In this case study, we used a mixed-methods approach to identify the characteristics of environmental education (EE) lessons most positively associated with students' environmental literacy outcomes at one residential EE center in the U.S. Students attending residential EE programs spend multiple days participating in numerous lessons, activities,…

Sail training is a non-formal residential educational experience manifesting in personal and social outcomes, contributing to participant well-being and character formation and development. The origins of modern-day sail training are found in the age of sail's culture and traditions, proposed here as a socio-cultural experience in a vessel-bound…

Residential Immersive Life Skills (RILS) programs are unique programs for youth with disabilities. Situated, experiential, psychoeducational and strengths-based learning approaches expose youth to opportunities and experiences that can facilitate the development of adaptive behaviours. This study examined the pedagogy of RILS programs to…

Critical reflection and transformative action in a cyclical rhythm are the fundamental features of the process of praxis (Freire, P. [1970]. Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum). A self-study methodology was used to explore the lead researcher's pedagogical experiences teaching at a youth development center (YDC) while utilizing praxis as…

Independent living is recognized as a marker of adulthood. For individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, the need for continued support in completing daily living tasks reduces the likelihood of achieving independence in this domain. Barriers to living independently include increased dependence on family and support…

Our undergraduate UX program at Purdue University launched in 2016 as one of the first UX-focused undergraduate degree programs in the United States, intentionally designed to support the unique characteristics of a residential, research-intensive, land-grant institution. We designed multiple overlapping studio experiences that formed multiple…

Our thoughts and feelings towards groupwork and outdoor learning impact our subsequent engagement in, and learning from, such activities. This study explores the impact of a pre-course video when used in preparation for an outdoor groupwork skills course. The video was designed according to the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) to enhance…

In this paper we explore the role of outdoor residential experiences on the sense of efficacy and examination attainment of a group of under achieving students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. The article reports on a three year project which focuses on two groups of Year 9 (age 14) to Year 11 (age 16) students. The results reported here…

In the USA, students with emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) are among the most vulnerable to have reading difficulties, experience general academic failure, and drop out of school. Students with EBD who receive schooling in residential treatment centers are at even greater risk for academic difficulties. To date, very little research has…

This paper reports the performance of 30 rising seventh-grade girls on a task in which they were asked to order four fractions from least to greatest. Less than three-fifths attained correct answers. The performance gap was widest between students who attended Title I schools and those who did not, the latter being much more likely to attain…

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) requires that schools assist students with disabilities to develop independent living skills and abilities essential to succeed in most of their life's endeavors. According to the law, each student with a disability must have an individualized education program (IEP), and the IEP must address…

The Peterson Proactive Developmental Attention (PPDA) model offers a framework for affective curriculum for gifted children and adolescents and for both formal or informal interaction with individuals. The model was developed in authentic clinical and educational settings in response to perceived needs but was also informed by considerable…

The importance of reducing the gender gap in engineering programs by recruiting and retaining female students is well recognized. Although women hold roughly half of all jobs in the United States, only 24% of STEM jobs are occupied by women. The problem is even more pronounced for engineering, where women held about 12% of jobs as of 2013 (Corbett…

Preliminary data was collected as part of the program assessment of a yearlong teaching residency program in rural California where preservice teachers conducted action research as the culminating activity for a Masters degree. Focus groups and survey data from program graduates were analyzed and compared to findings from the research literature.…

Constructionist research on L2 learning has focused on the degrees to which skewed frequency (Goldberg, Casenhiser & White, 2007; Casenhiser & Goldberg, 2005; Goldberg, Casenhiser, & Sethuraman 2004) in a person's linguistic environment can facilitate "entrenchment," "schematization," and "contingency…