The contact hypothesis, initially formulated in 1954 to delineate conditions conducive to addressing entrenched intergroup differences, has undergone continuous evolution. Originally based on face-to-face interactions, it began incorporating virtual contact from 2006 (Amichai-Hamburger & McKenna). The subsequent proliferation of blended…

In this 2-year longitudinal study, we examine the effects of perceived classroom climate and two aspects of parental educational involvement (home-based and school-based) on junior high school students' self-evaluation and academic achievement. Our main hypothesis was that perceived parental educational involvement mediates students' perceived…

Early intensive intervention has been shown to significantly affect the development of children with autism spectrum disorder. However, the costly implementation of such interventions limits their wide dissemination in the community. This study examined an integration of the Early Start Denver Model into community preschool programs for children…

In Israel, youth movements (YMs) comprise a main agent for nonformal education of youth and a youth-engagement framework in which civic engagement can be expanded to address environmental challenges. A major source of sociocultural diversity among YMs is their religious identity, based on the categorizations of secular, religious, and…

This study explored how primary school children perceive school surveillance by Closed Circuit TV systems (CCTVs) and how their perceptions relate to their privacy consciousness. It drew on interviews with 57 children, aged 9-12, who were enrolled in three Israeli public schools that had installed CCTVs, and on information gathered from members of…

PISA 2015 data show that, on average across OECD countries, as many as three out of four students from the lowest quarter of socio-economic status reach, at best, only the baseline level of proficiency (Level 2) in reading, mathematics or science. While in Canada, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong (China), Ireland, Japan, Korea, the…

This study aims to explore a phenomenon of a one-off manifestation of mathematical creativity on the part of a student, against the background of her normative and not especially creative behavior--a flash of creativity. We seek to elaborate on this phenomenon in terms of the 4P (person, press, process and product) model of creativity. Namely,…

With the growth of short-term study abroad programs comes the need to develop impactful curricula and to provide supportive environments for deep learning abroad that is more than "upgraded" tourism but rather focused on educational outcomes. This qualitative case study investigates the experiences of five study abroad participants in…

Issues of teacher quality and effectivity inform teacher education, policy, practice and research and are connected with teacher resilience and retention. (Mansfield, C.F., S. Beltman, A. Price and A. McConney. 2012. "Don't sweat the small stuff:" Understanding teacher resilience at the chalkface. "Teaching and Teacher…

Purpose: Many argue for the benefits of controversial political issues (CPI) discussions but little is known about teachers', parents', and students' attitudes toward CPI. The present study explored these attitudes, as well as attitudes towards specific controversial topics, and how they relate to socio-demographic variables.…

This article describes how to help students connect what they learn in the language classroom to the outside world as they learn to understand, produce, and analyze spoken, written, visual, and cultural information in their second language (L2). As learners make connections between course material and the physical and virtual spaces where the L2…

Single mothers living in poverty face numerous challenges raising their children. Their environs, limited free time, and difficulties negotiating daily life are obstacles that programmes attempt to circumvent by helping their children break free from the cycle of poverty. These issues are discussed in literature on the importance of increasing…

Michael Young's notion of powerful knowledge is attractive to many: to teachers wishing the best for disadvantaged students, to neoliberal governments that continually stress the need for teachers and students to improve their performance. This essay takes issue with this understanding of education. Firstly, it shows how classrooms are mediated by…

This study was designed to better understand the factors that influence religious belief and change of belief during the freshman year of college. This study focused on a specific population: 256 emerging adults (ages 18-19 years old), all Orthodox Jews, men and women, who had studied for at least one year in Israel prior to entering college. They…

Identity formation is a key developmental task in adolescence. Although many adolescents in modern societies face issues of identity, there are substantial individual differences in identity exploration and commitment. Little is known about the origins of these individual differences. The current study investigated the genetic and environmental…