The development of large-scale livestock facilities has become a controversial issue in many regions of the U.S. in recent years. In this research, rural-urban differences in familiarity and concern about large-scale livestock facilities among Ohioans is examined as well as the relationship of social distance from agriculture and trust in risk…

This research employs a multi-disciplinary approach by developing a model that draws upon psychometric, cultural, and reflexive modernization perspectives of risk perception. Using data from a 1999 national telephone survey, we tested our model on three food risks ? pesticides, Salmonella, and fat. Results showed that perceptions of risks do vary…

People are living in times when fear often trumps all other emotions. The ability to increase trust between people by diminishing the fear they feel toward each other can be the key to a happy and successful life. Many of the controversies seen in schools over curriculum are really about protecting personal values. The irony in this is that people…

In this paper, the authors propose that psychological safety, a sense of interpersonal trust and being valued in a work team, is an important determinant of groupware technology adoption in an educational setting. They develop and test a model of antecedents and consequences of psychological safety. Data were collected from 361 university…

Campaigns to prevent adolescent smoking increasingly depict the tobacco industry as deceitful and exploitative. This study was undertaken to determine how adolescents' expectations about the trustworthiness of companies, in general, influence the pathway through which anti-tobacco industry campaigns prevent smoking. Structural equation modeling…

Beliefs about parents' legitimate authority and adolescents' obligations to disclose to parents and actual disclosure and secrecy in different domains were examined in 276 ethnically diverse, lower middle-class 9th and 12th graders (Ms= 14.62 and 17.40 years) and their parents (n=249). Adolescents were seen as more obligated to disclose prudential…

This article explores the issues of trust, control, professional autonomy and accountability in higher education quality assurance in the UK. The main part of this article is conceptual, but it includes results from semi-structured interviews with academic staff that were conducted at two "new university" business schools. Both…

Research and experience indicate that trust may be among the most essential elements in developing a true learning community. Teachers' trust in the principal has been shown to correspond to positive performance and more trusting relationships with other stakeholders. In this article, the author discusses the four elements of trust: (1)…

The paper argues that the term "spiritual education" is completely otiose. It tries to show that its application in both religious and secular contexts is deeply problematic. If there is any such form of knowledge or understanding, it is difficult to see how children are to be initiated into it without being indoctrinated. The paper focuses on a…

This paper empirically analyzes the impact that the spread of casino gambling has on social capital in communities throughout the United States. Social capital is a networking process that translates into an individual's effectiveness in the community and workplace, and binds communities together. Several recent studies have also demonstrated a…

This volume presents the 2009 Yearbook of the National Council of Professors of Educational Administration. This year's theme is "Remembering Our Mission: Making Education and Schools Better for Students." This Yearbook contains six parts. Part 1, Invited Chapters, includes the following: (1) President's Message: Remembering Our Mission…

This paper presents the qualitative findings based on the analysis of open-ended responses from surveys completed by 59 incarcerated women who participated in an arts-based education program. ArtSpring focuses on promoting self-growth and effective life skills through art-making for underserved and institutionalized women and girls. Findings…

This interpretive case study focused upon the outcomes of a 13-year collaboration between a PreK-5 elementary school serving a high percentage of low-income students, and a church located in their urban neighborhood. The purpose of the investigation was to: (1) perform a qualitative study that identified central themes underlying this successful…

This qualitative study explored how collaborative technologies influence the informal learning experiences of virtual team members. Inputs revealed as critical to virtual informal learning were integrated, collaborative technological systems; positive relationships and trust; and organizational support and virtual team management. These inputs…

The authors discuss the sequential nature of becoming a teacher of the highest caliber, an "inspirational" teacher, by creating a personal mission statement, classroom mission statement, modeling, respecting listening and building relationships. The first level of inspirational teaching is the creation of a personal mission statement. Great…