The present study examined how adolescents perceive the relationship between smoking and stress and where they learn that smoking cigarettes may be an effective stress-reduction mechanism. Eight focus groups were conducted with low-income African American and European American 14- to 16-year-olds in urban and rural locations, in which they…

Purpose: This paper aims to discuss the teaching and assessment strategies for an organisation-centred curriculum. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on a case study. Data were collected from interviews and a focus group with worker-learners enrolled in a Graduate Certificate in Education (Educational Leadership) course. Findings: The…

This study explores how graduate students enrolled in M.A./M.S. and Ph.D. geography programs perceive the social and academic climate of their departments. A second objective is to understand how these students self-assess their own professional abilities, values, and goals, and whether these self-assessments differ across demographic and…

This article explores the process of transferring from primary to secondary school in music from the perspective of the pupil. Seventy-five pupils from five schools were interviewed in small focus groups during their last weeks in primary school and follow-up interviews on 68 of the original pupils, representing 13 schools, took place one year…

Three focus groups consisting of 42 board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, and faculty members developed critical issues facing community colleges with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, finance; and workforce development. Thereafter, the delegation of more than 200 voted…

The traditional pedagogical approach for teaching chemical bonding is often overly simplistic and not aligned with the most up-to-date scientific models. As a result, high-school students around the world lack fundamental understanding of chemical bonding. In order to improve students' understanding of this concept, it was essential to propose a…

The article contributes to a better understanding of implications of scaling up on the social mission of microfinance programs. It proposes a methodology to measure the extent, if any, to which a microfinance program with a poverty alleviation mission drifts away from its mission during rapid scaling up and presents findings from a field research…

In North Carolina, where the state must hire 10,000 teachers every year just to fill existing classrooms, highly qualified special education teachers are included in the top three areas of greatest teacher shortage, behind math and science. Such needs, which include an increase in teachers from ethnic minorities, challenge teacher educators to…

Objective: To explore the barriers to positive mental health in a group of young offenders. Design: A qualitative approach was used to provide insight into the ways in which mental health for young offenders is experienced and managed. Setting: A Young Offenders Institute (YOI) accommodating males aged between 18 and 21 years. Method: Participants…

This article examines whether young people in a deprived area are disaffected with education, training and employment, or disengaged from participation in their community. It draws upon evidence from the Drumchapel Aspirations Survey, a study of the attitudes, aspirations and skills of young people from one of the most deprived areas of Glasgow.…

This article analyses alcohol-related lifestyles among Danish teenagers. Building on Bourdieu's reasoning on symbolic capital and distinction, we analyse three interrelated themes. First, we show that alcohol-related variables (drinking patterns, drinking debut, experience of intoxication, etc.) can be used to identify some very distinctive life…

This qualitative study was conducted in four Gauteng public primary schools to assess the utilisation of psychological support services. Individual and focus group interviews were conducted with various stakeholders. The results indicated an underutilisation of Psychological Support Services attributed to lack of staff within the support…

In this article, the authors examine the effect of gender on the learning experiences of students majoring in business. The development of behaviors and attitudes, which will affect the professional practices of graduates, is crucial in the education of business majors. Given that the use of group work and other forms of innovative learning is…

Using a reflective case-study methodology, I conducted an innovative method in my inclusive/special education course, informed by the Communities of Practice literature and interprofessional collaboration. The student participants, in groups, accomplished an assignment designed to support a learner with a disability/exceptionality by including in…

Student-teaching is the foundational professional experience for most special education teachers. We investigated the influences on preservice teachers' decision-making during their student-teaching through a two-part study. In the first phase, six undergraduate student-teachers at a large Midwestern university participated in focus group.…