This article presents findings from a 2013 qualitative study of social work continuing education (CE) in Massachusetts. Eleven focus groups were conducted with 75 participants from key stakeholder groups: practitioners, educators, licensing board members, and agency administrators. Although positive perspectives surfaced--such as diversity of CE…

International students entering US universities often experience a variety of important socialization messages. One important message is learning about and using the US health system. International students often first encounter the US health system through their experiences with university health centers. The authors explore the memorable…

A large study of classrooms in the Caribbean context necessitated the use of a validated classroom observation tool. In practice, the paper-version Stalling's instrument (Stallings & Kaskowitz 1974) presented specific challenges with respect to (a) facile data collection and (b) qualitative observations of classrooms. In response to these…

How do students use religious faith to inform their actions in competitive sport? This qualitative study critically reflects on this question based upon the thinking processes and experiences of 15-year-old participants in sports and, in turn, produces a basic conceptual framework toward the question at hand. Overall, students reported a complex,…

This paper examines the place of public libraries in supporting distance learners in Makerere University, exploring the factors which affect utilisation of their services. The study adopted a survey design with 300 B.Ed. students, collecting data through focus group discussions, structured questionnaires and individual interviews.

In this article, we discuss a study of a pilot mentoring program for early career female researchers at a university that addressed the under-representation of female researchers in senior academic positions. Embracing a grounded theory approach, we draw on a design comprising an ex-ante and an ex-post evaluation. We disclose that development…

This mixed-methods research aimed to understand the practices and perceptions of teachers regarding written feedback. For this purpose, a survey was administered to 150 teachers forming a non-probability sample, who were working in various universities in Karachi. The disciplines chosen for the study included nursing, applied linguistics, medicine…

Objective: In the light of the shortcomings of curriculum-based health promotion in secondary schools, group motivational interviewing provides a potential alternative approach. This two-phase study set out to establish the key components, feasibility and acceptability of a group motivational interviewing intervention, focused on alcohol…

Psychology is a young discipline in Singapore. Hence, perceptions of the roles and responsibilities of an educational psychologist (EP) are still constantly being negotiated and redefined. This qualitative study examined how role negotiations and redefinitions could be actively facilitated through an experiential and intensive two-day Basic…

With the primary objective of attracting and retaining students from underrepresented backgrounds in the sciences, evaluation of one institution's program has been ongoing over the past three years. Interviews with mentors in the program followed by focus groups conducted with mentees reveal key factors that shape undergraduate students' research…

This study analyses what motivates older people to attend "day centres" in Malta and what they believe that they derive from young people who carry out their placements at these day "centres" These young people, who are aged 16-17, attend a vocational college in Malta and are studying health and social care. The study is based…

Microteaching is widely used in many countries to prepare trainees for the complexity of the actual classroom environment but has limited use in Turkey. The main objective of this action research was to evaluate and increase in the effectiveness of microteaching, and determine the contribution of microteaching to trainees from their own…

Analysis of discursive practices in science classrooms within STEM schools may provide meaningful information about the nature of these classrooms and, potentially, their uniqueness. Full descriptions of current practice can serve as a foundation for exploring the differences in instructional norms within STEM specialized schools and across…

Health information on the Internet is popular for both adults and adolescents. Providing this information in an enjoyable manner during school may provide an alternative to teacher-led education. However, there are advantages and disadvantages of "edutainment". The objective of this study was to explore these advantages and disadvantages…

This article raises important questions about whether the increasing control of early years education through performance data is genuinely a means for school improvement. This composite article, examines the pervasiveness of attainment data in early years education professional activity, its impact on early years teachers' consciousness and…