The act of teaching is constituted by tensions between contradictory influences of national educational systems, teachers' professional/personal identity, cultural and social values. Qualitative research methods can explore this complex situation. Indeed, narrative methods have explored teachers' "life histories". This article provides a…

Few studies have critically examined pedagogical practices for ecological literacy at the tertiary level (Adomssent, Godemann, Michelsen, 2007). The purpose of this study is to critically examine how students and faculty in the Environmental Studies/Science programs at Trueblood College pursue ecological literacy through place-based pedagogy. Two…

This article reports on the results of an action research project carried out with a group of third graders at a public school in Bogotá. The project aimed to gain insights into the use of English as foreign language storytelling and to analyze the way in which students reflect upon their own social values. The findings suggest that the use of…

Storytelling has been a part of inter-generational teaching and learning in all cultures. This is especially true as related to Indigenous Peoples whose stories reflect on the unique relationships between place, human and non-human entities, and virtues that emphasize respect, courage, generosity, humility, and integrity. For thousands of years,…

The development of an inclusive community is underpinned by values that support an appreciation of diversity. This paper is based on a larger research project, "student leadership in a primary classroom", which developed different ways for students to interact with each other. The focus not only promoted full student participation in…

Instructors in the federally funded program of Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) are responsible for teaching both the English language and citizenship values to adult immigrants. The recent legalization of same-sex marriage implies that a gay and lesbian presence is an acknowledged fact of Canadian life, with gay rights now…

In this chapter, the authors illustrate on mathematical problem-solving activities within families how the functions and structures of their mathematics at home are dependent on values, and how interacting values during problem situations came to shape what counted as solutions. These values examples from family math illustrate the complex…

This qualitative study focuses on the intrinsic value of musical understanding and how it is influenced by socio-cultural and educational factors shaping the development of a gifted adolescent. Using Gross's (1993) model of case studies of exceptionally gifted children, the student was identified for her innate abilities, and studied using the…

The purpose of this study was to gain insight into the level of cultural proficiency and culturally responsive pedagogy of elementary school teachers who teach in schools that are predominantly White and have a majority of students who receive free and reduced lunch. Using Lindsey, Robert, & Campbell-Jones' theoretical framework of Cultural…

Teachers' beliefs have a considerable impact on their instructional styles, methods, objectives and curricular organization. The primary purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of two preservice teachers' (PTs') value orientations on their interpretation and delivery of sport education (SE). A secondary purpose was to describe…

There have been many theoretical and practical efforts to include students with intellectual disabilities into the mainstream of school and community life. These initiatives are derived from, and limited by, individualized notions of disability. Alternatively, using data from an exploratory multiple-case study of gay and bisexual persons with…

This study investigates the attitudes and approaches to literacy in the homes of eight Chinese families settled in a region of Central Scotland. The Chinese parents in the study were interviewed at home, using the assistance of a bilingual teacher. The findings indicate that the Chinese parents have varied educational backgrounds and linguistic…

Widely appealing, the phrase "teaching for social justice" masks contested definitions, which, if left unaddressed, can undermine efforts to translate concern for social justice into practice. Yet there is little research recording and analyzing what teachers are actually saying and doing when teaching for social justice. The study described in…