting distribution accuracy .... disadvantages [3]. The choice of droplet size for field spraying is at best a compro - mise. ...... Agricultural Engineering Department, Consumer Protection and. University of ...

This article reports on the use of a virtual world ("Second Life") in computing education, and identifies the precursors of current virtual world systems. The article reviews the potential for virtual worlds as tools in computing education. It describes two areas where "Second Life" has been used in computing education: as a development environment; as a collaboration tool and to provide an environment for simulation. The benefits of virtual worlds for computing education (with a particular emphasis on "Second Life") are discussed. Qualitative feedback from students is reported which, although not definitive, illustrates many of the benefits and disadvantages of using virtual worlds in computing education. (Contains 1 table and 4 figures.)

In the article, we will focus on economic issues concerning the favourability of employing dual pur­pose officers, given that national dual-purpose educational programs exist; we will thus delimit us from discussing potential advantages and disadvantages of firm-specific educational investments in maritime schools or universities. In our treatment of economic issues, we will focus on insights from the resource-based view of the firm, labour economics, and transaction cost economics, and then make some general statements about the potential economic advantages and disadvantages to a shipowner of employing dual-purpose officers.

Universalizing primary education for girls and children in disadvantaged areas remains the most challenging task for developing countries in Asia and the Pacific. This evaluation report reviews the processes and outcomes of the Pilot Project on Promotion of Primary Education for Girls and Children in Disadvantaged Areas in Gansu Province, China, a UNESCO-sponsored project through the Asian-Pacific Program for Education for All implemented between 1991 and 1995. The report is presented in three parts. Part 1 describes the planning procedures; the target areas; and the project objectives, scope, activities, and evaluation plan. The major activities of the pilot project involved mobilizing influential persons in the community to ensure community participation, providing family education to parents, training educational personnel, developing supplementary learning materials combining functional literacy with vocational skills, and providing preschool education. Part 2 details educational deficits in the targeted area's available school facilities, outlines the specific intervention procedures and additional studies undertaken, and presents outcomes. Findings indicated that the enrollment rate and retention rate have been raised by 11 percent and 3 percent, respectively, and the repetition and dropout rates have been reduced by 8 percent and 2 percent, respectively. Girls' participation increased steadily in all counties involved. Part 3 of the report discusses the implications of the study, concluding that the pilot project proves that with well-designed and implemented interventions, serious disadvantages can be overcome to make a difference in the lives of girls. Part 4 outlines problems with the project and makes suggestions for future programs. (KB)

Boys' literacy underachievement continues to garner significant attention and has been identified by journalists, educational policymakers, and scholars in the field as the cause for much concern. It has been established that boys perform less well than girls on literacy benchmark or standardized tests. According to the National Assessment of Education Progress (2009), female students consistently score higher than boys on average in both reading and writing. This trend is supported by the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test results. In 2006, the largest gender gap was found in reading. Girls on average outperformed boys in this area in all of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. Test scores and achievement gaps such as the ones described here have been used to create a sense of "moral panic" concerning boys' literacy skills and engagement. In this paper, the authors express some concerns about the ways in which boys' literacy underachievement is defined and taken up within a context that continues to represent all boys as victims or as the "new disadvantaged." The authors argue for the need to engage with literature and analytic perspectives that are capable of addressing the complex interplay between various social, cultural, and institutional factors--such as gender, social class, race, ethnicity, and sexuality--that affect both boys' and girls' engagement with literacy. They also draw attention to the implications associated with movements to reclaim schooling as a masculine domain and suggest pedagogical rather than structural reforms.

More than a decade prior to the official dismantling of apartheid in South Africa, a number of universities launched foundation programmes to assist disadvantaged students. This article focuses on science and engineering foundation programmes, locating them within their political and institutional context and then tracing the evolution of their educational philosophy. But foundation programmes only represent one strategy for dealing with educational disadvantage. It is therefore compared to an alternative model explored in the early 1990s which emphasised the "infusion" of academic development principles into the mainstream. This provides a backdrop for considering the educational effectiveness of the foundation programmes that have recently proliferated as a result of the Department of Education's latest funding strategy. (Contains 3 figures and 6 notes.)

This study analyses the citizenship experiences of young non-western migrants in the Netherlands. Young migrants are in a disadvantaged position in education and in the labour market and this leads to concerns about their integration in Dutch society. The focus of this study is on the participation ...

Describes a study of economically disadvantaged first and second graders in Chile that evaluated the effects of the introduction of educational videogames into the classroom on mathematics and reading comprehension. Investigated effects on learning, motivation, and classroom dynamics; teachers' expectations of change; and technological transfer. (Contains 69 references.) (Author/LRW)

Recent studies suggest that social recognition processes are affected by Parkinson's disease (PD). However, whether PD patients exhibit behavioral changes is still controversial. The purpose of the present study was to examine the decision making of PD patients performing the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT). We recruited a large number of early, nondemented PD patients for the IGT. We also recorded the skin conductance responses (SCRs) during the task as a measure of emotional arousal. Compared with the normal control (NC) subjects, PD patients selected more disadvantageous decks in the IGT, and their SCRs were lower than those of NC subjects before making decisions and after receiving reward or punishment. The tendency toward risky choices was not correlated with age, education, global cognitive function, or the severity of the disease. These results confirmed that the decision making of PD patients was affected by the disease, rather than by other cognitive functions; moreover, such behavior was related to lower emotional responses. Behavioral and SCR patterns of PD patients were similar to those of amygdala-damaged patients. The response bias toward risky choices in PD may be explained by the dysfunction of the amygdala, which is known to be involved in risk evaluation. PMID:18069681

Morbidity and mortality are greater among socially disadvantaged racial/ethnic groups and those of lower socioeconomic status (SES). Greater chronic stress exposure in disadvantaged groups may contribute to this by accelerating cellular aging, indexed by shorter age-adjusted telomere length. While studies consistently relate shorter leukocyte telomere length (LTL) to stress, the few studies, mostly from the UK, examining associations of LTL with SES have been mixed. The current study examined associations between educational attainment and LTL among 2599 high-functioning black and white adults age 70-79 from the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study. Multiple regression analyses tested associations of race/ethnicity, educational attainment and income with LTL, adjusting for potential confounders. Those with only a high school education had significantly shorter mean LTL (4806basepairs) than those with post-high school education (4926basepairs; B=125, SE=47.6, p=.009). A significant interaction of race and education (B=207.8, SE=98.7, p=.035) revealed more beneficial effects of post-high school education for blacks than for whites. Smokers had shorter LTL than non-smokers, but the association of education and LTL remained significant when smoking was covaried (B=119.7, SE=47.6, p=.012). While higher income was associated with longer LTL, the effect was not significant (p>.10). This study provides the first demonstration of an association between educational attainment and LTL in a US population where higher education appears to have a protective effect against telomere shortening, particularly in blacks. PMID:22981835

This dissertation focuses on the educational aspirations and expectations of a heterogeneous group of women who were enrolled in, or had graduated from, adult education and literacy programs in Boston, Massachusetts. The research questions guiding the inquiry are: (1) Why do educationally disadvantaged women value education--how are these values transmitted, and what are the social processes through which they are translated into the cultivation of educational aspirations and expectations? (2) What are the broader social processes and institutional arrangements that shape educationally disadvantaged women's educational aspirations and expectations? and (3) How are gender, age, race/ethnicity, and social class implicated in the development of educationally disadvantaged women's non-traditional educational trajectories? Feminist standpoint methodologies are used to analyze the educational life histories of each of the women who participated in the study. Using feminist standpoint theories as the overriding theoretical framework for the study, the dissertation argues that social processes of the transmission of educational values and their translation into the cultivation of educational aspirations and expectations create potential spaces for the practice of resistance to gender, age, racial/ethnic, and social class oppression/subordination, presenting opportunities for educationally disadvantaged women to engage in the political process of struggling to achieve a standpoint. The two primary sources of the transmission of educational values were (1) family socialization processes and (2) work experiences. Within families, mothers and grandmothers transmitted educational values by requiring and enforcing school attendance and by offering active encouragement through explanatory frameworks that conveyed messages about the importance of education to daughters and granddaughters. Haitian, Cape Verdean, and African American women were encouraged to take advantage of educational opportunities that their mothers and grandmothers had not had because of their gender or their race/ethnicity, and Latinas and Irish American women were encouraged to take advantage of educational opportunities that mothers and siblings had relinquished by dropping out of school. The women learned from their work experiences that a U.S. high school diploma or GED was a minimum requirement for obtaining legitimate work opportunities and for gaining access to post-secondary education, which was becoming increasingly necessary to maintain employment. Early schooling provided an important social context for the transmission of educational values. Women whose early schooling was well integrated with family had positive early schooling experiences, and women whose early schooling was poorly integrated with family did not. In the context of their later schooling experiences in adult education and literacy programs, the women translated educational values into educational aspirations and expectations by acquiring self-confidence, by achieving and maintaining various forms of independence, and by accepting family responsibility. Although women who transitioned to college faced the same barriers to persistence as those who did not, those who transitioned focused not on these barriers but on challenges directly related to their schooling, socially and/or academically, describing strategies they had developed for overcoming these challenges. These women adopted the identity of "serious student," which kept them focused on their educational goals. They worked through academic challenges by producing a sustained academic effort that evolved though the cultivation of their educational aspirations: They learned that they could achieve academically if they tried hard enough for long enough. In addition, they developed effective strategies for negotiating the challenges of transition by drawing on social and professional skills they had developed in their adult education and literacy programs as well as through their tenacity and commitment to their educational and occupat

This report offers a design and recommendations for implementing a program of education to assist Department of Energy buyers and procurement officers in increasing the quality and quantity of small disadvantaged business (DB) participation in their contracted work. The recommendations are based on a previous companion report, ''Issues in Contracting with Small Minority Businesses,'' from which technical assistance and related needs were derived. The assistance program is based on buyer and disadvantaged-business needs, as determined from synthesizing the results of interviews with over two dozen minority business leaders and procurement officers.

For the first time, researchers, policymakers and practitioners across the world will have access to a comprehensive mapping of research evidence and policy strategies about education and poverty in affluent countries. Although there is widespread agreement that poverty and poor educational outcomes are related, there are competing explanations as to why that should be the case. This is a major problem for practitioners, policy makers and researchers who are looking for pointers to action, or straightforward ways of understanding an issue that troubles education systems across the world. This unique book brings scholarship and analysis from some of the most influential researchers and writers on education and poverty within one text. The authors provide a synthesising framework that will help researchers and policy makers to examine future educational policy in a holistic and comprehensive fashion. This book contains three sections. Section 1, Education and Poverty: A Mapping Framework, contains: (1) Education and Poverty in Affluent Countries: An Introduction to the Book and the Mapping Framework (Carlo Raffo, Alan Dyson, Helen Gunter, Dave Hall, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka); (2) The Mapping Framework, Research Literature and Policy Implications within a Functionalist Perspective (Carlo Raffo, Alan Dyson, Helen Gunter, Dave Hall, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka); and (3) The Mapping Framework, Research Literature and Policy Implications within a Socially Critical Perspective (Carlo Raffo, Alan Dyson, Helen Gunter, Dave Hall, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka). Section 2, International Studies on Education and Poverty, contains: (4) Neoliberal Urban Education Policy: Chicago, A Paradigmatic Case of the Production of Inequality, and Racial Exclusion (Pauline Lipman); (5) Inclusive School Leadership Strategies in Disadvantaged Schools Based on Student and Community Voice: Implications for Australian Educational Policy (John Smyth); (6) Effectiveness and Disadvantage in Education: Can a Focus on Effectiveness Aid Equity in Education? (Daniel Muijs); (7) High Hopes in a Changing World: Social Disadvantage, Educational Expectations, and Occupational Attainment in Three British Cohort Studies (Ingrid Schoon); (8) Area-Based Initiatives in English Education: What Place for Place and Space? (Ruth Lupton); (9) A Critical Pedagogy of Global Place: Regeneration in and as Action (Pat Thomson); (10) Leaving School and Moving On: Poverty, Urban Youth and Learning Identities (Meg Maguire); and (11) The Challenges of Poverty and Urban Education in Canada: Lessons from Two School Boards (Jane Gaskell and Ben Levin). Section 3, An Examination of Educational Policy, contains: (12) Policy and the Policy Process (Helen Gunter, Carlo Raffo, Dave Hall Alan Dyson, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka); (13) Poverty and Educational Policy Initiatives: A Review (Carlo Raffo, Alan Dyson, Helen Gunter, Dave Hall, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka); and (14) What is to be Done? Implications for Policy Makers (Alan Dyson, Helen Gunter, Dave Hall, Carlo Raffo, Lisa Jones and Afroditi Kalambouka).

Who pursues an educational pathway, and who doesn't is highly connected to class position. On the other hand, education may function as a means of disconnecting with a socially disadvantaged background. This article explores the situation of one of the most disadvantaged groups; young people with experience of being placed in foster or residential care. As part of the YiPPEE project, including five European countries, two extensive data sets were combined and analyzed, 33 young people were interviewed, as well as 111 social service managers and 26 nominated adults. The article discusses, using Bourdieu's much used concepts of capital, barriers for continued education after compulsory school. These barriers are found on both individual and family level as well as in relation to national pol...

Service learning adds instructional value to any curriculum area, and it is especially appropriate for education courses. Its benefits include development of critical thinking, deeper processing of course content, and practical related experience. Using action research, this article examines the impact of service learning on preservice teachers' beliefs about education and working with disadvantaged youths. Preservice teachers provided after-school tutoring and activities for child residents at a homeless shelter. Preservice teachers kept journals and summarized their semester experiences by reflecting on five lessons that they learned and plan to incorporate as future educators. Identified lessons are analyzed and summarized with discussion.

Open Distance Learning (ODL) takes place within different environments that are influenced by the social, cultural and political fields in which a student lives. This is particularly significant in South Africa where distance learning has been identified as the main system that should provide access to higher education for most students in the country. Through ODL, disadvantaged students can have access to higher education. This study uses a socio-cultural framework to examine distance education students' accounts of their experiences of learning. It reveals aspects of the socio-cultural contexts that tend to be marginalised by ODL institutions.

In this study, I discuss the benefits of Black feminist caring (BFC) in educational leadership. I suggest that the ethic of care in educational leadership is a manifestation of strength when serving disadvantaged student populations. This article is based on a qualitative, exploratory, multicase study that examines the ethic of care in the leadership of five African-American women serving in various capacities of educational leadership. This study employs a BFC framework because the women in this study were selected because of their reputation for caring and addresses the following guiding question: how do the African-American women educational leaders in this study operationalize caring? Findings in this study indicate that caring African-American women educational leaders display the characteristics of BFC. Their experience of marginalization stirs empathy and encourages them toward an activist leadership style. As such, they are compelled to act as other mothers and activist risk-takers in their roles as educational leaders. (Contains 1 table and 3 notes.)

In Southern Africa, high adult HIV prevalence has fueled concern about the welfare of children losing parents to the epidemic. A growing body of evidence indicates that parental, particularly maternal, death is negatively associated with child outcomes. However, a better understanding of the mechanisms is needed. In addition, the way orphan disadvantage and the mechanisms giving rise to it are understood on the ground is essential for the successful translation of research into policies and programs. This study employs data from 89 in-depth interviews with caregivers and key informants in Lesotho, a setting where approximately one-quarter of adults is infected with HIV, to elaborate understandings of orphan disadvantage. Our analysis focuses on two questions: (i) Do local actors perceive orphans to be disadvantaged compared to non-orphans, and if so, in what ways; and (ii) How do they explain orphans' differential disadvantage?Analyses suggest that orphans were widely perceived to be disadvantaged; respondents described this disadvantage in material as well as affective domains. Thematic analyses reveal five broad categories of explanation: poverty, love and kin connection, caregiver character, perceptions of orphans, and community norms related to orphan care. These results underscore the need for research and policy to address (i) multiple types of disadvantage, including deficits in kindness and attention; and (ii) the social embeddedness of disadvantage, recognizing that poverty, kinship, and community interact with individual attributes to shape caregiving relationships and child experiences. The findings suggest limited success for programs and policies that do not address the emotional needs of children, or that focus on child or caregiver support to the exclusion of community outreach. PMID:22865946

The goal of my multi-study research program has been to learn how to engage all students in learning science. Most learning theories applied to science pedagogy take either a psychological or a sociocultural perspective and hence ignore either sociocultural or motivational factors when considering classroom learning. Based on my own research studies, as well as on a complex of theories from a range of disciplines, I propose including psychological, psychosocial and sociocultural perspectives in a more holistic perspective-a biosocial system perspective. Because it allows for the interdependence of the various levels of the ecological system in which learning takes place, I believe it has considerable potential to advance knowledge about teaching and learning. This biosocial system perspective focuses in particular on how the mind is affected both by the way the embodied human brain functions and by its sociocultural context. As applied to science pedagogy, it highlights neglected subconscious processes involved in interpersonal communication at both levels of activity. On the one hand, it accords a significant role in learning to intuitive processes and feelings, and interpersonal relationships, and on the other hand, addresses the potentially problematic nature of classroom discourse in science. Such a perspective grew as I carried out several research studies in science education in Brisbane, Australia, including a study that explored ways of helping disadvantaged Year 8 students engage in learning science. (Contains 68 references.) (Author)

Little is known about how health disparities affect the health status and general health perceptions of Hispanics living in Texas colonias. The purpose of this study was to conduct a health survey of residents (n = 216) of a colonia community on the border between El Paso, Texas and Juarez, Mexico. Instruments used in this study included a researcher developed demographic questionnaire, the Short Acculturation Scale for Hispanics (SASH), Cutting down, Annoyance by criticism, Guilty feeling and Eye-openers (CAGE) for alcohol consumption, and the Short Form version 2 (SF36v2) health survey. Study findings show the average participant was approximately 42 years old, attained an average of 9.6 years of education, earned an average annual household income of $17,575 and had an average SASH score of 25.4. SASH scores range from 12 to 60, with higher scores suggesting higher levels of American acculturation. Findings from this health survey suggest the average resident of the colonia may have health disadvantages when compared to residents from other parts of El Paso and Texas. Binge drinking was self-reported by 13.4% of all participants; with 5.6% having a CAGE score greater than 2 (indicating an increased propensity towards problems with alcohol). The self-report rates of diabetes, depression and anxiety were 15.3%, 20.4% and 16.7% respectively. The SF36v2 composite functional health status scores mirrored the national norms. PMID:18791825

Analyzing data from the National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988 to 1992, this report examines how computer use produces generic benefit to all children and differential benefits to minority and poor children. Specifically, the authors examined computer use at home vis-a-vis computer use at school in relation to the academic performance of disadvantaged children and their peers (defined by race-ethnicity and socioeconomic status). Home computer use typifies socially differentiated opportunities, whereas school computer use promises generic benefits for all children. The findings suggest that with other relevant conditions constant, (a) disadvantaged children did not lag far behind their peers in computer use at school, but they were much less likely to use computers at home; (b) computer use at home was far more significant than computer use at school in relation to high academic performance; (c) wing a computer at school seemed to have dubious effects on learning—taking computer science courses at school related consistently to low performance far both disadvantaged children and their peers, (d) disadvantaged children benefited less than other children from computer use, including computer use at home; and (e) compared to their peers, disadvantaged children's academic performance seemed less predictable by computer use and other predictor variables.

Increasing college degree attainment for students from disadvantaged backgrounds is a prominent component of numerous state and federal legislation focused on higher education. In 1999, the National Science Foundation (NSF) instituted the "Computer Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Scholarships" (CSEMS) program; this initiative was designed to provide greater access and support to academically talented students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Originally intended to provide financial support to lower income students, this NSF program also advocated that additional professional development and advising would be strategies to increase undergraduate persistence to graduation. This innovative program for economically disadvantaged students was extended in 2004 to include students from other disciplines including the physical and life sciences as well as the technology fields, and the new name of the program was Scholarships for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (S-STEM). The implementation of these two programs in Louisiana State University (LSU) has shown significant and measurable success since 2000, making LSU a Model University in providing support to economically disadvantaged students within the STEM disciplines. The achievement of these programs is evidenced by the graduation rates of its participants. This report provides details on the educational model employed through the CSEMS/S-STEM projects at LSU and provides a path to success for increasing student retention rates in STEM disciplines. While the LSU's experience is presented as a case study, the potential relevance of this innovative mentoring program in conjunction with the financial support system is discussed in detail. (Contains 5 figures.)

We analyse how progressive taxation and education subsidies affect schooling decisions when the returns to education are stochastic. We use the theory of real options to solve the problem of education choice in a dynamic stochastic model. We show that education attainment will be an increasing funct...

Background: Children's rights education in schools has many social and educational benefits. Among them are a deeper understanding of rights and social responsibility, an improved school climate, and greater school engagement and achievement. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess whether children's rights education has the power to improve educational outcomes for socially disadvantaged children in particular. Sample: A sample of three primary schools was included in the study. These were drawn from a wider sample of English schools participating in the Hampshire Education Local Authority's Rights, Respect and Responsibility initiative (RRR). Design and methods: Building on a longitudinal study, we compared Year 6 children in three schools that varied in the degree to which they...

Background: The Dakar Framework for Action calls on the world community to develop strategies for educating underserved groups and those children who live under difficult circumstances. To achieve this Education For All (EFA) goal, one approach is the use of boarding schools. Purpose: To document the advantages and disadvantages of how boarding schools have been used in a range of countries in order to ensure access to education, especially for girls. Findings: Boarding schools can provide access to education for rural children, particularly girls. They can achieve gender equality in enrollment. Enhance academic performance and provide security and protection. They can also prove a threat to local cultures and promote a sense of isolation amongst children. Conclusion: Boarding schools must be well managed and sufficiently funded to be considered a viable approach to EFA. [This document was produced by the Asia and Pacific Regional Bureau for Education, UNESCO.

This article reports on research funded by the Australian Research Council to investigate school responses to gender equity. It addresses the efforts of a disadvantaged school to tackle what they perceived to be gender inequalities, but in the process of constructing a top-set and bottom-set/stream class they are developing new forms of old inequalities and new forms of inequalities. This research indicates that despite popular assertions that girls' education has become the priority of schools and education systems, girls are being further disadvantaged through attempts to implement market strategies coupled with gender reform agendas grounded in liberal notions of equity and relying on unsophisticated notions of affirmative action. In addition, this study highlights the extent to which a...

Background A strong and consistent relationship has been observed between relative poverty and poor child health and wellbeing even among rich nations. This review set out to examine evidence that additional monies provided to poor or disadvantaged families may benefit children by reducing relative poverty and thereby improving childrens health, well-being and educational attainment. Objectives To assess the effectiveness of direct provision of additional monies to socially or economically disadvantaged families in improving childrens health, well-being and educational attainment Search strategy In total 10 electronic databases were searched including the Cochrane library searched 2006 (Issue 1), Medline searched 1966 to May 2006 , Econlit searched 1969 to June 2006 and PsycINFO searched 1...

Finds that telecommuters, in interviews, consistently reported that telecommuting had been a success with few disadvantages, whereas questionnaire results suggest that the relationship between the telecommuter and his or her manager may deteriorate after an initial "honeymoon" phase has passed. Suggests that age and sex may affect a telecommuter's relationship with his or her manager. (SR)

Synthetic fibres form an important part of the textile industry, the production of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) alone surpassing that of cotton. A disadvantage of synthetic fibres is their low hydrophilicity. Polyester fibres are particularly hydrophobic. This affects the processability and fu...

Synthetic fibers form an important part of the textile industry, the production of polyester alone surpassing that of cotton. A disadvantage of synthetic fibers is their low hydrophilicity. Polyester fibers are particularly hydrophobic. This affects the processability and functionalisation of the ...

Minority students from low-income families face challenges in their daily lives that continually interfere with their academic performance as well as their ability to prepare for college. Although the educational system is viewed as "the great equalizer" that gives everyone an opportunity for upward social mobility, sociological and educational research suggests otherwise. Most low-income minority students who overcome all the obstacles associated with their socioeconomic and racial backgrounds and achieve high levels of academic success do so as a result of a pivotal encounter with an educator who took the initiative to reach out to them and provide concrete academic guidance beyond their formal roles and responsibilities. Educators of students from low-income families have a special role to play in helping students be successful in life. The author's research and that of others suggest that when a relationship between an educator and a student becomes genuinely supportive, it can transform the student's path to postsecondary education. Thus, intentional academic interventions, or what the author calls educational "pivotal moments," are necessary for low-income and minority students to overcome the numerous disadvantages they face in society and in the educational system. Through academic interventions, educators can help any low-income minority student succeed academically and gain access to higher education. Principals in particular can play a unique role in creating a school community that recognizes the value of pivotal moments.

"Research messages 2011" is a collection of summaries of research projects published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2011. The publication also has an overview essay that captures the themes and highlights from the research for the year, including: (1) the initial education and training of young people and their pathways to employment; (2) apprenticeships and traineeships, with a particular focus on completions; (3) the ongoing education and training of the learner groups--namely older workers, people with a disability, low paid workers and the unemployed; (4) trends in the labour market, including labour mobility, skills mismatch and skills shortages; (5) the role of vocational education and training (VET) in innovation and workforce development; and (6) methodological and measurement issues. This paper presents the following summaries: (1) Highlights for 2011 (Georgina Atkinson); (2) As clear as mud: defining vocational education and training (Tom Karmel); (3) The attitudes of people with a disability to undertaking VET training (Lisa Nechvoglod and Tabatha Griffin); (4) Attrition in the trades (Tom Karmel, Patrick Lim and Josie Misko); (5) Building innovation capacity: the role of human capital formation in enterprises--a review of the literature (Andrew Smith, Jerry Courvisanos, Jacqueline Tuck and Steven McEachern); (6) Building the foundations: outcomes from the adult language, literacy and numeracy search conference (National Centre for Vocational Education Research); (7) The challenge of measurement: statistics for planning human resource development (Tom Karmel); (8) Differing skill requirements across countries and over time (Chris Ryan and Mathias Sinning); (9) Does changing your job leave you better off? A study of labour mobility in Australia, 2002 to 2008 (Ian Watson); (10) Does combining school and work affect school and post-school outcomes? (Alison Anlezark and Patrick Lim); (11) Education and training and the avoidance of financial disadvantage (Gary N. Marks); (12) Effect of the downturn on apprentices and trainees (Tom Karmel and Damian Oliver); (13) The effect of VET completion on the wages of young people (Nicolas Herault, Rezida Zakirova and Hielke Buddelmeyer); (14) Embedding learning from formal training into sustained behavioural change in the workplace (Cheryle Barker); (15) Enabling the effective take-up of e-learning by custodial officers (Malcolm Reason); (16) E-waste management in the VET environment (Virginia Waite); (17) Fostering enterprise: the innovation and skills nexus--research readings (Penelope Curtin, John Stanwick and Francesca Beddie); (18) From education to employment: how long does it take? (Darcy Fitzpatrick, Laurence Lester, Kostas Mavromaras, Sue Richardson and Yan Sun); (19) Getting tough on missing data: a boot camp for social science researchers (Sinan Gemici, Alice Bednarz and Patrick Lim); (20) How VET responds: a historical policy perspective (Robin Ryan); (21) The impact of wages and the likelihood of employment on the probability of completing an apprenticeship or traineeship (Tom Karmel and Peter Mlotkowski); (22) Individual-based completion rates for apprentices (Tom Karmel); (23) Initial training for VET teachers: a portrait within a larger canvas (Hugh Guthrie, Alicen McNaughton and Tracy Gamlin); (24) Juggling work, home and learning in low-paid occupations: a qualitative study (Barbara Pocock, Jude Elton, Deborah Green, Catherine McMahon and Suzanne Pritchard); (25) Lost talent? The occupational ambitions and attainments of young Australians (Joanna Sikora and Lawrence J. Saha); (26) Mapping adult literacy performance (Michelle Circelli, David D. Curtis and Kate Perkins); (27) The master artisan: a framework for master tradespeople in Australia (Karen O'Reilly-Briggs); (28) Measuring the quality of VET using the Student Outcomes Survey (Wang-Sheng Lee and Cain Polidano); (29) Measuring the socioeconomic status of Australian youth (Patrick Lim and Sinan Gemici); (30) The mobile worker: concepts, issues, implications (Richard Swe

Holocaust education can play a role in countering the ongoing problem of prejudice and incitement to hate that can lead to racial tension and violence. This article examines the beliefs of Muslim school children towards Jews in Sydney, Australia. It then discusses efforts to use Holocaust education to combat racist beliefs and hate language, and an alternative approach that illustrates the common values in the Abrahamic faiths. The article analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of using various school programmes to counter anti-Jewish feelings amongst Muslim children and ends with a discussion of whether such programmes should be compulsory.

The constructivist view of education, though it may be superior to the behaviorist view in some settings, may not be the best way to educate most community college students. These students, a significant number of whom are at a disadvantage in the college classroom as a result of negative past classroom experiences, low levels of academic achievement, and/or poor academic self-esteem, may not benefit from the constructivist models of problem-based, or active, learning. A behaviorally-based program, rejected by some constructivists, has assisted community college students by fostering their academic and social integration. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper reflects on a new pre-service teacher education initiative, Classmates. Classmates is a collaboration between the University of Western Sydney (UWS) and the New South Wales Department of Education and Training (DET), South Western Sydney Region. Classmates aims to prepare pre-service teachers to work in challenging, hard-to-staff schools. These contexts typically have socially disadvantaged populations and annually experience teacher shortages and high teacher turnover, particularly amongst beginning and early career teachers. Classmates seeks to produce beginning teachers who are highly prepared for, confident and mentally and emotionally equipped to work in such environments. This discussion focuses on some of the positive attributes about the initiative, particularly its prac...

The Royal College of Radiologists recently published documents setting out guidelines to improve the teaching of radiology to medical students. These included recommendations that clinicians who teach radiology should be aware of newer educational techniques, such as problem-based learning, and should be involved in the development of curricula and assessment in medical schools. This review aims to introduce the educational theories behind problem-based learning and describe how a problem-based learning tutorial is run. The relevance of problem-based learning to radiology and the potential advantages and disadvantages are discussed.

In this article, I explore men's educational experiences and aspirations in the context of UK policy discourses of widening participation and migration. Critiquing discourses that oversimplify gendered access to higher education, I develop an analysis of the impact of masculine subjectivities on processes of subjective construction in relation to be(com)ing a university student. Neoliberalism and self-regulation emerge as significant themes by which the men make sense of their educational experiences and aspirations. Widening participation policy discursively constructs the subject as "disadvantaged", "with potential" and responsible for self-improvement through participation in (alternative forms of) higher education (HE). The concept of diaspora illuminates the complex ways the men reconstruct their traumatic experiences in terms of hope and possibility, across different cultural spaces and expectations. A key question is how do the men construct and make sense of their masculine subjectivities in relation to diasporic experiences and aspirations to become HE students?

Abstract This study explores how science education could contribute to the amelioration of violent behaviors towards humans and non-human species, specifically in a Colombian school with a population of socio-economically disadvantaged students who demonstrate high levels of violence. Until now science education has not sought to change attitudes or to address the issue of school violence that is faced in many communities. Debates around the purposes of science education have paid little or no attention to the possible connection that exists between our attitudes to non-human animals and those towards humans. This study suggests that science education can play a role in changing attitudes and developing behaviors that aim at caring for others including other humans and non-human animals. T...

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Australian schools continue to have poor education and health outcomes, and the introduction of a new national curriculum may assist in redressing this situation. This curriculum emphasises recommendations which have been circulating in the sector over many years, to require teacher education institutions to provide their students with an understanding of past and contemporary experiences of Indigenous Australians, as well as the social, economic and health disadvantages that challenge Indigenous communities, and to equip them to integrate Indigenous issues into their future teaching programs. This article, while focusing on teacher education developments at the University of Tasmania (UTAS) to meet National Standards and Frameworks for preservice teachers, provides some general background, and identifies recently developed resources, including the potential for Indigenous centres within universities to assist educators.

This article summarises previous academic research into university education, distinguishing between arguments for and against improving access. Several views are summarised, including structural-functionalism, which claims that powerful social groups maintain their status and income, and human capital theory, which focuses on employee productivity. Almost all viewpoints discussed in this article support meritocracy. UK universities differ in their openness to people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Many universities, referred to here as "inclusive", deserve credit for encouraging disadvantaged people to become students; in contrast, "exclusive" universities tend to have fewer disadvantaged students than expected. There are barriers facing disadvantaged students, including unequal access to universities, which can at least partly be explained by private schools for rich pupils and financial burdens at university causing some students to take paid work (reducing time available for study). The UK spends less per student on universities than the world average and less than half as much as some European countries. The UK Government could increase university funding, concentrating on universities that are most inclusive and that tend to have the largest problems in affording sufficient staff and teaching facilities. This investment would give long-term benefits to the UK economy.

This report explores the development of modular education and its application in the Dutch Open University. The origins of modular education are examined from the first applications in American higher education and the development of electives and the credit system to the role of modular instruction as the basis of higher education curriculum. Advantages of modular instruction include more choice and self-pacing for students; more variety and flexibility for teachers and staff; and increased adaptability of instructional materials. Disadvantages include greater self-discipline and self-motivation required for students, increased preparation time and lack of concrete rewards for teachers and staff, and greater administrative resources needed to track students and operate multiple modules. Changes in educational practices in the Dutch speaking world are reviewed, comparing traditional to modular approaches. The modular education program at the Dutch Open University, is described, including three modular course models (study unit model, the textbook-workbook model, and the essay/thesis model) with the advantages and disadvantages of each one outlined. Finally, the paper looks at the importance of prior knowledge, suggesting that in a modular education environment, according to the changing ideas in today's society on personal development, students will request a kind of instruction more fully in accordance with and appropriate to their personal characteristics and their prior knowledge state resulting in a more efficient and effective education for the learner. There is also the opportunity for students to skip a module or to work through it more quickly on the basis of prior knowledge. (Contains 27 references.) (ND)

After listing the aims and objectives of the Institute for Socially Disadvantaged Groups' Educational Improvement (ISDGEI), in Kolhapur, India, this collection of seven articles discusses prospects, problems, and successes of providing universal elementary education to the children of India. Articles: (1) discuss quantitative and qualitative dimensions of the Indian educational system; (2) indicate some of the principal factors involved in the failure to fulfill the constitutional obligation to provide universal elementary education, and identify steps to be taken to improve the situation; (3) list principles of the United Nations' Declaration of the Rights of the Child; (4) sketch the expansion of volunteer activity in India; (5) outline ways distance education can address demands made on the educational system; (6) describe the construction of a non-formal measure of adult learners' progress in literacy; and (7) describe successes and difficulties experienced in implementing a kindergarten program in the context of 100 percent illiteracy in an urban slum, the expansion of the program, salient features of the instructional techniques employed in the schools of the ISDGEI, approaches to changing students' behavior, teaching standard Marathi, improving children's language skills, providing multiple points of entry into the program, introducing vocational education, the partition of the program into separate units for infants and children of different ages and for different educational purposes, and other activities. (RH)

This comparative study explored community influences on leadership and educational reform in representative school districts located in low socioeconomic class, culturally diverse communities. The study compared outcomes of one state's efforts to educate disabled preschool children (ages 3-5) in school districts in low socioeconomic settings with early childhood education efforts in a suburban, affluent community. Five school districts were selected, representing one suburban affluent setting and four economically disadvantaged settings: urban poverty, small town, low-income rural area, and Native American Indian reservation. One 3-year-old child with disabilities was selected in each school district. Findings are discussed in terms of educational practices; family and community characteristics; and the impact of class and culture on principal involvement, expectations for achievement, goal consensus, teacher recruitment and retention, teacher supervision and assistance, and collaboration. The findings demonstrated that the outcomes of a state reform effort with intentions of meeting the needs of young children with disabilities in all school districts were quite different between affluent and economically disadvantaged settings and between urban and nonurban settings. Cultural differences were not clearly dichotomous, and instead presented themselves along a continuum from affluent, to urban poverty, to small town, to rural, and to Native American community. Includes 56 references. (JDD)

... well controlled need to take precautions that may affect their daily living. Patients with uncontrolled seizures may ... education, or recreational activities. Moreover, epilepsy does not affect a patient’s sexual capabilities. Dealing With A Seizure ...

Discussion of the university's role in contributing to a civil society offers examples from the recent history of Yugoslavia showing that universities have frequently contributed to chauvinism, intolerance, racism, and ethnic cleansing. Urges institutions of higher education to foster a civil society by emphasizing: (1) an understanding of the "other," (2) moral education, and (3) education of the affections. (DB)

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides scientific information intended to help educate the public about natural resources, natural hazards, geospatial data, and issues that affect quality of life. This website provides links to selected online resources to support education (K-12) and college inquiry and research. Links range from educational resources, special features, career information and classroom activities.

Little is known about predictors of health care utilization for older Hispanics with chronic conditions. This study aimed to determine: (1) the level of health care access for older Hispanics with type 2 diabetes living in a US-Mexico border area; and (2) personal and health correlates to health care utilization (ie, physician visits, eye care, emergency room [ER] use). This was a cross-sectional study based on a community assessment conducted at a clinic, senior centers, and colonias. Colonias are impoverished neighborhoods with substandard living conditions along the US-Mexico border. Hispanics living in colonias are one of the most disadvantaged minority groups in the United States. The study sample consisted of 249 Hispanics age 60 years and older who have type 2 diabetes. Descriptive analyses, multiple linear regression, and generalized linear models were conducted. Older age (P = 0.02) and affordability of physician fees (P = 0.02) were significant correlates to more frequent physician visits. Factors significantly associated with eye care were being insured (P = 0.001) and reporting high cholesterol (P = 0.005). ER use was significantly associated with younger age (60-64 years old; P = 0.03) and suffering from hypertension (P = 0.02). Those who received diabetes education (P = 0.04) were less likely to use the ER. Identifying patterns of health care utilization services in aging underserved minorities who are disproportionately affected by diabetes may lead to culturally appropriate preventive practices and timely access to health care. Adequate health care access can decrease or delay the onset of diabetes complications in older Hispanics with type 2 diabetes who live along the US-Mexico border. PMID:22313441

It is often assumed that refugees in the US are at an economic disadvantage compared to other immigrants. A number of hypotheses have been postulated to explain this `refugee gap'. Refugees, on average, have less English language ability, less educational experience, different forms of family support, poorer mental and physical health, and generally reside in more disadvantaged neighbourhoods than other immigrants. Although these factors are well supported by evidence for specific refugee groups, a lack of representative data for both refugee and non-refugee migrants has made the testing of this refugee gap challenging. Using the first wave of the New Immigrant Survey, these hypotheses are tested on employment, occupation, and earnings outcomes using multivariate modelling techniques among...

Any activity that involves learning, whether it is for therapeutic purposes, traditional education, or outdoor education, is experiential education. In particular, outdoor educators allow participants to experiment with their behaviour in the form of play, for the most part out-of-doors. Many in the industry refer to play as adventure. Those who combine adventure with therapy name it adventure therapy or play therapy. Engaging in any of the experiences offered by outdoor educators affects participants and staff. This article discusses outdoor education and argues for developing spiritual intelligence.

This bibliography describes 38 materials available for computer-assisted instruction in agribusiness and natural resources education. The materials are suitable for use by regular, disadvantaged, and handicapped students and by students whose facility in English is limited. Materials are useful for developing tests, testing, reviewing, and vocabulary. Materials for inclusion in the bibliography were located through the Florida Educational Information Service (FEIS), which conducted searches of the Vocational Education Curriculum Materials (VECM) database on Bibliographic Retrieval Service (BRS). For each entry, information is provided on title, date developed, system required, content, and availability (supplier, price, format). Materials suitable for the following areas of agriculture are included: agribusiness, agricultural business management, agricultural mechanics, agricultural production, animal production, crop production, floriculture, forestry, horticulture, landscaping, nursery operations, soil conservation, and wildlife management. (KC)

This paper describes a project aimed at helping children and their families achieve their potential. It is based in an area of high social disadvantage. The authors explain how parenting classes held at a community college (a comprehensive school with provision for adult education), have led to the development of a suite of courses leading to qualification and employment. Most of the participants have been women. Even participants with a history of low educational attainment have achieved success and all have gained qualifications to enable them to gain employment working with children. A description is given of how the Progression Route of courses has the potential to build the community and provide access to higher education. The data from a pilot evaluation, based on interviews with 12 ...

This paper addresses ethical concerns emanating from the practice of using patients for health care education. It shows how some of the ways that patients are used in educational strategies to bridge theory-practice gaps can cause harm to patients and patient-practitioner relationships, thus failing to meet acceptable standards of professional practice. This will continue unless there is increased awareness of the need for protection of human rights in teaching situations. Unnecessary exposure of patients, failing to obtain explicit consent, causing harm to vulnerable or disadvantaged groups and inappropriate use of information, though normally regarded as unacceptable professional practices, may go unrecognised in meeting educational needs, widening rather than narrowing theory-practice gaps. PMID:9800586

Despite wide agreement on the goals of environmental education (EE), the promotion of action is still considered contentious. Critical environmental education (critical EE) teaches students to combine critical reflection with the ability to engage in local action to address social/environmental problems. This article examines a critical urban farming school in New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward for how student action is addressed. Results found that critical learning within an egalitarian, youth-centered community located in a disadvantaged area produces students who are more enlightened and empowered to create change. However, concerns regarding funding and safety led staff to not adhere to maintaining an egalitarian ethic, undermining the individualism and unpredictability that critical EE thrives upon and producing "disconnects" in students' education. (Contains 3 notes.)

How pronounced is income inequality around the world--and how can education help reduce it? This paper reports the following: (1) Across OECD (Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries, the average income of the richest 10% of the population was about nine times that of the poorest 10% before the onset of the global economic crisis; (2) High levels of income inequality are associated with low levels of earnings mobility between generations in a number of countries; (3) Education policies that promote equity and support disadvantaged students in achieving better academic outcomes may help reduce income inequality in the future; and (4) Four top performers on the 2009 PISA assessment--Canada, Finland, Japan, and Korea--put a strong focus on equity in their education systems.

As increasing numbers of students from non-traditional sources enter the baccalaureate nursing program, retention of these educationally, socially, and economically disadvantaged and older students have become important to a nursing program's continued viability. To retain these students, nurse educators need to become more sensitive to the educational needs of these students. Through focus groups used to survey sophomore, junior, and senior nursing students, researchers identified academic and non-academic resources cited by successful traditional and non-traditional students. A telephone survey of local nursing programs, by a third researcher, identified student resources at other statewide baccalaureate nursing programs. Participating students cited curriculum resources most often, with emotional support and academic resources of next importance. Students also expressed frustration regarding accessing resources (e.g., class time, office support, parking). The long term goal was to develop a resource program for non-traditional nursing students. PMID:9257552

Animal experiments, analog modeling and digital simulations are some means followed in laboratory practices to teach electrophysiological concepts. Advantages and disadvantages of these different strategies may change due to the teaching aims and education levels; none of these ways mentioned above is appropriate alone for all educational purposes. For a beginner who is coming up against the electrophysiological concepts for the first time, experiments on simple analog models would be more educational than all other means. In this work, two analog models involving simple and cheap electrical network components to teach the basic electrophysiological concepts have presented. The first one is suitable to simulate passive membrane properties while the second model involving batteries and manually controllable resistors is suitable to simulate the active membrane properties under space clamped conditions. PMID:17282321

The purpose of this paper is to explore to what extent is there an understanding among physicians as to how continuing professional education (CPE) and Continuing Medical Education (CME) affect physicians practice? To address the question, focus groups were used to begin a process of identifying the components within each type of education so that further research can be done to address how physicians learn and whether competence can be influenced by continuing education.

The purpose of this study is to examine the various economic facets of inequality in education in India. The specific focus is on inter-group inequalities, such as inequality between males and females and between backward and advanced castes. It is hypothesized that returns to education accrue differently to different groups of population and unfavorably to the weaker sections. Reasons for the differential rates of return are found either in the functioning of the school system or in the functioning of the labor market. An in-depth analysis of the reasons why the same kind of education results in different rates of return for different population sectors shows that the returns to education would be far greater if the very groups most discriminated against, women and disadvantaged castes, received more attention. The analysis is based on primary data from approximately 1,000 members of the workhorse in the West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh (India). The following chapters are included: (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Regional Inequality in Educational Development in India"; (3) "The Sample Survey"; (4) "Returns to Education in India: A Review"; (5) "The Internal Rate of Return: The Methodology"; (6) "Returns to Education"; (7) "Inequality in Human Capital Formation"; (8) "Economics of Discrimination in the Labour Market"; and (9) "Summary and Conclusions." A statistical appendix provides supporting tables. (Contains 34 tables, 15 figures, and 315 references.) (SLD)

"Research messages 2011" is a collection of summaries of research projects published by National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER) in 2011. The publication also has an overview essay that captures the themes and highlights from the research for the year, including: (1) the initial education and training of young people and their pathways to employment; (2) apprenticeships and traineeships, with a particular focus on completions; (3) the ongoing education and training of the learner groups--namely older workers, people with a disability, low paid workers and the unemployed; (4) trends in the labour market, including labour mobility, skills mismatch and skills shortages; (5) the role of vocational education and training (VET) in innovation and workforce development; and (6) methodological and measurement issues. This paper presents the following summaries: (1) Highlights for 2011 (Georgina Atkinson); (2) As clear as mud: defining vocational education and training (Tom Karmel); (3) The attitudes of people with a disability to undertaking VET training (Lisa Nechvoglod and Tabatha Griffin); (4) Attrition in the trades (Tom Karmel, Patrick Lim and Josie Misko); (5) Building innovation capacity: the role of human capital formation in enterprises--a review of the literature (Andrew Smith, Jerry Courvisanos, Jacqueline Tuck and Steven McEachern); (6) Building the foundations: outcomes from the adult language, literacy and numeracy search conference (National Centre for Vocational Education Research); (7) The challenge of measurement: statistics for planning human resource development (Tom Karmel); (8) Differing skill requirements across countries and over time (Chris Ryan and Mathias Sinning); (9) Does changing your job leave you better off? A study of labour mobility in Australia, 2002 to 2008 (Ian Watson); (10) Does combining school and work affect school and post-school outcomes? (Alison Anlezark and Patrick Lim); (11) Education and training and the avoidance of financial disadvantage (Gary N. Marks); (12) Effect of the downturn on apprentices and trainees (Tom Karmel and Damian Oliver); (13) The effect of VET completion on the wages of young people (Nicolas Herault, Rezida Zakirova and Hielke Buddelmeyer); (14) Embedding learning from formal training into sustained behavioural change in the workplace (Cheryle Barker); (15) Enabling the effective take-up of e-learning by custodial officers (Malcolm Reason); (16) E-waste management in the VET environment (Virginia Waite); (17) Fostering enterprise: the innovation and skills nexus--research readings (Penelope Curtin, John Stanwick and Francesca Beddie); (18) From education to employment: how long does it take? (Darcy Fitzpatrick, Laurence Lester, Kostas Mavromaras, Sue Richardson and Yan Sun); (19) Getting tough on missing data: a boot camp for social science researchers (Sinan Gemici, Alice Bednarz and Patrick Lim); (20) How VET responds: a historical policy perspective (Robin Ryan); (21) The impact of wages and the likelihood of employment on the probability of completing an apprenticeship or traineeship (Tom Karmel and Peter Mlotkowski); (22) Individual-based completion rates for apprentices (Tom Karmel); (23) Initial training for VET teachers: a portrait within a larger canvas (Hugh Guthrie, Alicen McNaughton and Tracy Gamlin); (24) Juggling work, home and learning in low-paid occupations: a qualitative study (Barbara Pocock, Jude Elton, Deborah Green, Catherine McMahon and Suzanne Pritchard); (25) Lost talent? The occupational ambitions and attainments of young Australians (Joanna Sikora and Lawrence J. Saha); (26) Mapping adult literacy performance (Michelle Circelli, David D. Curtis and Kate Perkins); (27) The master artisan: a framework for master tradespeople in Australia (Karen O'Reilly-Briggs); (28) Measuring the quality of VET using the Student Outcomes Survey (Wang-Sheng Lee and Cain Polidano); (29) Measuring the socioeconomic status of Australian youth (Patrick Lim and Sinan Gemici); (30) The mobile worker: concepts, issues, implications (Richard Sweet); (31) Moving the fence posts: learning preferences of part-time agriculture students (Alan Woods); (32) Musing budding musos: the role of peer mentoring in learning to be a contemporary musician (Ross Stagg); (33) Older workers: research readings (Tabatha Griffin and Francesca Beddie); (34) Outcomes from combining work and tertiary study (Cain Polidano and Rezida Zakirova); (35) Outcomes of stakeholder consultations to identify the LSAY analytical program for 2011-13 (National Centre for Vocational Education Research); (36) Over-skilling and job satisfaction in the Australian labour force (Kostas Mavromaras, Seamus McGuinness, Sue Richardson, Peter Sloane and Zhang Wei); (37) Pathways: developing the skills of the Australian workforce (Hugh Guthrie, John Stanwick and Tom Karmel); (38) Plumbing, sustainability and training (Sian Halliday-Wynes and John Stanwick); (39) Pre-apprenticeship training activity (Paul Foley and Davinia Blomberg); (40) Pre-apprenticeships and their impact on apprenticeship completion and satisfaction (Tom Karmel and Damian Oliver); (41) Pre-vocational programs and their impact on traineeship completion and satisfaction (Damian Oliver and Tom Karmel); (42) Review of the Survey of Employer Use and Views of the VET System: outcomes from the discussion paper (National Centre for Vocational Education Research); (43) The role of VET in workforce development: a story of conflicting expectations (Tanya Bretherton); (44) The shifting demographics and lifelong learning (Tom Karmel); (45) Skill (mis-)matches and over-education of younger workers (Chris Ryan and Mathias Sinning); (46) Skill shortages in the trades during economic downturns (Damian Oliver); (47) Social capital and young people: do young people's networks improve their participation in education and training? (Ronnie Semo and Tom Karmel); (48) To gain, retain and retrain: the role of post-school education for people with a disability (Cain Polidano and Ha Vu); (49) Understanding and improving labour mobility: a scoping paper (John Buchanan, Susanna Baldwin and Sally Wright); (50) Understanding the psychological contract in apprenticeships and traineeships to improve retention (Erica Smith, Arlene Walker and Ros Brennan Kemmis); (51) Understanding the undertow: innovative responses to labour market disadvantage and VET (Tanya Bretherton); (52) VET and the diffusion and implementation of innovation in the mining, solar energy and computer games sectors (Robert Dalitz, Phillip Toner and Tim Turpin); (53) The vocational equivalent to Year 12 (Patrick Lim and Tom Karmel); (54) Vocational qualifications, employment status and income: 2006 census analysis (Anne Daly); (55) Weighting the LSAY Programme of International Student Assessment cohorts (Patrick Lim); (56) What is a practical, effective and sustainable approach to leadership development at the Canberra Institute of Technology? (Coralie Daniels); (57) Which paths work for which young people? (Tom Karmel and Shu-Hui Liu); (58) Work, life and VET participation amongst lower-paid workers (Barbara Pocock, Natalie Skinner, Catherine McMahon and Suzanne Pritchard); and (59) Year 12 completion and youth transitions (Chris Ryan). [For the previous edition, "Research Messages 2010," see ED517177.

Three essays put forth recommendations for improving various aspects of American education. The first essay, "Teacher Preparation," focuses on the impact of several social, global, and technological trends on American schools and teacher education. In light of these trends, it is concluded that teachers must understand the ways in which America is changing and be prepared to help the growing numbers of disadvantaged children. They must also have a global perspective and see that the world is a global village that is politically transformed, economically connected, and ecologically imperiled. Teachers must help students cooperate rather than compete and find ways to use technology to help the learning process. Finally, in light of the stressful home lives of many children, they must understand how deeply these children are in need, and be caring as well as competent. The second essay, "Early Childhood Education," proposes six national objectives for early education: (1) good nutrition for every child; (2) universal preschool education for every disadvantaged child; (3) the establishment of nongraded Basic Schools that combine grades K-4; (4) classes of no more than 15 students; (5) evaluation to ensure that students have basic language and computation skills before leaving 4th grade; and (6) intergenerational connections. The final essay, "A National Education Index," recommends the creation of a set of nationwide standards that would serve as a framework for state accountability. The proposed index would include standards for student achievement, the conditions of teaching, school climate, school finance, accountability and intervention, and school partnerships with parents and the business community. (AC)

In water treatment processes is frequent to separate residual solids, with sludge shape, and minimize its volume in a later management. the technologies to applicate include pumping across pipelines, even to long distance. In wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), the management of these sludges is very important because their characteristics affect load losses calculation. Pumping sludge can modify its behavior and pumping frequency can concern treatment process. This paper explains advantages and disadvantages of different pumps to realize transportation sludge operations. (Author) 11 refs.

This is the fifth and final report of a longitudinal study examining the use of a comprehensive system of prevention and early intervention services in Palm Beach County, and how its use relates to the outcomes of children and families living in four targeted geographic areas (TGAs) with high rates of poverty, teen pregnancy, crime, and child abuse and neglect. Data sources included vital statistics and administrative service use records on Palm Beach County families who gave birth in 2004 and 2005; data from annual in-person household surveys with a baseline sample of 531 low-income mothers drawn from the cohort of mothers in the TGAs who gave birth in 2004 and 2005; and qualitative data from interviews with a subgroup of 40 mothers randomly selected from the larger survey sample. The authors' main concern was the system of prevention and early intervention services funded by the Children's Services Council (CSC) of Palm Beach County, particularly the Maternal Child Health Partnership (MCHP) system that was designed to serve pregnant and newly delivered mothers. Results indicate that the MCHP system initially identified mothers with many important risk factors, and that mothers with greater needs were more likely to receive services and more days of services than other mothers. Of mothers screened "at risk" who did not receive services, however, almost a third could not be located, and 15 percent declined services. Service use was affected by many other factors, including individual family characteristics, service type, and program characteristics. Receipt of MCHP services in year 1 was also associated with other service use in years 2, 3, and 5. One reason, according to mothers' reports, was that MCHP providers served an essential bridging or "brokering" role between parents and basic services, including Medicaid, food assistance, and childcare subsidies. One of the clearest findings was the disadvantaged status of children born to foreign-born mothers relative to those born to U.S.-born mothers. At the end of the study, as the focal children were getting ready for kindergarten, children of foreign-born mothers were more likely to be living at or below the poverty level, even though their caregivers were more likely to be married or living together. In light of their relative disadvantaged status, it is encouraging to note that foreign-born mothers, and particularly foreign-born Hispanic mothers, were more likely to receive treatment services from the MCHP system. On the other hand, they used fewer services outside of the MCHP system compared to U.S.-born mothers. In conclusion, study findings make clear that the emerging system of care in Palm Beach County is successfully engaging many at-risk families in needed services through the MCHP around the birth of a child. The authors end with the following set of recommendations: (1) Improve the quality and effectiveness of parenting supports and education; (2) Improve access to and quality of early care and education; (3) Increase efforts to help families stay involved in or become re-connected to needed services over time; (4) Enhance training of service providers; (5) Making location and timing of services convenient for families; (6) Improve channels of information and communication about services; (7) Strengthen relationships between the CSC system of care and other community supports and services; and (8) Improve data systems and other sources of information on service availability, use (duration, intensity), and need. Appended are: (1) Longitudinal Study Sample and Methods; (2) Additional Data on PBC and TGA Birth Cohorts, 2004-2009; and (3) Additional Data on Year 5 Study Sample. A bibliography is included. (Contains 118 tables, 13 figures and 84 footnotes.) [For the previous report, "Supporting Low-Income Parents of Young Children: The Palm Beach County Family Study Fourth Annual Report," see ED529450.

This book looks at the current spectrum of programs dealing with education for disadvantaged youth in Thailand. In spite of a lack of literature on the subject, it presents a diversity of information collected from various public and private organizations. The first chapter brings into focus the negative effects of the recent economic crisis, which has aggravated the problems of disadvantaged youth in Thailand. Chapter 2 analyzes the different types of programs aimed at assisting this group and divides these programs into six categories: compensatory programs, basic education programs, vocational training programs, integrated basic/vocational programs, programs for children in especially difficult circumstances, and other types. On this basis, policy and strategy-related recommendations are set out in chapter 3, with a view to accommodating them to the present framework of structural and substantive reforms of the educational system of the country. The book concludes by highlighting the need for a clear-cut coordination of, and linkages between, the various players involved and their respective roles: the development of curricula and activities by the central authorities; a more active involvement of local authorities and communities; and assistance from the private sector both in service and in kind. (Contains 23 tables, 3 graphs, and 28 references.) (Author)

The Asia-Pacific Programme of Education for All (APPEAL), UNESCO, is a cooperative program designed to promote education for all in the region. Its principal aim is to promote primary education, literacy, and continuing education for all and particularly for disadvantaged groups. APPEAL/PROAP has instituted the project, Promotion of Basic Education and Lifelong Learning for Gender Equality through CLCs, to improve and strengthen basic education and lifelong learning for gender equality. The project will build upon the expertise and experience of community learning centers (CLCs), which have been providing non-formal education for over 3 years, with girls and women one of their target groups. CLCs provide a supportive atmosphere for learning and have helped improve the status of girls and women in their communities. Objectives of the technical workshop held in Indonesia in March 2001 were to: review the situation in the region regarding basic education and lifelong learning for gender equality; develop a framework for undertaking a pilot study on innovative strategies for basic education and lifelong learning for gender equality through CLCs in the region; and formulate an action plan for undertaking research. Attending the workshop were 23 participants from 13 countries implementing learning centers projects supported by UNESCO APPEAL and 11 observers from Indonesia. The 13 countries are Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Thailand, and Viet Nam. Work groups participated in: presentations on concepts and requirements related to basic education, lifelong learning, and gender equality, and guidelines for sharing; undertook a field visit; and discussed how to carry out their research and reach their objectives. Annexes to this final report contain a schedule of work, list of participants, opening remarks, sharing country experience works groups, and guidelines for group discussion. (BT)

In a world of increasingly complex health care choices, those with limited health literacy are at a disadvantage. Most health materials are written at higher levels than most adults can understand. Limited literacy impacts health behaviors, decisions, and outcomes. Research suggests patient knowledge and comprehension can be increased by incorporating visual images and words using video technology. A lack of videos that are sensitive to health literacy makes routine cost-effective implementation difficult. Development and implementation of appropriate videos can be achieved cost effectively. This article discusses implementation of a cost-effective and literacy-sensitive video-education program.

While researchers have begun to examine the experiences of working class students in undergraduate education more closely, we know less about the experiences of working class students in graduate school. Through a nationwide survey of graduate students enrolled in Ph.D. programs in Sociology, we examined the extent to which working class students face greater challenges or barriers in completing their degrees compared to their middle class peers. We found working class students to be comparatively disadvantaged in academic integration and financial support. We discuss the implications of these findings for improving the graduate school experiences of working class students.

Operation Success at Wichita State University provides a supportive framework for assisting disadvantaged students in successfully completing their college education. It is organized in three complementary components; (1) tutorial, (2) cultural enrichment activities, and (3) research and evaluation. This report thoroughly outlines the organization and objectives of the program as well as its components. It provides demographic information on program participants and results of surveys which measure participant perception of the various aspects of the program. Responses were varied and primarily positive. The report closes with a photo album of Operation Success students, staff, and tutors. (LHW)

Some researchers in China believe that the rural poor's earlier disadvantaged education experiences stopped them to get into the leading research universities. In my research, I find equal access to leading research universities relates with many issues, the gross enrollment rate disparity among provinces, the change of enrollment policies, the distributions of enrollment quotas, the urban/rural residence and disciplinary distribution all are the factors that put the rural poor in a difficult position to access the leading research universities. The paper concludes that in the race for creative minds, the leading research universities have forgotten their social responsibility of equity.

Associations among maltreatment and traumatic experiences in childhood and adolescence, later substance use, and subsequent mental health outcomes for individuals with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders have been initially explored in previous studies; however, research on these factors in socially disadvantaged patients with first-episode psychosis is unavailable. This exploratory, correlational analysis examined associations between maltreatment and trauma-related variables (e.g., traumatic experiences, parental harsh discipline, violence exposure) and: social variables (years of education attained and extent of Axis IV psychosocial problems at initial hospitalization), substance abuse (age at initiation of alcohol and cannabis use, as well as estimates of lifetime intake of both), and pos...

In October 2010 the government confirmed it would introduce a "pupil premium" payable to schools with disadvantaged pupils. This shift towards resourcing by group rather than area may mark the closing of another chapter in efforts to produce a more meritocratic education system utilising what might be termed "intermediate" institutions. Their predecessors opened more than 3500 Children's Centres to develop new strategies for working with the families of preschool children in order to alter long-term educational trajectories. This paper reflects on an earlier chapter in public efforts to secure greater educational equality, the first three years of the Red House Education Centre in Denaby Main, a mining village in Yorkshire's West Riding, in the period 1969 to 1972. Red House was the most significant development arising from the West Riding Educational Priority Area (WREPA) Project and was an example of area-based positive discrimination. The paper explores two key questions. Can schools be re-positioned so that they offer the community an opportunity to develop as active participants in reshaped democratic processes, or are new institutional forms required? Did Red House offer parents and professionals the opportunity to improve educational outcomes in a neutral space where both felt a sense of ownership? (Contains 111 notes.)

As described in earlier articles, children whose parents have higher income and education levels are more likely to grow up in stable two-parent households than their economically disadvantaged counterparts. These widening gaps in fathers' involvement in parenting and in the quality and stability of parents' relationships may reinforce disparities in outcomes for the next generation. This paper reviews evidence about the effectiveness of two strategies to strengthen fathers' involvement and family relationships--fatherhood programs aimed at disadvantaged noncustodial fathers and relationship skills programs for parents who are together. Fatherhood programs have shown some efficacy at increasing child support payments, while relationship skills approaches have shown benefits for the couples' relationship quality, coparenting skills, fathers' engagement in parenting, and children's well-being. The research evidence suggests that parents' relationship with each other should be a fundamental consideration in future programs aimed at increasing low-income fathers' involvement with their children. (Contains 2 figures and 4 notes.) [A version of this paper (and four other policy papers) was presented at the Institute for Research on Poverty (IRP) conference on "Young Disadvantaged Men: Fathers, Families, Poverty, and Policy" which was held September 14-15, 2009, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This article argues that the way in which research training is affected by national policies aiming at modernizing graduate education is shaped by the way in which national characteristics of state policies, academic institutions and disciplines interact. The argument is applied in an analysis of the consequences of policy changes and higher education reform in England, Norway and Sweden, focusing on how research training was shaped by reforms during the 1980s and 1990s. The article first presents the status before the reform period with an emphasis on the salient characteristics that affect research training and graduate education. Secondly, we briefly present the main lines of the reform policies and how they affected the higher education systems and careers to which researchers are supposedly trained. Finally, we focus on changes in research education and how the introduction of PhD training affected and was shaped by national system characteristics.

Aim: This paper reports on a literature review conducted to explore whether there is evidence that postgraduate nursing education at master's level affects patient care. Background: Continued nursing education has been shown to benefit nurses' development, though little research has been conducted in relation to patient benefit. It is increasingly widespread that nurses pursue education to master's level. Method: Following a systematic review of the literature fifteen studies of mixed methodology and design were examined and data extracted using thematic analysis. Five common themes emerged relating to master's level nursing education that may ultimately affect patient care: increased confidence and self esteem; enhanced communication; personal and professional growth; knowledge and applic...

Background: High rates of teacher turnover likely mean greater school instability, disruption of curricular cohesiveness, and a continual need to hire inexperienced teachers, who typically are less effective, as replacements for teachers who leave. Unfortunately, research consistently finds that teachers who work in schools with large numbers of poor students and students of color feel less satisfied and are more likely to turn over, meaning that turnover is concentrated in the very schools that would benefit most from a stable staff of experienced teachers. Despite the potential challenge that this turnover disparity poses for equity of educational opportunity and student performance gaps across schools, little research has examined the reasons for elevated teacher turnover in schools with large numbers of traditionally disadvantaged students. Purpose: This study hypothesizes that school working conditions help explain both teacher satisfaction and turnover. In particular, it focuses on the role of effective principals in retaining teachers, particularly in disadvantaged schools with the greatest staffing challenges. Research Design: The study conducts quantitative analyses of national data from the 2003-04 Schools and Staffing Survey and the 2004-05 Teacher Follow-up Survey. Regression analyses combat the potential for bias from omitted variables by utilizing an extensive set of control variables and employing a school district fixed effects approach that implicitly makes comparisons among principals and teachers within the same local context. Conclusions: Descriptive analyses confirm that observable measures of teachers' work environments, including ratings of the effectiveness of the principal, are generally less positive in schools with large numbers of disadvantaged students. Regression results show that principal effectiveness is associated with greater teacher satisfaction and a lower probability that the teacher leaves the school within a year. Moreover, the positive impacts of principal effectiveness on these teacher outcomes are even greater in disadvantaged schools. These findings suggest that policies focused on getting the best principals into the most challenging school environments may be effective strategies for lowering perpetually high teacher turnover rates in those schools.

Social and economic disadvantage is associated with general poor physical health. This relationship has been recognised for centuries, but it is unknown whether socioeconomic factors have a specific influence on low back pain (LBP). Furthermore, it is unknown how social and economic disadvantages in youth affect adult health. Therefore, the specific objectives of this study are to explore (1) the cross-sectional association between socioeconomic status (SES) and LBP in adolescence and (2) the longitudinal association between SES in adolescence and LBP in early adulthood. A database containing LBP data from 4,771 twins was merged with their parents? social and economic data, available from Statistics Denmark. Low back pain data [?any low back pain? and ?persistent low back pain (more than 3...

As technological advances continue to expand connectivity and communication, the number of patients and nurses engaging in social media increases. Nurses play a significant role in identification, interpretation, and transmission of knowledge and information within healthcare. Social media is a platform that can assist nursing faculty in helping students to gain greater understanding of and/or skills in professional communication; health policy; patient privacy and ethics; and writing competencies. Although there are barriers to integration of social media within nursing education, there are quality resources available to assist faculty to integrate social media as a viable pedagogical method. This article discusses the background and significance of social media tools as pedagogy, and provides a brief review of literature. To assist nurse educators who may be using or considering social media tools, the article offers selected examples of sound and pedagogically functional use in course and program applications; consideration of privacy concerns and advantages and disadvantages; and tips for success. PMID:23036058

Since the beginning of the Great Recession, many community colleges have experienced significant declines in state revenue, increases in enrollment, higher tuition, and flat or declining state student aid. These conditions have also occurred in an environment of heightened accountability with pressure to advance a student success agenda and to meet workforce training needs. Findings from the annual survey of state community college directors conducted by the Education Policy Center at the University of Alabama, in partnership with Iowa State University and The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, show that the majority of state directors feel states are moving toward a privatized model of higher education and that structural deficits exist in state budgets disadvantaging community colleges. The concern is that these and other related findings demonstrate a situation that may not improve as the nation climbs out of recession; this situation is creating a new norm in community college funding. (Contains 1 table.)

This paper focuses on gender awareness issues as a dimension of addressing the wider issue of the quality of education in Pakistan from the perspective of social justice. In Pakistan classrooms, boys and girls learn separately and therefore teachers and others tend to think that there are no gender issues once access is achieved and the learners are in the classroom. However, beyond access there are several factors that compromise quality of education and raise issues for gender equity as an element of social justice. These issues are examined in the context of a professional development intervention on promoting gender awareness among secondary mathematics teachers in disadvantaged schools in rural Pakistan. Drawing upon the seminal work of Sen (1999) the paper posits that teacher profess...

This article explores the process of gliding segregation in two Danish workplaces. We address the questions of how and why women and men at the same workplace, with the same levels of education, often end up doing different work tasks. Drawing on a gendered organization perspective and sense of entitlement theory we illustrate the processes whereby structural and cultural expectations place women in predictable and routine work, and men in more developmental work. We also show that the level of education makes a difference to women's sense of entitlement to developmental work, but that the discourse of family friendliness disadvantages women in the allocation of interesting and valued work tasks. The findings illustrate the resilience of gendered work practices and the importance of focusi...

School systems are a major social change agent capable of challenging social inequalities and economic disadvantages. Yet, while schools in Australia are being confronted with increasingly culturally diverse populations as well as an increasing focus on student retention, this transformative role is increasingly being played out in a broader educational context that has been found to replicate rather than challenge patterns of social inequality. Successive governments in Australia have responded to this context with a raft of policy initiatives. This paper, based on three-year longitudinal research undertaken in the city of Melbourne, outlines this policy context and introduces the theoretical approach that underpins its innovative approach to managing cultural diversity in educational institutions. It argues for, and presents, a multidimensional model for managing cultural diversity in schools, one that provides the tools for transformative practices to be undertaken to effect positive change in school environments for the benefit of all students.

The stories of 10 outstanding Pennsylvania men and women in this booklet illustrate the determination of educationally disadvantaged people to overcome insurmountable obstacles. They were aided in their successful struggles to enhance their reading and math skills as well as their careers by their participation in various adult basic education and literacy programs throughout Pennsylvania. The 10 people represented various counties in Pennsylvania: (1) Donna Smith, Allegheny County; (2) Donald Zeigler, Berks County; (3) Dawn Yates, Bradford County; (4) Carmen Harvison, Lebanon County; (5) Deborah Holmes, Montgomery County; (6) Michael Murray, Montgomery County; (7) Vincent Luettgen, Northampton County; (8) Darling Gregory, Philadelphia County; (9) Steven Parker, Philadelphia County; and (10) Patricia Williams, Susquehanna County. (NLA)

Aim The study evaluates a community-based intervention programme, using a peer approach. The programme?s objective is to improve life opportunities for children from disadvantaged families in a poor district of Berlin by empowering their mothers. Women of varying cultural backgrounds?most of them from immigrant families?are educated in subjects like child development, early education and health in order to work as community mothers (CMs). Their major task is to obtain access to the families, strengthen the mothers? parenting and personal skills, and promote early nursery school attendance and access to social support systems. Community settings are integrated in the programme through the establishment of family cafés in nursery and primary schools. Methods The evaluation analyses the organ...

Teacher preparation has been called the "bete noire" of geography education in the United States (Boehm et al., 1994). Despite progress in other areas of geography, teacher education remains a significant issue affecting the quality of geography instruction nationwide. It is a multifaceted, multidimensional problem tied inextricably to national trends in education and teacher education reform. Some problems have resulted from a spatially dispersed and decentralised system of teacher education and certification. Today, many of the tensions within teacher education are the result of ideological arguments that have become highly politicised, pitting conservatives against liberals, Republicans against Democrats, in increasingly polarised discussions. As a consequence, geographers and professional geography societies have less influence in teacher preparation. This article briefly explores some of the significant issues affecting teacher preparation in the United States. The authors focus first on the volatile national context, particularly on changes in the last decade. The implications on teacher preparation of recent federal legislation entitled No Child Left Behind (NCLB) in general, and geography education specifically, are explored. Next, the authors describe the changing models of teacher education, including alternative certification, and the implications for geography education. They conceptualise teacher preparation as a three-stage process, and describe mentoring and professional development in geography education in the induction and early professional development stages. The authors conclude by reviewing the issues geography educators face in the next decade, suggesting research that may address them.

Educational equity is often discussed as a moral issue. Another way to think about equity is as a way to promote productivity and economic efficiency. Traditionally, equity and efficiency are viewed as competing goals. One can be fair in devising a policy, but often what is fair is not economically efficient. Conversely, what is efficient may not be fair. What is remarkable is that some policies are both fair--i.e., promote equity--and promote economic efficiency. Investing in the early years of disadvantaged children's lives is one such policy. A large body of data shows that educational equity is an economic imperative that has far-reaching implications for America. The nation can make serious inroads toward reducing inequality, elevating the underclass, and generating more productivity from its investments in people. But to do so requires that one accepts the facts and rethink one's notions of parenting, education, and the development of human potential. Since inequality starts at or before birth, it can and should be corrected at or before birth with the resource of early childhood and parental education. Gains made in early childhood should be followed through with quality elementary, secondary, and postsecondary education that promote the development of cognition and character. Investing early allows people to shape the future; investing later chains them to fixing the missed opportunities of the past.

The CASPER Educational Outreach program with support from the Department of Education, the Department of Labor and the National Science Foundation advances physics education through a variety of avenues including CASPER's REU / RET program, High School Scholars Program, spiral curriculum development program and the CASPER Physics Circus. These programs impact K-12 teachers and students providing teachers with curriculum, supporting hands-on material and support for introducing plasma and basic physical science into the classroom. The most visible of the CASPER outreach programs is the Physics Circus, created during the 1999-2000 school year and funded since that time through two large grants from the Department of Education. The Physics Circus is part of GEAR UP Waco (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) and was originally one of 185 grants awarded nationwide by the U. S. Department of Education in 1999 to help 200,000 disadvantaged children prepare for and gain a pathway to undergraduate programs. The CASPER Physics Circus is composed of intense science explorations, physics demonstrations, hands-on interactive displays, theatrical performances, and excellent teaching experiences. Examples and efficacy data from the above will be discussed.

As the governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007, Mitt Romney championed aggressive education policies later embraced by the Obama administration and by other states. But for most of his second run at the Republican presidential nomination, voters have heard little about his education record in Massachusetts or initiatives that Mr. Romney was largely unable to sell to that state's Democratic-controlled legislature. Instead, in a high-profile May 23 speech on education, Mr. Romney spoke at length about school choice, pushing a bold--but administratively tricky--plan to let disadvantaged students and those in special education take their federal aid to any campus, including a private school. Mr. Romney, who secured enough delegates to clinch the 2012 GOP nomination, is pushing hard to distinguish his education policies from those President Barack Obama espouses. The former business executive has floated market-based proposals that appeal to a conservative electorate, and leveled criticism of teachers' union influence on school policy--and with the Obama administration. At the same time, Mr. Romney continues to share some administration policy priorities, particularly Mr. Obama's fondness for charter schools and insistence on tying teacher evaluation in part to students' outcomes on standardized tests, both of which have rattled union leaders. Mr. Romney's decade-long evolution on education issues also has seen him move away from some of the most extreme positions taken by some in his party, including abolition of the U.S. Department of Education and repeal of the No Child Left Behind Act, which he nonetheless would like to overhaul. The policy overlap between Mr. Romney and the man he is seeking to replace comes as no surprise to William H. Guenther, the president of MassInsight, a nonpartisan research organization in Boston that advised Mr. Romney on K-12 issues during his tenure as governor. He places Mr. Romney among a set of "liberal and conservative education reformers" focused on a combination of "excellent goals and no excuses."

Thirty-two projects designed to improve educational opportunities of rural Queensland children were funded as part of the Disadvantaged Schools Program in 1979 and 1980. This program resulted from a 1977-79 Schools Commission report which suggested that students in country areas may be disadvantaged compared to urban dwellers, with respect to variety of available experiences and opportunities. The $1 million a year program with a full-time staff of over 40 funded such projects as: (1) itinerant teacher service; (2) mobile manual arts; (3) specially produced television programs; (4) mobile classrooms; (5) isolated children's special education; (6) mobile field study; (7) instrumental music programs; (8) remedial/resource services; (9) specialist recreation support; (10) opportunities for exceptional children; (11) cultural activities; (12) career information; (13) mini-buses and subsidized coaches; (14) audiovisual maintenance; (15) regional newspaper development; (16) teacher aides; (17) summer schools; (18) updating school libraries; (19) regional home economics and music centres; (20) speech therapy services; (21) outback mobile teaching services; (22) hydroponics; (23) video recording/library services; (24) resource kits; (25) manual arts by correspondence; and (26) vocational reference centres. Profiles for each project list project title, location, contact address, budget, type of project, personnel, purpose, background, operations, evaluation, and comments. (AW)

Abstract in english The Healthy Growth Charter is an educational and health-promoting project aimed at an active involvement of the primary school children in health surveillance and protection. Being duly acquainted of the matter, scholars are asked to fill by their own a questionnaire on height, weight, sport attendance and other items of medical and demographic interest. According to the project, problems suitable of corrective measures, such as amblyopia, are signalled to the families an (more) d dealt individually. The project has been previously tested on about 1500 boys and girls from various Italian regions, showing that, despite the limits of self-reported data, it provides information in line with literature. Health inequalities in children remain an important problem also in Italy, and a second test of the Healthy Growth Charter was launched in a group of socially disadvantaged children. As reported in this paper, overweight, reduced physical activity, visual problems and other items markedly differed in this with respect to the previous study. These results provide some indication on the potential role of social disadvantage and poverty on health status of children. To better tackle the problem of health inequalities, the actual surveillance systems should be empowered, preferably with an active educational involvement of children, translating the information into public health intervention policies.

Framed within a shift from a highly centralized system of higher education (HE) to a de-regulated system in Norway, this article addresses how the foci upon student recruitment and incentives in the governmental funding of HE have stimulated market dynamics which affect local configurations of bachelor degrees in sport, physical education and outdoor pursuits, which in turn, can affect the content knowledge of physical education teacher education (PETE) degree. Analyzing data generated via in-depth interviews with Deans and Heads of programs at three significant national providers in the field of HE sport and physical education, this article illuminates how marketization permeates the communication of education values and, thus, the institutional pedagogical discourse. This article problem...

This study examined the effects of aging and education on participants' false memory for words that were not presented. Three age groups of participants with either a high or low education level were asked to study lists of semantically related words. Both age and education were found to affect veridical and false memory, as indicated in the recall and recognition of the studied word and nonstudied lures. A low education level had a negative effect on memory performance for both young and middle-aged adults. Older adults with a high level of education had a higher level of false memory than those with a lower education level. The results of this study are discussed in terms of the importance of education on false memory and mechanisms that create false memory of words in older adults. (Contains 2 tables.)

The induction of the tuition fee for higher education in Sweden for students arriving from outside the European Economic Area will affect Swedish universities and in particular Jönköping University considering its position on the educational market as one of the most international universities in Sw...

Factors affecting the future of faculty collective bargaining are reviewed, including economic and political developments, the rest of the union movement, shifts in public policy concerning the private sector of higher education, and the subjects and effects of bargaining: comparable worth, reshaping the workforce, concession bargaining, and educational quality. (MSE)

Examines school enrollment and educational attainment in Kinshasa, Congo, focusing on how poverty, household structure, gender, and economic well-being affect investments in children's education. Increased economic well-being translates into greater attainment for both females and males, but does not necessarily reduce gender differences in school outcomes. (Contains 37 references.) (MLH)

The purpose of this study will be to determine if there is a relationship between Hispanic student achievement and the percentage of Hispanic teachers per district in the state of Texas. Specifically, this study will investigate the relationship between the percentage of Hispanic students per district who pass the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test in eleventh grade and the percentage of Hispanic teachers in their corresponding districts. This correlational investigation will include data from the Texas Education Agency (TEA). This data will consist of the 2007-2008 academic school year. TEA database data collected will include district type and district percentages of eleventh grade Hispanic students passing TAKS, economically disadvantaged students, at risk students, Hispanic teachers, teachers by years of experience, and teacher turnover rates. The main predictor variable identified was the percentage of Hispanic teachers per district. To determine if district community type is a significant factor in student achievement, an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) will be employed. If significance is found by district type, then a minimum of six key informant interviews will be conducted to investigate this difference. These key informants would include two Hispanic teachers from urban, suburban, and rural districts. A one-way ANOVA was conducted to explore Hispanic student achievement based on district type and evidence of statistical significance was not found due to a lack of homogeneity. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed all portions of the TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on all portions of the TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the English Language Arts (ELA) TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the ELA TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Mathematics TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Mathematics TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Science TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and teacher turnover was a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Science TAKS test in 11th grade. A multiple regression analysis was conducted on Hispanic students in 11th grade who passed the Social Studies TAKS test based on district percentages of Hispanic teachers, at-risk students, economically disadvantaged students, teacher turnover, and teacher experience. A statistically significant relationship was observed, and district percentage of at-risk students and economically disadvantaged students were a statistically significant predictor of Hispanic student achievement on the Social Studies TAKS test in 11th grade

Apr 3, 2008 ... Projects > Federal Knowledge Management Working Group (KMWG) > Home ..... The Oxford English Dictionary defines the term as, the "function, ...... Taxonomy of Educational Objectives: Handbook 2: Affective Domain, David ...

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Culturally/linguistically diverse and economically disadvantaged students are under-represented in gifted education programs. White middle-class children tend to be afforded the opportunity of gifted education services. This study analyzed Ashe City Schools' journey to implement Project U-STARS-PLUS in order to identify and serve culturally/linguistically diverse and economically disadvantaged students. The methods employed for this research included: analysis of existing data, focus groups with teachers, interviews with administrators and a director, interviews with fourth grade children, and document reviews of AIG plans. Qualitative methods were employed to summarize the effect of Project U-STARS-PLUS in Ashe City Schools. The purpose of this study was to analyze Ashe City Schools' journey to recognize, nurture, and respond to the potential in all children via U-STARS-PLUS. The data obtained from the focus groups, interviews, and document analysis were analyzed to determine the overall effect of Project U-STARS-PLUS in Ashe City Schools. Findings indicate that when teachers were trained to utilize systematic observations over time for students, then "at potential" traits emerged. In this study, eighty-three children were recommended for gifted services that would have otherwise been overlooked over the course of the four year research. Teachers felt that Project U-STARS-PLUS impacted their interactions with possible gifted students or students with academic potential by allowing the teachers to see gifted potential. However, even though possible strengths were noticed, gifted identification still belonged to the student who could score high on a standardized test. Another benefit of this study revealed that science was energized in the classroom through inquiry based methods and hands-on family take home science kits. The written district gifted education plan indicated that Ashe City was intentionally exploring multiple pathways to gifted identification for all children. This study is important because children from culturally/linguistically diverse and economically disadvantaged households should have equitable access to gifted education services. This study will be beneficial to other school districts facing the same challenges of recognizing and nurturing their brightest children. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.

Technological innovation is sweeping the world into an unimaginable future. These forces are affecting all aspects of how people live and work. What will be the role of museums and museum educators in this future? This article surveys some of the technologies that have profoundly affected museums and museum education and poses some questions: what trends in technology do museum professionals need to watch? Will museums remain relevant? Do museum collections matter? (Contains 15 notes.)

This research article on youth smoking in disadvantaged communities is the product of a qualitative study to understand the issues faced by young smokers - and those trying not to be smokers - in such communities. Environmental factors and peer influence are widely recognised influences on adolescents' take-up and continuation of smoking but less is known about whether, what, how and why circumstances in disadvantaged communities affect young people's pathways towards and away from smoking. Focusing on a youth club in a disadvantaged neighbourhood in the North East of England, narratives about young people's relationships with tobacco provide an ethnographically rich, thick description of the experiences of a group that is too often easily ignored. We argue that young people are caught between competing domains that together exert a form of structural violence. These are, first, the economic and political structures that have overseen de-industrialisation; second, the media structures that create desire for what they cannot afford; third the structures of international organised crime that conspire to provide them with the means to consume from which 'legitimate' structures effectively exclude them. Rather than expecting young people to comply with the health imperative, interventions need to bridge issues of agency and critical consciousness, which structural violence otherwise insidiously erodes. PMID:23145793

In most parts of the world today, the goal of providing all children with free and Universal Primary Education (UPE) has received broad national and international support and some educational systems have evolved from predominantly "fee-charging" towards "fee-free" status in recent times. In Ghana, for example, the endorsement of Education for All (EFA) and millennium development goals (MDGs) agreements coupled with commitment to internal constitutional reforms have resulted in the initiation of the Free Compulsory Universal, Basic Education (fCUBE) policy. Dishearteningly however, in many low-income countries (including Ghana), verbal commitments to these laudable social goals do not appear to be translated into the needed changes in policy and practice. This article draws on a case study of the fCUBE policy implementation to provide insights into the complexities involved in operationalising UPE policy initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. The methodological approach involved the critical discourse analysis of interviews with Ghanaian education officials who mediate policy at the "meso-level". Owing to the commitments of the fCUBE policy to enhancing the educational opportunities and outcomes for the socially and economically disadvantaged, the paper sees it (i.e. the fCUBE policy) as deeply rooted in social democracy. However, it is argued that as long as there is a blurring in meaning of the intentions encapsulated in its title, primary education in Ghana cannot be said to be "free", "compulsory" and "universal". It is concluded that accentuating policy purposes in low-income countries is not inherently problematic but that the challenges lie with how the intentions and provisions of policy are conceptualised and operationalised in context.

The ocean sciences suffer from a lack of diversity, particularly among indigenous peoples, despite the fact that indigenous peoples often have deep, cultural knowledge about the marine environment. Nowhere is this inequity more glaring than in Hawaii. Traditional knowledge in marine science enabled Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPI) to become world leaders in transpacific canoe voyaging, aquaculture, and fisheries. Yet today, NHPI are severely underrepresented in the ocean sciences (and in STEM fields in general) at all levels of education and employment. When compared to other ethnic and racial groups in Hawaii, NHPI students as a group have among the poorest educational performance, indicated in part by underrepresentation in college enrolment and pre-college gifted and talented programs, as well as overrepresentation in eligibility for special education and free and reduced lunch programs. The Center of Microbial Oceanography Research and Education (C-MORE), a NSF-funded, multi-institutional Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawai (UH), is determined to address this inequity. C- MORE is committed to increasing diversity in the ocean sciences, particularly among NHPI, at all levels of education and research. Our approach is to work with existing programs with a track record of increasing diversity among NHPI. We are currently developing culturally relevant materials including educational games for K-12 students, mentorships for high school and community college students, and laboratory and shipboard experiences for teachers and undergraduates in partnership with minority-serving organizations. Some of our main partners are EPSCoR (Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research), Ka `Imi `Ike (an NSF- funded program to recruit and retain NHPI undergraduates in geosciences), Upward Bound (an enrichment program for economically disadvantaged high school students which includes intensive summer courses), the UH Center on Disability Studies (which is developing culturally relevant curriculum to address the overrepresentation of NHPI in special education classes) and the UH Louis Stokes Program (which we plan to use as a model). For more information, please refer to: http:cmore.soest.hawaii.edu

Scand J Caring Sci; 2012 To provide care and be cared for in a multiple-bed hospital room Aims:? To illuminate patients' experiences of being cared for and nurses' experiences of caring for patients in a multiple-bed hospital room. Background:? Many patients and healthcare personnel seem to prefer single-bed hospital rooms. However, certain advantages of multiple-bed hospital rooms (MBRs) have also been described. Method:? Eight men and eight women being cared for in a multiple-bedroom were interviewed, and two focus-group interviews (FGI) with 12 nurses were performed. A qualitative content analysis was used. Results:? One theme -Creating a sphere of privacy- and three categories were identified based on the patient interviews. The categories were: Being considerate, Having company and The patients' area. In the FGI, one theme - Integrating individual care with care for all - and two categories emerged: Experiencing a friendly atmosphere and Providing exigent care. Both patients and nurses described the advantages and disadvantages of multiple-bed rooms. The patient culture of taking care of one another and enjoying the company of room-mates were considered positive and gave a sense of security of both patients and nurses. The advantages were slight and could easily become disadvantages if, for example, room-mates were very ill or confused. The patients tried to maintain their privacy and dignity and claimed that there were small problems with room-mates listening to conversations. In contrast, the nurses stressed patient integrity as a main disadvantage and worked to protect the integrity of individual patients. Providing care for all patients simultaneously had the advantage of saving time. Conclusions:? The insights gained in the present study could assist nurses in reducing the disadvantages and taking advantage of the positive elements of providing care in MBRs. Health professionals need to be aware of how attitudes towards male and female patients, respectively, could affect care provision. PMID:22390650

In 1997, Arizona enacted a tuition tax credit law. Supporters consider this law a model for improving public education. Opponents believe it is a model for seriously undermining public education, particularly public schools serving poor children. The two types of tax credits Arizona offers are a private tuition tax credit and tax credit for public school extracurricular activities. Over 3 years, the Arizona policy has largely subsidized education for middle- and upper-income families, while lower-income families have not benefited. Opponents argue that this law diverts significant resources away from programs that could otherwise support and strengthen public education for poor and disadvantaged students. There are few regulations governing the operation of school tuition organizations (STOs). State officials demand little accountability from STOs and do not require them to provide scholarships based on financial need or previous inability to attend private school. Evidence shows that a large majority of STOs provide tuition payments primarily to religious schools, often specific schools that reflect the religious views of the affiliates of the STOs. Arizona taxpayer dollars going to public schools or private STOs under the tax credit law are not donations, as supporters call them. While a state can earmark funds based on the needs of public schools and students, Arizona's tuition tax credit interferes with this ability, effectively reallocating funds in a patently inequitable manner that hinders school improvement and reinforces economic divisions. (SM)

Abstract in portuguese Atualmente, o livro didático vem sendo reconhecido, por parcela significativa dos estudiosos da educação, como um material relevante ao processo de escolarização. No campo da Educação Física a produção e estudo do livro didático permanecem praticamente negligenciados. Assim, o objetivo do presente estudo foi avaliar a aplicabilidade de um livro didático da modalidade basquetebol, construído especificamente para esse estudo, junto a cinco professores de Educa? (more) ?ão Física. A metodologia utilizada foi de natureza qualitativa, tendo a entrevista semi-estruturada como instrumento de coleta de dados. Os resultados apontaram que os professores estabeleceram uma relação crítica frente ao livro didático de basquetebol e indicaram vantagens e desvantagens de sua utilização no contexto escolar. Abstract in english Nowadays, textbook has been recognized, to a significant portion of education experts, as a relevant material to education process. In the field of Physical Education the textbook's production and study became practically neglectful. The objective of this study was to evaluate the applicability of a basketball textbook, built specifically for this study, with five teachers of Physical Education. The methodology used was qualitative, the interview was a data collection ins (more) trument. The results pointed that teachers established a critical relationship against the textbook of basketball and they pointed advantages and disadvantages for its use in school context.

Recent advances in cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in dentistry have identified the importance of providing outcomes related to the appropriate use of this innovative technology to practitioners, educators, and investigators. To assist in determining whether and what types of evidence exist, the authors conducted PubMed, Google, and Cochrane Library searches in the spring of 2011 using the key words "cone beam computed tomography and dentistry." This search resulted in over 26,900 entries in more than 700 articles including forty-one reviews recently published in national and international journals. This article is based on existing publications and studies and will provide readers with an overview of the advantages, disadvantages, and indications/contraindications of this emerging technology as well as some thoughts on the current educational status of CBCT in U.S. dental schools. It is the responsibility of dental educators to incorporate the most updated information on this technology into their curricula in a timely manner, so that the next generation of oral health providers and educators will be competent in utilizing this technology for the best interest of patients. To do so, there is a need to conduct studies meeting methodological standards to demonstrate the diagnostic efficacy of CBCT in the dental field. PMID:23144478

The influence of family background, including parental education, on college student attrition was evaluated with first- and second-generation American students. A total of 701 enrolled students and those who left before graduation were surveyed at a primarily residential private liberal arts college and at a primarily commuter state-supported liberal arts college. It was found that first-generation students approach the college experience with about the same degree of normative congruence as second-generation students with regard to their expectations. They value higher education for the intellectual growth and for the career preparation they anticipate receiving. In respect to a second aspect of social integration, structural or affiliational integration, first-generation students were at a disadvantage in comparison to the students whose parents had significant experience with the college or university setting. First-generation students suffer from a lower level of structural integration since they are less likely to live on campus, be involved in campus organizations, meet or pursue their most important friendships on campus, or work on campus. As for academic integration, first-generation students appear to have equally high aspirations regarding level of education they expect to attain, but those who withdraw are not as strongly convinced that college is the only or best route to life success. First-generation students appear to have lower congruity between their values toward education and their parents' values; receive less support of all types from their parents; and have heavier job loads. These factors increase their vulnerability to attrition. A bibliography is appended. (SW)

This paper draws on an extensive review of literature associated with telecommuting and looks at features that might affect the offering and take-up of distance education, particularly distance education involving computer applications, telecommunications and web-based, off-campus delivery of courses or components of courses. The issue is discussed from the perspective of the individual, the organization (the educational institution) and the wider community. The aim of the paper is to put forward a possible research model for the evaluation of distance education. Includes two figures: a task model and a research model. (Contains 43 references.) (Author)

It is time to revisit the way we describe and advocate for the "learning power" of museums. Museum learning is unique, multi-faceted and inspires higher-order affective and cognitive development. Yet, when museums describe their educational impact to stakeholders, it is often described narrowly, using the measures of formal education rather than focusing on its capacity to model intrinsically-motivated, joyful, open-ended learning that supports self-knowledge and positive social behavior. Museum educators are not doing enough to make a case for the value of museum learning in its own right with political, civic, educational and even museum entities. (Contains 17 notes.)

Critical discourse analysis of policy contexts and documents has been employed in this research to analyze the role of language in promoting normative positions affecting the quality of education in Cambodia and Laos. The article examines the ways institutional normative influences at multiple levels within the Education for All (EFA) program have influenced education policies in aid-receiving countries. This includes "harmonization" processes through which policies are formed and promulgated, and some implications for national ownership and the quality of education in relation to these processes. (Contains 4 tables and 4 footnotes.)

This paper examines the past, present and future context of geographical education in Brazil and the issues that, in our view, are relevant to understand its ebb and flow in the complex reality of the country. Various trends have affected the development of geographical education since the 1970s. Two pillars of training and school practice reflect the current content of geographical education. Beginning with a historical overview of geographical education in Brazil, we identify the main issues that need to be addressed: What conceptions of geography and geographical education are reflected in the educational materials at schools? How do these reflect the teaching practices? What is the "place" of geography in the official curriculum? From the examination of the past and present of geographical education in Brazil, we see that Brazil is currently best suited for an ideal synthesis in geographical education: at the level of theory, a synthesis of aspects of critical geography and civic education; at the level of public policy, a synthesis of centralization and decentralization in geography curricular designs; and at the level of practice, a synthesis of education "about" and "for" sustainable development with education "about" and "with" geospatial technologies.

Universe Awareness (UNAWE) is an international programme that will expose economically disadvantaged young children aged between 4 and 10 years to the inspirational aspects of modern astronomy. The programme is motivated by the premise that access to simple knowledge about the Universe is a basic birth right of everybody. These formative ages are crucial in the development of a human value system. This is also the age range in which children can learn to develop a 'feeling' for the vastness of the Universe. Exposing young children to such material is likely to broaden their minds and stimulate their world-view. The goals of Universe Awareness are in accordance with two of the United Nations Millennium goals, endorsed by all 191 UN member states, namely (i) the achievement of universal primary education and (ii) the promotion of gender equality in schools. We propose to commence Universe Awareness with a pilot project that will target disadvantaged regions in about 4 European countries (possibly Spain, France, Germany and The Netherlands) and several non-EU countries (possibly Chile, Colombia, India, Tunisia, South Africa and Venezuela). There will be two distinct elements in the development of the UNAWE program: (i) Creation and production of suitable UNAWE material and delivery techniques, (ii) Training of educators who will coordinate UNAWE in each of the target countries. In addition to the programme, an international network of astronomy outreach will be organised. We present the first results of a pilot project developed in Venezuela, where 670 children from different social environments, their teachers and members of an indigenous tribe called Ye´kuana from the Amazon region took part in a wonderful astronomical and cultural exchange that is now being promoted by the Venezuelan ministry of Education at the national level.

Globally, early years policies and documents have set out aspirational outcomes and benefits for children, their families and the wider society. These policies have emphasised the place of early childhood provision within the wider global agenda, by tackling inequality and disadvantage early on in children's lives. However, these strategies have also raised further debates regarding the way they have informed and shaped curricula frameworks and pedagogical approaches. The international team of contributors to this book argue that if these issues are not explicitly acknowledged, understood, critiqued and negotiated, emerging policies and documents may potentially lead to disadvantaging, marginalising and even pathologising certain childhoods. Divided into two parts, the volume demonstrates the dialectic nature of both policy and practice. The chapters in this wide-ranging text: (1) explore and articulate the philosophical premises and values that underpin current early childhood policy, curricula and pedagogies; (2) explicitly acknowledge and articulate some of potential conflicts and challenges they present; (3) provide examples of divergent and creative pedagogical thinking; and (4) highlight opportunities for enabling pedagogical cultures and encounters. This book is divided into two parts. Part I, Early Childhood Policies: Implications For Provision And Practice, contains the following chapters: (1) Balancing Traditions And Transitions: Early Childhood Policy Initiatives And Issues In Germany (Pamela Oberhuemer); (2) Piracy In Policy: Children Influencing Early Childhood Curriculum In Norway (Elin Eriksen Odegaard); (3) Pre-school Education In Bulgaria: Achievements And Challenges (Rozalina Engels-Kritidis); (4) Early Childhood Care And Education In Uzbekistan (Carol Aubrey); (5) Emerging Models For Early Childhood Development From Birth To Four In South Africa (Hasina Banu Ebrahim); (6) Early Childhood Education In The Philippines: Administration And Teaching Practices (Percyveranda A. Lubrica, Chul Woo Lee And Evelyn Angiwan); (7) Early Childhood Curriculum, Policy And Pedagogy: The Nigerian Perspective (Monica Odinko); (8) A Pedagogy For Educating "new Professionals" (Sue Callan, Michael Reed And Sharon Smith); And (9) Ireland: The Early Childhood Pedagogical Dilemma (Florence Dinneen). Part Ii, Early Childhood Practice: Enabling Pedagogical Cultures And Encounters, contains the following chapters: (10) The Japanese And Western View Of Nature: Beyond Cultural Incommensurability (Manabu Sumida); (11) Integrating Dance And Visual Arts In Taiwanese Early Childhood Education (Shu-ying Liu); (12) Working Theories and Learning Dispositions In Early Childhood Education: Perspectives From New Zealand (Sally Peters And Keryn Davis); (13) The Integration Of Young Children With Special Needs In Mainstream Nursery Schools (Athina Kammenou); (14) Promoting Emotional Well-being Or Mental Health? What's The Difference? (Anita Soni); (15) Engaging "hard-to-reach" Families: A View From The Literature (Gill Boag-Munroe); (16) A Relational Pedagogy In Community-based Early Childhood Development (Peter Rule); And (17) Architexture: Reading The Early Years Environment (Jan Georgeson and Gill Boag-Munroe).

Among the 61 papers in this volume (some in French) are the following: "Problems and Pitfalls in a Naturalistic Inquiry into the Relationship between Environmental Remembrance and Life Satisfaction among the Elderly" (Barrick); "Educating the Adult Educator" (Baskett); "Socio-Psychological Factors in Electronic Networking" (Boshier); "Study of the Impact of Education on Nursing Students' Attitudes toward Cancer and Cancer Patient Care Using a Solomon-Four Group Design" (Boyd, Law); "Team Tutoring" (Brook, Owens); "Self-Directed Learning" (Brundage); "Distance Delivery to Northern Sites by Computer Conference" (Carney, Archer); "Educational Information Brokering and Referral Services in Alberta" (Chapman et al.); "University Program for Adults with Severe Mental Disabilities" (Chapman, Tautchin); "Politics of Evaluation Studies in Adult Education" (Chaytor, Murphy, Chaytor); "Overview of Research into Adult and Continuing Education in Scotland" (Cooke); "Perceptions of Professionalism of the RN to BSN Student Pursuing a Baccalaureate Degree in Nursing" (Critzer, Groeneweg); "Issues in Distance Education from the Faculty Point of View" (Cruikshank, Gillen); "Alberta Profile of Adult Basic Skills" (Deane, Martin); "International Connections in Adult Education" (Draper): "Human Service Worker as an Adult Educator" (Farquharson); "Intergrated Community-Based Human Resource Development in the Republic of the Philippines" (Griffith); "Learning Partnerships in Adult Education" (Hey); "Factors Affecting Information Preferences of Seriously Ill Adults" (Hinds);"Effectiveness of Education and Development of Work" (Kauppi); "Using Focus Group Interviews to Assist Program Planning" (Kops, Percival); "Ensuring 'Guidance and Control'" (Law); "Training Administrators of Adult Education" (Lusthaus); "Lifelong Education" (Mathieson); "Delivering a Baccalaureate Program for Registered Nurses by Distance Education" (McDonnell et al.); "Futures Research" (Milk); "Theoretical Perspectives of Recurrent Education" (Minnis); "Discourse of Dropout in Distance Education" (Munro); "Internationalisation of Distance Education" (Othick); "Experience of Learning through Home Study" (Passmore, Haughey); "Life Satisfaction of the Elderly in a Nursing Home" (Pattison); "Life Situation and Prior Learning of Adult Learners Studying at a Distance" (Peruniak); "Origins of the Community Development Concept" (Pyrch); "Examination of the Field of Adult Education as Conceptualized in Knowles' Theory of Andragogy Utilizing Kuhn's Model" (Radkowksi); "Heroine's Journey" (Rowe); "Historical Study of Advocacy on Behalf of Adult Education in British Columbia" (Selman); "Evaluating a Telewriter System to Enhance Audio-Teleconferencing" (Shale, Garrison); "'Need' in Adult Education" (Sork); and "Educational Equivalents" (Thomas). Twenty-three other papers are also included. (MN)

Radiation curing technology brought new life to the coating and ink industries which has been affected by strict environmental regulations. In the last decade a technique was developed known as radiation curing. This paper will compare the advantages and disadvantages of electron beam, ultraviolet and infrared curing systems against conventional air dry or baking systems. The role of oligomers, monomers (reactive diluents), photoinitiators or photosensitizers is discussed. Film properties of polyurethane acrylate and epoxy acrylate formulations will be evaluated. Other important properties such as stability, color of cured films and handling are considered. 5 figures, 2 tables.

Previous empirical research has shown that Mexico’s Oportunidades program has succeeded in increasing schooling and improving health of disadvantaged children. This paper studies the program’s potential longer-term consequences for the poverty and inequality of these children. It adapts methods developed in DiNardo, Fortin and Lemieux (1996) and incorporates existing experimental estimates of the program’s effects on human capital to analyze how Oportunidades will affect future earnings of program participants. We nonparametrically simulate earnings distributions, with and without the program, and predict that Oportunidades will increase future mean earnings but have only modest effects on poverty rates and earnings inequality. PMID:12119239

Crisis planning is an important strategy for developing more resilient tourism organisations. Given this, it is important to examine how managers perceive crisis planning because managers' attitudes and perceptions may affect behavioural intentions. The objective of this study, then, is to identify the attitudes and perceptions of crisis planning behaviour held by managers in the accommodation sector in Australia, and to analyse the relationships between the belief-based measures (behavioural, normative and control beliefs), direct measures (attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control), and behavioural intentions. At the first stage, semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine managers to discover the perceived advantages and disadvantages for implementing crisis...

Hydropower is recognized as a renewable and clean energy sources and its potential should be realized in an environmentally sustainable and socially equitable manner. Traditionally, the decision criteria when analyzing hydropower projects, have been mostly a technical and economical analysis which focused on the production of electricity. However, environmental awareness and sensitivity to locally affected people should also be considered. Multi-criteria decision analysis has been applied to study the potential to develop hydropower projects with electric power greater than 100kW in the Ping River Basin, Thailand, and to determine the advantages and disadvantages of the projects in five main criteria: electricity generation, engineering and economics, socio-economics, environment, and stak...

This paper explored the key factors affecting catching up through technology standard development by studying the evolution of TD-SCDMA, one of the three international standards of 3G mobile communications, in China. It was found that this was a complex co-evolution process between firm strategy and government policy aimed mainly at solving the challenges of late-comer disadvantages. The paper also examined the unique features of this co-evolution process, including the importance of the informal social network of non-customer stakeholders, and discussed the theoretical and practical implications of the key findings.

Objectives: Impaired decision making is seen in several problem behaviours including alcoholism and problem gambling. Decision-making style may contribute to driving while impaired with alcohol (DWI) in some offenders as well. The Somatic Marker Framework theorizes that decision making is the product of two interacting affective neural systems, an impulsive, rapid, amygdala-dependent process for emotionally signalling the immediate negative or positive consequences of an option, and a reflective, longer-lasting, ventral medial prefrontal cortex dependent system for emotionally signalling the future negative or positive prospects of an option. This study tested the hypothesis that offenders who showed disadvantageous decision-making would be at higher risk for recidivism than those who show...

For policymakers, adolescence presents an invaluable opportunity to ensure that all young people can access the high-quality services and supports they need to improve their odds of becoming successful, healthy, productive adults. At an historic moment when the provisions and breadth of health care reform are under vigorous debate, it is important to take stock of how well the states are currently meeting the health and development needs of all adolescents, and particularly disadvantaged youth. This report presents information from NCCP's (National Center for Children in Poverty) Improving the Odds for Adolescents project about state policy choices that affect the health and well-being of adolescents. (Contains 3 tables and 129 endnotes.)

Agriculture and forestry will be particularly sensitive to changes in mean climate and climate variability in the northern and southern regions of Europe. Agriculture may be positively affected by climate change in the northern areas through the introduction of new crop species and varieties, higher crop production and expansion of suitable areas for crop cultivation. The disadvantages may be determined by an increase in need for plant protection, risk of nutrient leaching and accelerated breakdown of soil organic matter. In the southern areas the benefits of the projected climate change will be limited, while the disadvantages will be predominant. The increased water use efficiency caused by increasing CO2 will compensate for some of the negative effects of increasing water limitation and extreme weather events, but lower harvestable yields, higher yield variability and reduction in suitable areas of traditional crops are expected for these areas. Forestry in the Mediterranean region may be mainly affected by increases in drought and forest fires. In northern Europe, the increased precipitation is expected to be large enough to compensate for the increased evapotranspiration. On the other hand, however, increased precipitation, cloudiness and rain days and the reduced duration of snow cover and soil frost may negatively affect forest work and timber logging determining lower profitability of forest production and a decrease in recreational possibilities. Adaptation management strategies should be introduced, as effective tools, to reduce the negative impacts of climate change on agricultural and forestry sectors.

In the hills of central Virginia, the extraordinarily dark nighttime skies of southern Albemarle County provide a natural outdoor classroom for local science education. Until recently, this rural area lacked the financial and educational support to take full advantage of this rare and valuable natural resource. With funds provided by the NSF, a team of volunteers from the University of Virginia introduced a new program this fall called "Dark Skies - Bright Kids," which promotes science education at the elementary school level through a wide range of activities. The program volunteers (comprising undergraduate and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty) have sought to develop a coherent schedule of fun and educational activities throughout the semester, with emphases on hands-on learning and critical thinking. For example, students learn about the constellations by making star-wheels, about rocketry by building and launching rockets, and about comets by assembling miniature analogs. Additional activities include stories about the scientific and cultural history of astronomy, visits by professional astronomers and popular book authors, and astronomy-themed exercises in art, music, and physical education. These projects are designed to make astronomy, and by extension all science, accessible and appealing to each student. Family involvement is important in any educational environment, particularly at the elementary school level. To include the students' families and the larger community in "Dark Skies," we hold weekly telescope observing sessions at the school. Here, all interested parties can come together to hear what the students are learning and view astronomical objects through a small telescope. We hope that this well-received program will soon expand to other disadvantaged schools in the area. The "Dark Skies" team is proud and excited to have an impact on the scientific literacy of the students in these starry-skied communities!

We find that cognitive abilities, educational attainment, and some personality traits indirectly affect ideological preferences through changes in income. The effects of changes in personality traits on ideology directly and indirectly through income are in the same direction. However, the indirect effects of cognitive abilities and education often offset the direct effects of these variables on ideological preferences. That is, increases in cognitive abilities and education significantly increase income, which reduces the tendency of individuals to express leftist preferences. These indirect effects are in some cases sizeable relative to direct effects. The indirect effects of cognitive abilities through income overwhelm the direct effects such that increasing IQ increases rightwing preferences. For ideological preferences over economic policy the indirect effects of advanced education also overwhelm the direct effects, such that individuals with higher education are more likely to express rightwing preferences than those with lower education.

This paper draws together research on seasonality, child labour and education in the context of primary education in sub-Saharan Africa. It describes how income poverty and demand for labour can fluctuate within and between years, affecting participation and progression through school systems. It highlights how analysis of the private and public costs of education frequently ignore the significance of seasonal patterns related to the agricultural cycle and migration. It argues that education policy and practice should be more clearly articulated with fluctuations in household income, demand for labour (especially school age children), and seasonal migration cycles. Educational reforms to improve school enrolment and lessen the burden of education on poor will not succeed unless seasonality is recognised. (Contains 2 tables, 18 figures, and 18 footnotes.)

Educational objectives are often described within the framework of a three-domain taxonomy: cognitive, affective and psychomotor. While most of the research on educational objectives has focused on the cognitive domain, the research that has been conducted on the affective domain, which speaks to emotions, attitudes, and values, has identified a number of positive outcomes. One approach to enhancing the affective domain is that of interdisciplinary education. Science education research in the realm of interdisciplinary education and affective outcomes is limited; especially research conducted on community college students of human anatomy. This project investigated the relationship between an interdisciplinary teaching strategy and the affective domain in science education by utilizing an interdisciplinary lecture in a human anatomy class. Subjects were anatomy students in a California community college who listened to a one-hour lecture describing the cultural, historical and scientific significance of selected pieces of art depicting human dissection in European medieval and Renaissance universities. The focus was on how these renderings represent the state of anatomy education during their respective eras. After listening to the lecture, subjects were administered a 35-question survey that was composed of 14 demographic questions and 21 Likert-style statements that asked respondents to rate the extent to which the intervention influenced their affective domain. Descriptive statistics were then used to determine which component of the affective domain was most influenced, and multiple regression analysis was used to examine the extent to which individual differences along the affective continuum were explained by select demographic measures such as gender, race/ethnicity, education level, and previous exposure to science courses. Results indicate that the interdisciplinary intervention had a positive impact on every component of the affective domain hierarchy, and gender and Latino ethnicity seem to be the best predictors of affective outcomes. Since the results of this research suggest that student thinking can be modified beyond cognitive content, science educators now have access to an interdisciplinary approach to affective outcomes that is both grounded in the literature and empirically tested. Future students may now be more likely to be exposed to a teaching methodology that is quite possibly deeper and richer.

"Policy Alert" is a publication series that summarizes important policy findings affecting the future of higher education. This issue is based on an earlier study, "Squeeze Play: How Parents and the Public Look at Higher Education Today," from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education and Public Agenda. This "Policy Alert" summarizes the findings of the study, which explores how the American public views higher education today. This report revealed a considerable unease among the public regarding their perceptions about higher education because, while ever larger numbers see a college education as an absolute necessity for success, many believe that opportunity for higher education is slipping out of reach for a growing number of individuals. Over half of people surveyed think colleges are like a business, focusing more on the bottom line than on education. Nearly half say they want to overhaul public colleges. Nevertheless, these concerns remain in the background, and tend not to be seen as a top priority. Numerous factors have prevented the public from going into a panic about higher education availability, but people are increasingly nervous. Higher education leaders might be well advised to get out in front of this issue before the situation comes to a head. (Contains 20 figures.) [This "Policy Alert" is the most recent in a series of reports entitled, the National Center and Public Agenda Public Opinion Research Series, commissioned by the National Center and conducted by Public Agenda.

This report examines preschool and early primary education in the Chicago (Illinois) public schools, and its impact on disadvantaged minority children. Statistical data were gathered by a survey of 196 kindergarten teachers. For comparison, the survey was also sent to kindergarten teachers in Wilmette (Illinois), a Chicago suburb. Part 1, "City Kids Behind at the Start," compares the entry-level skills of kindergarten students in the city schools with those in the suburbs. Part 2, "Preschool Can Benefit Low-Income Children," discusses the advantages of preschool programs for low-income minority children, criticizes a proposed state spending plan for preschool programs, and examines a proposal for combining preschool and day care facilities. Part 3, "The Play's the Thing in Kindergarten," reviews preschool and primary basic skills curricula and learning activities, and discusses the negative effects of summer vacation on disadvantaged students. Part 4, "How Parents Are Failing to Prepare Kids," examines the parents' role in helping their children to learn, and parenting skills. Part 5, "'Invisible' Gifted Lost Forever," discusses the need for programs for gifted minority students. Statistical data are included on seven graphs and charts. (FMW)

This paper qualitatively documents and analyses the attitudes and identities of female students from the urban disadvantaged social class towards English and Hindi in the city of New Delhi. These attitudes include not only instrumental views of English but also the impression that it creates a new personality for an individual. English is part of the daily literacy practices of the students. It is a tool with which they access knowledge in higher education. Hindi is important for their identity; thus they make a distinction between "personality" and "identity". They see Hindi as a "national language" linked with Hinduism and the composite culture of a diverse India when in fact this is not the case demographically or politically. The ideologies of status and solidarity are problematic and can be associated with both languages. The data for this ethnography, presented partially through photographic evidence, come from oral and written interviews conducted with 64 Grade 12 students in Hindi and English at the Rajkiya Sarvodaya Kanya Vidyalaya, a girls' high school in a disadvantaged part of New Delhi, India. (Contains 6 tables and 3 figures.)

This document profiles nine European programs that exemplify good practice in social and occupational integration of disadvantaged people. The programs profiled are as follows: (1) Restaurant Venezia (a CD-ROM program to improve the reading and writing skills of young people in Luxembourg who have learning difficulties); (2) an integrated laboratory for teaching young people in Italy to read and write; (3) European Trainers against Exclusion (a project to facilitate the labor market integration of victims of occupational and social exclusion); (4) a program that champions the cause of people with disabilities in Greece, Sweden, and the United Kingdom and tries to find solutions to their employment problems; (5) a comparison of innovative models of vocational guidance for young disadvantaged people in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and Finland; (6) KeyNet (a project to give a second chance to unemployed people in areas of high unemployment in Germany, Greece, Sweden, and the United Kingdom through development of key skills); (7) Entrance (a program to improve prisoners' social and occupational skills); (8) a program to improve the employability of prisoners in Belgium, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom; and (9) Sociodroga (a program providing continuous training to social workers and others responsible for education and training in the field of drug addiction). (MN)

How can we better educate disadvantaged urban students? Drawing on over five years' experience in a broad partnership involving twelve urban professional development schools in five districts, a teachers' union, a comprehensive public university, and several community-based organizations, the contributors to this volume describe how they worked together to help disadvantaged urban students through an innovative professional development program. By networking with educators at different levels and coordinating curriculum projects, they were able to begin overcoming rigid and ineffective mandates and curricula tied to standardized test scores and get through to their students on more meaningful and productive levels. The contributors share their successes and failures with these efforts, as well as insights related to the ethical, political, and academic challenges faced by professional development schools. This book is divided into three parts. Part I, Toward Improving Urban Children's Lives (Ronald David Glass and Pia Lindquist Wong), contains the following: (1) Floating Boats and Solar Ovens: Involving Candidates in Science, Mathematics, and Technology Learning Communities (Lorie Hammond, Julita Lambating, Michael Beus, Paul Winckel, Jane Camm,and Larry Ferlazzo); (2) Science for Social Responsibility (Claudya Lum, Elizabeth Aguirre, Ricardo Martinez, Mercedes Campa-Rodriguez, and Rita Ultreras); and (3) Education of the Community, by the Community,and for the Community: The Language Academy of Sacramento (Susan Baker, Eduardo de Leon, Pamela Phelps, Mario Martin, and Cynthia Suarez). Part II, The Power of Connections: Re-creating Teacher and Teacher Educator Roles (Pia Lindquist Wong and Ronald David Glass), contains the following: (4) Connecting Teacher Educators Across Roles, Domains, and Knowledge Bases (William Thomas Owens); (5) Beyond the Classroom: Candidates Connect to Colleagues, Children, and Communities (Jeanne Malvetti and Christie Wells-Artman); and (6) Structural Shifts and Cultural Transformations: University Faculty Members and Their Work in PDSs (Jana Noel and Deidre B. Sessoms). Part III, The Politics of Transforming Institutions and Institutional Relationships (Pia Lindquist Wong and Ronald David Glass), contains the following: (7) Perspectives on Negotiation and Equilibrium in the Politics of Knowledge: Transforming the University and the School into a PDS Partnership (Kathryn Hayes); (8) Not Starting from Scratch: Applying the Lessons from a Thwarted PDS Effort (Janet Hecsh); (9) Bridging the Disconnect: The Promise of Lesson Study (David Jelinek and Jenna Porter); and (10) Making History by Creating New Traditions: Concluding Reflections and Future Directions (Ronald David Glass and Pia Lindquist Wong). References and an index are included.

What do we know about the outcomes of education in developing countries? Where are the gaps in our knowledge, and why are they important to fill? What are the policy challenges that underlie these knowledge gaps, and how can education best contribute to eliminating the problem of widespread poverty in the developing world? This book arises out of a five year, DFID-funded programme of research examining the impact of education on the lives and livelihoods of people in developing countries, particularly those living in poorer areas and from poorer households. Based on highly innovative research that addressed common research questions across four countries in Africa and South Asia, the book presents new theoretical and empirical knowledge that will help to improve education and poverty reduction strategies in developing countries, through an enhanced recognition of education's actual and potential role. In addition to introducing the reader to a wide range of conceptual and policy-related problems concerning the impact of education on individuals and society, the book: (1) provides the field of educational research with a contemporary economic and socio-cultural reassessment of educational outcomes in relation to poverty; (2) discusses the challenges and priorities facing policy makers, practitioners and the international development community in improving the outcomes of education, particularly for the most disadvantaged in Africa, South Asia and other low income countries; and (3) identifies the key theoretical and methodological challenges involved in researching the outcomes of education for the poor. This book will appeal to undergraduate and postgraduate students and researchers in the fields of international and comparative education, education policy, development studies, African and Asian studies and related disciplines, and to those working on education policy at national or international levels in governments and international institutions. Education has an extraordinarily important role to play in efforts to eliminate poverty world-wide. This book reveals the nature and complexity of these relationships and provides indispensible pointers to the kinds and extent of policy changes that are required. Contents include: (1) Introduction (Christopher Colclough); (2) Girls' Schooling And Women's Autonomy In South Asia: Revisiting Old Debates With New Data From India And Pakistan (Roger Jeffery Feyza Bhatti, Claire Noronha And Patricia Jeffery); (3) Schooling, Rights And Urban Poverty: Young People's Narratives Of Citizenship In Two Sub-saharan Cities (Madeleine Arnot, Leslie Casely-Hayford And Fatuma Chege); (4) Increased Expectations, Unrealised Gains: Education Outcomes For Young People With Disabilities In India And Pakistan (Nidhi Singal, Feyza Bhatti And Shehryar Janjua with Neeru Sood); (5) Skill Acquisition And Its Impact Upon Lives And Livelihoods In Ghana, India, And Pakistan (Robert Palmer, Roland Akabzaa, Shehryar Janjua, Kenneth King And Claire Noronha); (6) Economic Returns To Schooling And Cognitive Skills--An Analysis Of India And Pakistan (Monazza Aslam, Anuradha De, Geeta Kingdon And Rajeev Kumar); (7) Changing Forms Of Provision And Impact On Schooling Outcomes In Ghana And Pakistan (Shailaja Fennell, Gideon Agbley, Rabea Malik And Roland Akabzaa); (8) The Practice Of Partnership: Aid And Education Policy In India And Kenya (Christopher Colclough, Anuradha De, And Andrew Webb); and (9) Outcomes Reassessed (Christopher Colclough).

Past research has typically focused on educational attainment and achievement to understand the assimilation process for immigrant youth. However, academic achievement constitutes only part of the schooling experience. In this paper, we move beyond traditional measures such as test scores and dropout, and examine patterns of school-sponsored extracurricular activity participation. Analyzing data from Add Health and drawing upon the frog-pond and segmented assimilation frameworks, we find that immigrant minority youth are disadvantaged in regards to activity participation relative to the average student in high- compared to low-SES schools. In high-SES schools, immigrant youth are less similar to their peers in terms of socioeconomic, race, and immigrant status, and as suggested by the frog...

The apartheid policies in South Africa had a marked influence on the accessibility and quality of school science experienced by the different race groups. African learners in particular were seriously disadvantaged in this regard. The issues of equity and redress were foremost in transformation of the education system, and the accompanying curriculum reform. This paper reports on equity in terms of equality of outputs and equality of inputs in South African school science, with a particular focus on the implementation of practical science investigations. This was a qualitative case study of two teachers on their implementation of science investigations at two schools, one a township school, previously designated for black children, and the other a former Model C school, previously reserved...

The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related illnesses is higher among Hispanics (Latinos) than other racial and ethnic groups, and rates increase exponentially with the number of years living in the United States. Mounting evidence suggests that the origins of many chronic illnesses among disadvantaged minority groups may lie with cumulative exposure to chronic psychological and physiological stressors through the biobehavioral process of allostatic load (AL). Among immigrant Latinos, acculturation stress may contribute to an increase in AL and thus may be an independent risk factor for the development of obesity and obesogenic illnesses. The purpose of this theoretical article is to present a proposed model of the effects of acculturation stress on AL and obesity among Latino immigrants. Such a model can be useful to guide intervention efforts to decrease obesity among immigrant Latinos by adding education, skill building, and social integration strategies to healthy eating and physical activity to reduce the deleterious impact of acculturation stress. PMID:22923710

Thermal processes and composting represent two important elements of modern waste disposal concepts permtting substantial reduction of waste to be deposited at landfills, often in combination with other waste treatment techniques. Composting of organic wastes contributes to the recycling of waste constituents. The book deals with the actual technology of composting to obtain an optimum end-use product and for educing the environmental burden, but discusses also marketing problems of compost and pollutant contamination of compost. Waste combustion will, also in the future, make an indispensable contribution to the disposal of municipal, trade and industrial waste. The book describes the state of the art in wast combustion, taking new developments into account. In addition, the combination of combustion and pyrolysis in the form of the semicoking process is deals with. The range of the different disposal techniques with their respective advantages and disadvantages is described. (BBR). 89 figs., 78 refs.

The notion of raising the aspirations of socially disadvantaged students is a key policy strategy in for enhancing such students' participation in higher education. However, this strategy runs the risk of being simplistic and ineffective unless it is informed by research on the links between aspirations and such students' changing life experiences particularly with regard to the many, often subtle, ways that power and privilege operate. This paper draws on an ethnographic study of young men in schools in regional Australia and shows how their everyday knowledges inform their aspirations. de Certeau's concepts, "strategy", "tactic" and "spatialized knowledges" assist us to understand the knowledges boys pursue, resist, cling to and relinquish in relation to the shifting knowledge imperatives of their everyday lives. There are two main sets of knowledge they deploy; knowledge about life chances and lifestyle. Each involves diverse strategies and tactics. (Contains 4 notes.)

The iPad is a useful reference tool for patient education in cosmetic consultations. In this article, we plan to (1) discuss how the iPad can be implemented and used by patients and physicians in consultations, (2) compare the advantages and disadvantages of the iPad with other forms of technology, (3) discuss the optimal way of using the iPad for patient care, (4) see how this tool complies with privacy regulations, and (5) look at other uses of the iPad in the patient care setting. There has been positive feedback from both patients and physicians regarding the addition of the tablet computer during consultations. In addition to showing patients pictures of cosmetic procedures, the iPad also has various multimedia capabilities such as videos and drawing tools that are useful in optimizin...

Aboriginal children appear to be more likely to be involved in bullying than non-Aboriginal children. This paper describes part of the "Solid Kids Solid Schools" research process and discusses some of the results from this three year study involving over 260 Aboriginal children, youth, elders, teachers and Aboriginal Indigenous Education Officers (AIEO's), and an Aboriginal led and developed Steering Committee. It is the first study that contextualises Aboriginal bullying, using a socio-ecological model where the individual, family, community and society are all interrelated and influence the characteristics and outcomes of bullying. This paper demonstrates that for Aboriginal children and youth in one region of Western Australia, bullying occurs frequently and is perpetuated by family and community violence, parental responses to bullying and institutional racism. Addressing bullying requires actions to reduce violence, foster positive cultural identity and reduce socio-economic disadvantage. (Contains 1 figure.)

This study reports on the evaluation of a 'summer pre-school model' as an intervention measure. A 10-week program was designed to increase the school readiness of Turkish children from disadvantaged and multilingual environments by supporting their cognitive and linguistic skills during the summer prior to the start of school. The intervention consisted of a Pre-school Education Program with a special focus on Turkish language, pre-literacy and pre-numeracy skills. The evaluation study was carried out on its first implementation in a southeastern province of Turkey where it was attended by bilingual six-year-olds. A pre-post, control-group, quasi experimental design was used with 92 intervention trained and 93 non-trained control children from the same neighborhoods. Compared to the contro...

Research has linked the role of education to delinquency, but much of the focus has been on general population samples and with little attention to demographic differences. Employing a cumulative disadvantage framework that integrates elements of informal social control and labeling theories, this article examines whether academic achievement serves as a positive turning point and re-directs juvenile delinquents away from subsequent offending. Attention is also given to race/sex contingencies. Using a sample of 4,147 delinquents released from Florida correctional institutions (86% male, 57% non-White, average age at release?=?16.8?years), propensity score analysis yielded two findings: youth with above average academic achievement while incarcerated were significantly more likely to return...

Project FUSION (Facilitating Urban Science Initiatives by Organizational Networking) links scientifically sound, culturally relevant community-based research initiatives to a network of higher education institutions and community-based organizations. Project participants recognize chemistry as the central science and learn of its importance to science exploration at all academic levels. Roxbury Community College, a bridge for economically disadvantaged students aspiring to attend four-year colleges and universities, serves as the research hub for Project FUSION. Expanding on the model of the previous NIGMS-funded ATOMS program, the efforts of Project FUSION increased student participation while also making it a more stable and transferrable program. Results from this project show that culturally relevant community-based research programs supported by organizational networking can have a profound effect on student participation in undergraduate research.

PurposeA worsening adolescent health disparity issue in the United States is the significant underrepresentation of ethnic minority youth in higher medical education. The Teen Medical Academy (TMA) was developed to increase the number and quality of underrepresented ethnic minority applicants from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. In this study we examine whether participation in the TMA is associated with greater interest, confidence, belongingness, and achievement motivation as related to health careers.MethodsSelf-administered surveys were mailed to all of the 361 youth who had applied to the first 3 years of the TMA. One-way analysis of variance and multivariate backward stepwise linear regression models were used to examine program effects on attitudes.ResultsAmong our sample of...

What are the features of the school environment that make students' of color incorporation greater at some schools than at others? Prudence L. Carter seeks to answer this basic but bedeviling question through a rich comparative analysis of the organizational and group dynamics in eight schools located within four cities in the United States and South Africa-two nations rebounding from centuries of overt practices of racial and social inequality. Stubborn Roots provides insight into how school communities can better incorporate previously disadvantaged groups and engender equity by addressing socio-cultural contexts and promoting "cultural flexibility." It also raises important and timely questions about the social, political, and philosophical purposes of multiracial schooling that have been greatly ignored by many, and cautions against narrow approaches to education that merely focus on test-scores and resources.

Using specially generated tabulations of Muslim and non-Muslim Australians from the 2006 Census, this paper examines the social and economic position of Muslims in Australia and implications for their social inclusion. Although Australian Muslims come from more than 130 countries, the largest number, 38%, are Australian-born and almost 40% are younger than 20 years of age. Educationally they are high-achievers but on all indicators of socioeconomic well-being they fall into a very disadvantaged category. Twenty-one% of adult Muslim men have a university degree compared with 15% of non-Muslim Australians, yet their age-specific unemployment rates are two to four times higher than those of non-Muslim Australian; their rate of home ownership is half the national average; 40% of Muslim childre...

The University of Chicago and the University of Ibadan in Nigeria have partnered to exchange innovative insights into the sexual and reproductive health of disadvantaged populations in Chicago and Nigeria. Youth in both Chicago and Nigeria face disproportionately high rates of mortality and morbidity due to poor sexual and reproductive health. Traditional models have fallen short of the needs of these youth, so the University of Chicago is seeking to reframe and retool adolescent sexual health education. Game Changer Chicago is an initiative that incorporates digital storytelling, new media, and game design to conduct workshops with youth around issues of sexuality and emotional health. Based on the success of storytelling and digital media programs in Nigeria and the success of Game Changer Chicago, we believe this model holds promise for implementation in Nigeria and other sub-Saharan countries PMID:22916551

This article presents a research which examines the impact of religion, gender, and parental socioeconomic status on school attendance in Nigeria. Researchers found that both gender and parental socioeconomic status have significant impacts on school attendance. Although gender is an important determinant of school attendance, indicators of household socioeconomic status--household wealth and mother's and father's education--are more important. Studies from a number of nations have found that large differences in the school enrollment rates of rural and urban children, with the disadvantage falling disproportionately on rural children. In addition, consistent with findings from earlier research, children from Christian households are much more likely to be attending school than Muslim children, and the influence of religion on school attendance is second in important only to household wealth. (Contains 1 table and 30 footnotes.)

This study investigated the association between SES and psychological distress among Latinos. Data were from the National Latino and Asian American Study?s Cuban (N?=?577), Mexican (N?=?868), and Puerto Rican (N?=?495) adult samples. Regression analysis was used to assess the association between SES measured as education, household income, and wealth and psychological distress for three Latino subgroups, respectively. Results indicate that wealth is the most important predictor for all three Latino groups. Cubans, Mexicans, and Puerto Ricans are all disadvantaged on wealth possession and being in debt is associated with more psychological distress for them. The health benefit of wealth is especially significant for Cubans and Puerto Ricans. In contrast with findings in many previous studie...