Today's most common method of teaching biology--driven by calls for standardization and high-stakes testing--relies on a standards-based, de-contextualized approach to education. This results in "one size fits all" curriculums that ignore local contexts relevant to students' lives, discourage student engagement and ultimately work against a deep…

Going to college is a familiar first step towards fulfilling the American dream for graduating high school students and their families. Yet for many in this country, the reality of their everyday lives is increasingly riddled with obstacles and tough choices about their future educational and career pathways. In light of these challenges, many…

Research indicates that a theoretical framework known as a professional learning community can make a positive difference in schools. This mixed-method study examines teacher perceptions of school leadership and climate in two rural elementary schools in South Carolina. Using interviews, focus group sessions and a survey, the researcher answers…

The environment of a large (greater than 300) enrollment first semester general chemistry course taught with clickers was characterized by statistical analysis of historical data, as well as through classroom observations and interviewing of professors and students. Four professors with experience teaching chemistry courses with clickers at this…

The Learning and Skills Network's (LSN's) think tank, the Centre for Innovation in Learning, in association with the 157 Group, the Association of Learning Providers (ALP) and the Association of Colleges (AoC), has undertaken timely and important research into how to support and improve employer engagement in the further education (FE) and skills…

Background: It is widely accepted that service users should be actively involved in new service developments, but there remain issues about how best to consult with them and how to reconcile their views with those of service providers. Aims: This paper uses data from The Aphasia in Scotland study, set up by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland to…

Faculty development yields benefits by increasing skills in instruction that translate into increased student success and retention. Tenure and non-tenure faculty have similar support needs, and developers can best aid all through being cognizant of the demands placed on them and employing approaches that respect faculty time. Proven helpful…

Children's access to sexual knowledge has always been considered "risky" and controversial due to the fraught relationship between childhood and sexuality. Based on focus groups with children and their parents, the authors explore the relationship between risk and regulation associated with providing children with accurate knowledge about…

Background: This paper describes the development of an Attitudes to Disability Scale for use with adults with physical or intellectual disabilities (ID). The aim of the research was to design a scale that could be used to assess the personal attitudes of individuals with either physical or ID. Method: The measure was derived following standard…

The linkage between writing and professional development of teacher educators has hardly been investigated in the past. Our study aims to explore and describe how teacher educators, who wrote and published books in their knowledge domains, with budgetary, professional and institutional support, perceive the experience of writing, and to what…

In order to investigate the self identity and vocational identity among community youth in Shanghai and their associated spatial experience, 4 focus groups, made up of 14 individuals were interviewed. We assigned numbers to indicate each interviewee as well as the general theme of each transcription of the interview. Results are as follows:…

In this article we draw upon focus group data from a large study of learner trajectories through 14-19 mathematics education to think about the notion of relevance in the mathematics curriculum. Drawing on data from three socially distanced sites we explore how different emphases on what might be termed "practical," "process"…

The increased stress on military families during wartime can be particularly difficult for adolescents. The current study employed 11 focus groups with military youth, parents, and school personnel working with military youth to better understand how youth and their families cope with stressors faced as result of living in a military family. An…

Factors that contribute to sexual decision-making among young people are varied, and several determinants have been identified as contributing to the process. However, the influential role of music preference has been sidelined both in the literature and by sex and relationships educators. The research outlined in this paper explores the normative…

African Americans bear a disproportionate health burden from smoking but are less likely than other populations to engage in cessation treatment. Intervening on adult nonsmokers residing with a smoker might represent an innovative approach to motivate smokers to engage in smoking behavior change. Twelve focus groups were conducted with African…