This article examines the impact of contact-based educational encounter strategies of shared learning on Jewish-Arab relations in Israel. It analyses a programme of education for shared life that takes place in a mixed (75% Jewish/25% Arab) city at the centre of Israel since 2012. The programme aims to mitigate Jewish-Arab relations in the city…

This paper demonstrates the value of researching the emic perceptions expressed by participants of sport for development and peace (SDP) programs about their program. An Israeli SDP program was chosen which addresses Arab children's educational needs through sport. Ten semi-structured interviews were held with participants: two Jewish male…

Regular high-school chemistry teachers view gifted students as one of several types of students in a regular (mixed-ability) classroom. Gifted students have a range of unique abilities that characterize their learning process: mostly they differ in three key learning aspects: their faster learning pace, increased depth of understanding, and…

This study presents three perspectives on the subject of information literacy skills in academia by examining the perceptions of students, teaching faculty, and librarians. Information literacy (sometime referred to as critical thinking or research skills) has become a crucial set of skills in academic work since developments in informational and…

This study examines the meaning attributed to the contribution of technology to pedagogical practices from the perspective of school ICT leaders. While previous studies use metaphors for bottom-up exploration, this study employs an innovative combination of bottom-up and top-down metaphor analysis based on two frameworks: (a) metaphors of general…

Systems thinking is a holistic approach that puts the study of wholes before that of parts. This study explores systems thinking among school middle leaders--teachers who have management responsibility for a team of teachers or for an aspect of the school's work. Interviews were held with 93 school coordinators, among them year heads, heads of…

Purpose: In order to fill the gap in theoretical and empirical knowledge about the characteristics of principal workload, the purpose of this paper is to explore the components of principal workload as well as its determinants and the coping strategies commonly used by principals to face this personal state. Design/methodology/approach:…

Purpose: Turning an education reform program into school reality greatly depends on the principal. In certain cases, principals choose to implement reform instructions only partially. The purpose of this paper is to explore school principals' considerations leading to their decisions not to fulfill a national reform's guidelines in a full and…

The aim of the study was to investigate, from a critical perspective, mentees' perceptions regarding the persons they view as their influential mentors--whether they regard them as authentic leaders and whether these mentors affect the development of mentees' emotional intelligence (EI). Using a sample of 62 teacher-mentees from different school…

This article is concerned with the approaches to the root concept that lecturers in calculus, linear algebra and complex analysis employ in their instruction. Three highly experienced university lecturers participated in the study. In the individual interviews the participants referred to roots of real numbers, roots of complex numbers, roots as…

This ethnographic case study explores parent volunteers at two Jewish American schools and two Israeli schools of similar ideological background. It is an attempt to understand parent involvement in general--from the viewpoint of the parent him or herself--as well as the influence of volunteerism on school culture. It offers a new categorization…

The main assumption of this study is that the natural environment is an important part of learning in out-of-school settings. We therefore aimed at understanding how outdoor educators (OEs) refer to, and use, the natural environment while guiding field trips, and how their use of the natural environment affects student learning outcomes. Using a…

The communications revolution reaches all sectors of the population and makes information accessible to all. This development presents complex challenges which require changes in the education system, teaching methods and learning environment. The integration of ICT (Information and Communications Technology) and science teaching requires…

This study explores the experiences of homosexual teenagers who are members of the Israeli lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer youth organization called Israel Gay Youth. Through an interview-based study with members and counselors, this study reveals how although various therapeutic practices take place during the weekly meetings, all…

The current study examines whether the engagement of mathematics teachers in modelling activities and subsequent changes in their conceptions about these activities affect their beliefs about mathematics. The sample comprised 52 mathematics teachers working in small groups in four modelling activities. The data were collected from teachers'…