If the nation's economy over the past 10 years can be described as a roller coaster, North Carolina was riding in the first car. The 1990s offered the promise of North Carolina's moving to the forefront of the nation's prosperity, since it outranked most states on many positive indices and outranked other southern states on most of them. North…

Past studies reveal that science safety in the nation's schools needs significant attention (Gerlovich and Parsa 2002; Gerlovich et al. 2002; Gerlovich, Wilson, and Parsa 1998; and Young 1972). These studies have focused on individual states and the issues and hazards specific to those states. A comprehensive study is needed to identify and…

I present autobiographical writing and photographic imaging, an arts-based research methodology, to understand my personal knowledge as a means to understand my professional knowledge. Using my passions for writing and photography, I explore the conflicts, opportunities, and purposes of using a visual form of arts-based narrative inquiry from a…

The study of personal epistemology has typically addressed the theories and beliefs that individuals hold about knowledge and knowing, and the way in which such epistemological perspectives are related to academic learning. This qualitative, exploratory case study focuses on the epistemology of instructional practices as interpreted by students in…

In the increasingly complex world of the future, citizens with the capacity for innovation and a commitment to life-long learning will be those best able to navigate the new world and contribute to the prosperity of nations. Educated citizens of the next century will be those who demonstrate the ability to combine functional with creative and…

Globalisation is often viewed as a threat to cultural and linguistic diversity and therefore is a central concern of educational practices and policy. The present study challenges this common view by demonstrating that local communities can use global means to support and enhance their specific practices and policies. An historical exploration of…

Modern education is in a state of global crisis partially because of the absence of a value-based design of its strategic functions. Education affects the whole spectrum of human values, namely, creative, experiential, aesthetic, material, instrumental, ethical, social, and spiritual values. A student whose educational experience involves this…

This study examined the effect of school-based kindergarten transition policies and practices on child outcomes. The authors followed 17,212 children from 992 schools in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten sample (ECLS-K) across the kindergarten school year. Hierarchical linear modeling revealed that the number of school-based…

This article is part of an ethnographic study in two preschool classes, which aims to explore issues of nationality, ethnicity, gender, and citizenship. It explores firstly, the ways in which nationality, ethnicity and gender are discussed and negotiated by preschool girls at the age of six and how they become positioned in national space and…

Practitioner research is defined as systematic inquiry-based efforts directed towards creating and extending professional knowledge and associated understandings of professional practice. A review of "primary research" articles published in the "Australian Journal of Early Childhood" revealed that only a small number involved…

Neoliberal economic policies have guided the post-socialist transformation of the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, with far-reaching implications for its national educational system. The provision of environmental education has been affected by the expansion of environmental NGOs into the traditional liabilities of the state. This has…

This is the final paper in a four-part series by two pre-service teacher educators. The authors define self-study of teacher education practices and outline their research methodology. They then draw on excerpts from their written reflections to examine how self-study of teacher education practices can enhance the reflective dimension of action…

In an attempt to understand what was going on at the classroom level, the College Student Report was augmented to focus on specific classes. The survey draws on items from the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) instrument and specific content items for courses were added. This article describes CLASSE, a two-component tool that compares…

Purpose--To explore how universities can adopt sustainability practices that have proven to be successful in business. Design/methodology/approach--Draws on several sources of theory (internationally published literatures in business, sustainability, and education) and practice (primarily US business and university practice) to develop a…

In this second of four articles discussing the introduction of action research to a class of pre-service teachers, Julian and Dianne state the purpose and context of our work, and revisit in detail the intense discussions we had prior to undertaking our two-tiered action research adventure. Specifically, we elaborate on the beliefs, values and…