Effective youth participation in social development and civic life can enhance young peoples' health and well-being. Yet many obstacles stand in the way of such involvement. Drawing on 105 interviews, 52 focus groups and fieldworker diaries, this paper reports on a study of a rural South African project which sought to promote effective youth…

Those who teach sexuality education are integral to the success of programmes that positively foster young people as sexual subjects. Knowing what makes an effective educator is therefore crucial for developing and delivering programmes that are successful in this respect. Starting from the premise that effective sexuality education meets the…

This study examines perceptions about trust among people engaged in community-institutional partnerships. Focus groups were conducted with community, health department, and academic representatives from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Prevention Research Centers Program. When asked to describe expectations about working with…

This study assessed the impact of the role of the teacher in two children's centres in England and identified some of the supporting and limiting factors that influenced outcomes. The teachers worked across several settings in the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector, with the aim of enhancing early years practice and practitioner…

Although research concerning the information-seeking behavior of academic library users is abundant, few studies have focused specifically on PhD students. This oversight has had an impact on librarians' ability to effectively market services such as information literacy instruction and research assistance to doctoral students. In order to…

Establishing a close alignment between teacher education programmes and the realities of the actual classroom remains a challenge in preparing pre-service teachers at higher education institutions. The literature indicates that reflection is a core quality of effective teachers. We investigate how the development of reflective practice through…

We developed a middle school earthquake science and hazards curriculum to promote earthquake awareness to students in the Central Asian country of Tajikistan. These materials include pre- and post-assessment activities, six science activities describing physical processes related to earthquakes, five activities on earthquake hazards and mitigation…

This paper investigates the traits of a successful EFL teacher at a Chinese University by collecting qualitative data, including surveys with questionnaires and interviews, from Miss H and a group of her students and her colleagues. The purpose is to detect what special qualities she has and what other roles she undertakes in her teaching…

This paper summarises a study of students' and staff perceptions and experiences of assessment feedback practice across a post-1992 university. Phases 1 and 2 of the project gathered students' and academic colleagues' views on assessment feedback practice. Focus groups were then carried out with students and one discussion was video recorded for…

The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to explore teacher perceptions and use of the Internet as a tool for constructivist learning. Based on a review of the literature, some researchers concluded that the Internet may be a catalyst for an instructional paradigm towards constructivism (Collins, 1991; Sheingold, 1991; Hadley &…

The purpose of this study is to examine the learning that occurs in Latina students who enroll in learning communities designed for underprepared community college students. The research question guiding this study is: What are the experiences of Latina students enrolled in developmental learning community courses which have the greatest impact on…

This mixed methods study investigated the impact mentoring has on beginning teachers' perceptions of success. Surveys were used to determine whether or not principals and mentor teachers provided beginning teachers with research-identified best practices of mentoring. Surveys, focus groups, and individual interviews were used to determine whether…

While there is preliminary evidence supporting the use of collaborative problem solving teams in schools (e.g., Telzrow, McNamara, & Hollinger, 2000) only a few outcome measures have been explored in relation to these procedures, and the results have been inconsistently demonstrated across projects (Burns & Symington, 2002). Additionally, it has…

This dissertation was designed to determine reasons graduate students do not complete requirements for a Master's in Middle Level Education degree at the southeastern university. Since the program's initial on-campus cohort (2000) the graduation rate has decreased from 80% to 62.96% with the fourth on-campus cohort (2005). The current cohort…

Part-time and adjunct faculty members have been present in institutions of higher learning since the founding of this country. These groups of faculty provide a variety of unique professional experiences to their students; they offer financial savings and scheduling flexibility for their colleges and on many levels, adjuncts offer a range of other…