Intercultural learning in graduate studies at an Israeli college of education: Attitudes toward multiculturalism among Jewish and Arab students

The purpose of the present study is to investigate the factors which affect attitudes towards multiculturalism among Jewish and Arab graduate students who experience intercultural learning in an Israeli-Jewish academic college of education. In Israeli society, it is in higher education institutions where young people from different ethnic groups first encounter the ‘others’. This is due to the structure of the Israeli elementary and secondary education system, which is divided into Jewish and Arab segregated sub-systems. In contrast, the country’s higher education institutions are open to everyone. The research population was composed of first and second year graduate students, all of whom were practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Participants completed questionnaires and a smaller sample was also interviewed. All of the students are practicing teachers or involved in other educational work. Everyone perceived the college’s socio-cultural climate as an open and multicultural one in both years of study. However, these positive feelings characterized Jewish students to a larger extent than Arab students, while the socio-cultural aspect as well as the quality of the academic experience had a positive impact on multicultural attitudes primarily among Arab students. Thus, a multicultural climate is not enough to effect a positive change in entrenched attitudes toward multiculturalism. Multicultural education policy should also be reinforced through a formal academic curriculum, so as to set an example for ongoing social change which will further encourage graduate students—majority and minority alike—to implement their multicultural positive experiences in their own schools in the future.     

How intrinsic and extrinsic motivations function among college student samples in both Taiwan and the U.S.

To determine intrinsic and extrinsic motivations for work among college students, an online survey was conducted to collect participants' self-reported motivation and personality traits, as well as academic performance in samples of 310 American and 686 Taiwanese college student respondents. Data suggest that intrinsic and extrinsic motivations function differently in varying cultures such as Taiwan and the U.S., where Taiwanese college students’ extrinsic motivation was stronger than American college students,’ while intrinsic motivation may function differently regarding predicting academic performance between Taiwanese and American samples. In addition, the study demonstrated that diverse moderators of the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations exist in different cultures. Specifically, the relationship between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations was associated with the American students’ sense of self, but was moderated by the Taiwanese students’ recognition of student responsibilities. Viewing the results collectively, the study provides a nuanced understanding of different paths that students from different cultural backgrounds can follow to achieve academic success.     

“Us and them”: towards intercultural competence among Jewish and Arab graduate students at Israeli colleges of education

The present study aims to examine the impact of encounter between two different ethnic groups, Jews and Arabs, of Israeli first-year graduate students who study in four colleges of education, on the development of their intercultural competence: (1) knowledge regarding the “other,” (2) change in attitudes and behavior towards the other, and (3) multicultural educational practice. The findings point to two clear factors affecting the development of intercultural competence: the formal and informal college experience as reported by respondents, particularly the contents and tools that both Jews and Arabs acquired at the college in addition to personal characteristics and off-campus encounters. The second factor is the difference between the experiences of Jewish and Arab students: while Arab students are more knowledgeable regarding the Jewish culture and are more willing to change attitudes and educational practices in light of multiculturalism, Jewish students are less prone to make such changes. Thus, according to our findings, intercultural encounters among educators during their graduate studies could create a unique opportunity to turn the college experience transformational in terms of intercultural competence, particularly in the segregated structure of Israeli society.     

The global–local nexus: desired history curriculum components from the perspective of future teachers in a conflict-ridden society

This study reveals the views of future teachers from Israeli-Jewish and Palestinian-Arab communities regarding the desired school history curricula. We applied a quantitative and qualitative survey to a sample of 528 students studying in teachers’ preparation programmes in three higher education institutions: one research university with a large Jewish majority and only Jewish respondents to our survey, one Palestinian-Arab college and one Jewish secular college. In both Jewish and Arab sectors, we found a major gap between teachers’ perceived desired curriculum and the official (nationalistic) one. The results indicated that the university students, who come from higher socio-economic backgrounds, prefer significantly more internationally oriented curricula than Palestinian-Arab students and Jewish students in colleges. In addition, students who are studying in the university were found to attribute more importance than all college students to globally oriented curricular content for their pupils’ future success. Notably the Jewish students choose to include more globally oriented subjects than are currently found in the official curriculum. On other measures, there was less difference between Jewish and Palestinian-Arab students. The qualitative phase of our research revealed that this seeming anomaly is due to the relative lack of sector-specific content in the formal curriculum covering the history of Palestinian-Arab population. This study yields important implications for history curricular design in the context of the global-local nexus, particularly within conflict-ridden societies.     

Cultural Framework and Objective Obstacles of Arab Students in Two Public Colleges in Israel

This article presents the results of a survey of 459 Jewish and Arab students at two public colleges in Israel in 2005. The study aimed at gaining understanding of Arab students' access to higher education in comparison to access of Jewish students by the objective obstacles to such access as reflected in the admission profiles and socio‐economic background of Jewish and Arab students at two public colleges. Analyses indicated that these academic campuses constitute a site of encounter for two very different population groups, a fact that has significant implications for access and admission policies, and student aid programs. The findings of this study are the first step in further consideration of issues relating to equal opportunities and access to higher education for Arab students, and shed light on potential means for reducing the gaps between Arab students and their Jewish counterparts.     

Sources of academic stress: the case of first year Jewish and Arab college students in Israel

This study examined socioculturel and gender group differences in perceptions of major sources of academic stress in first year college students, in addition to the relationship between reported academic stress and college achievement. Data were collected via a self-administered student stress inventory given to a sample of 184 Jewish and 209 Arab college undergraduates studying in a major Israel university. They evaluated the personal stressfulness of each of 53 potential sources of academic stress along a 6-point Likert-type scale covering a wide range of potential academic Stressors (academic curriculum and course requirements, course evaluation procedures, college instruction, social milieu and cultural factors on campus, college administration and bureaucracy, physical conditions and accommodations, economic factors, organismic and interpersonal factors, student expectations, daily hassles and constraints). Arab, lower-status, and female students were hypothesized and found to be more stressed than their respective Jewish, upper-class and male counterparts, respectively. Cultural group background was found to be the most salient background predictor of student stress, followed by social class and gender, with each exerting independent (noninteractive) effects. Although group differences were observed in mean ratings, there proved to be a strong correspondence in the hierarchy of perceived Stressors across sociocultural and gender subgroups. As a whole, students appeared to be most stressed by pressures originating from course overload and academic evaluation procedures and least stressed by a variety of personal, familial, and social factors. Furthermore, student stress and achievement factors were found to be inversely correlated, with little evidence for the contention that stress differentially debilitates the academic performance of students as a function of gender or sociocultural group membership. The findings also lend some evidence to the cross-cultural generalizability of major stressors in academia.     

地方高校大学生考研动机及影响因素研究——以河北经贸大学为例

近年来我国大学生考研报名人数屡创新高，其中地方高校考研报名人数增加更加明显，但地方高校与"双一流"高校大学生考研动机及考研意愿的影响因素存在较大的差异。文章以河北经贸大学为例，通过广泛调研和统计分析，深度挖掘地方高校大学生考研动机及考研意愿的影响因素，并从社会、学校、家庭、个人四个层面提出相关对策与建议，以期为大学生是否选择考研起到参考作用。     

Ethnic and gender differences in mathematics achievement and in dispositions towards the study of mathematics

The study examined the effects of gender and ethnicity on mathematics achievement on a national test and on dispositions (attitudes, perceived parental expectations, effort, and help) towards the study of mathematics of a representative sample of Jewish and Arab eighth graders in Israel. The results indicated a large ethnic gap in achievement in favor of the Jewish students. Significant gender–ethnicity interactions emerged whereby Arab girls, compared to Arab boys, attempted more items on the test. In the Jewish sample, either the reverse held true or there were no significant differences between the sexes. Arab girls also reported receiving less help in doing mathematics homework and perceived their parents' expectations for their success in mathematics as higher than did Arab boys. Jewish girls, on the other hand, perceived their parents' expectations as lower and reported investigating more effort in coping with mathematics tasks and using more supporting tools than did Jewish boys. The results were discussed in light of cultural differences between Jews and Arabs in Israeli society and their respective learning environments.     

论研究生核心竞争力之学术能力

核心竞争力在当今竞争型社会日显重要,研究生核心竞争力的提出,是深刻的现实性选择;而学术能力是研究生竞争力的核心与本质要求,也是研究生之成为研究生的本质所在。通过培养研究生的理性批判思维能力提升学术自由个性、引导研究生开展创造性阅读进行创造性思维训练等途径,不断提高研究生学术能力尤其是学术创新能力,进而提升研究生核心竞争力。     

Teacher‐college students’ opinions in Israel and on the West Bank of ‘what science‐education is supposed to be’

A three‐way comparison of teacher‐college entrants’ and graduating students’ views in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) and their counterparts on the West Bank was undertaken in order to diagnose subjects’ image of science and of science teaching. The questionnaire used permitted the gathering of subjects’ normative views as well as the application of these views in actual classroom science‐lesson planning. It was found that college entrants’ views of the Jewish subjects differed sharply from those of both Arab samples in all areas tested. While there was no difference between Israeli Arabs and their counterparts on the West Bank on matters concerning in‐school and in‐classroom affairs, the Israeli Arab subjects’ views about science and science‐teaching were midway between those of the Jewish subjects and the West Bank subjects. As to the graduating subjects’ normative opinions, no significant difference was found between Jewish and Arab Israeli subjects, with both these samples differing significantly from their West Bank counterparts. An identical situation for both the entrants and the graduating students pertained to actual lesson‐planning. The findings were interpreted to mean that:

• Arab science education in Israeli schools is at present in a transition period, tending to move away from traditional and towards ‘Western’ approaches.

• Three years of college education had been instrumental in eliminating the previously existing discrepancies between prospective science teachers in the Jewish and Arab sectors of Israel, and to widen the gulf between Israeli Arabs’ and West Bankers’ normative stances as to ‘what science teaching is supposed to be’.

     

Cross-Informant Evaluations of Preschoolers’ Adjustment in Different Cultures

An accurate and agreed upon evaluation of preschoolers' behavior is crucial for young children's positive development. This study explores possible cultural differences in cross-informants’ evaluations. The premise is that informants who are from different cultures tend to give different evaluations of preschoolers’ adjustment and/or that the disparity size between informants differs across different cultures. Data on children’s kindergarten adjustment, early development and current behavior at home were collected among 135 Arab and Jewish Israeli preschoolers, as evaluated by their kindergarten teachers, parents, and independent observers who conducted home visits. The study findings indicate that, generally speaking, Arab children received more positive evaluations than Jewish children, with no significant gender or interaction effect. Nevertheless, that culture effect was non-significant when the teachers evaluated the children’s problem behavior. Thus, the current study results support the notion that profound bias may exist in adults’ evaluations of preschoolers.     

Education for national identity: Arab schools principals and teachers dilemmas and coping strategies

Abstract

This article discusses strategies used by Arab principals and teachers in Israel to cope with dilemmas involved in education for national identity stemming from conflict between two national narratives. While the Israeli Ministry of Education expects the Arab education system to educate students according to the Jewish State’s values, Palestinian Arab society expects its schools to educate its children according to Palestinian Arab national-cultural values. A qualitative research employed a semi-structured interview to elicit views on this issue from 7 principals and 14 teachers in the Arab education system in Israel. The findings indicate a conflictual reality. Interviewees expressed fear, humiliation and affront when required to obey Ministry of Education instructions in contradiction to attitudes prevalent in their society. They therefore developed coping strategies to foster students’ national identity without disrupting the necessary balance; primarily the construction of a covert learning program through manipulations in the official overt learning program. This study contributes to our understanding of minority education in a reality of conflict between the state and its national minority.     

我国城乡大学生择校差异的实证研究

根据对我国大陆31个省市175所普通高校4.7万名2007级大学新生的调查发现：农村子女就读一般公办本科院校和公办高职高专院校的较多,而＂211＂高校和独立学院中城市子女占多数;与农村大学生相比,城市大学生对其所读大学达到＂满意＂的比例更高;择校时,城市大学生更看重＂父母、家人或其它亲属的影响或建议＂,而农村大学生更看重＂学费和生活费用因素＂。因子分析的结果表明：影响农村大学生择校的有＂高校自身的特征＂、＂外人的影响＂、＂地缘和学缘＂和＂高校招生宣传信息＂等4个主要因素,而影响城市大学生择校的3个主要因素分别是＂高校自身特征＂、＂地缘、学缘和特殊项目＂及＂外人的影响＂。     

Educating Jewish and Arab children for tolerance and coexistence in a situation of ongoing conflict: an encounter program

The ‘Children Teach Children’ (CTC) program aimed to educate Jewish and Arab children in Israel for tolerance and coexistence is first described against the general background of coexistence programs in Israel and in other countries. Results of a study that examined the influence of the program implementation in Grade 7 in a pair of neighboring schools (a Jewish school and an Arab school) indicate differences between perceptions of students and of program coordinator–teachers regarding the achievements of the program's first year. Students' responses pointed at no change in the area of awareness to identity, a positive change in interpersonal relationships yet a worsening of stereotypes, although both Jewish and Arab students expressed the will to continue with the program and with the same class. Teachers revealed a higher degree of satisfaction and emphasized the gains of the program, mainly regarding the improvement of communication skills, disclosure of feelings, acceptance of different opinions, and the creation of an empowering group climate as a platform for the continuation of the program.     

职业生涯规划理论视角下农科类大学生考研状况分析——以湖南农业大学为例

农科类大学生考研对提高中国农科类学生就业质量,培养农业高科技人才,提升中国农业科技整体水平等具有重要的现实意义。通过湖南农业大学2008-2012年共5届毕业生考研数据的收集整理,结合问卷调查与访谈等方式就农科类大学生的考研现状及存在问题进行了全面分析,并根据职业生涯规划理论构建了包括"生涯探索指导—基础指导—报考指导—备考指导"的考研指导体系的建议。     

Using emotion regulation to cope with challenges: a study of Chinese students in the United Kingdom

There is increasing research on the challenges that Chinese students experience during their time studying abroad, but limited studies have explored how they self-regulate their emotions to address these challenges. This paper identifies key stressors experienced by Chinese postgraduate students during their study in academic institutions in the United Kingdom as well as the emotion regulation strategies that they employed. Understanding the emotional experiences will provide important insights into Chinese students’ learning behaviour and their choice of different emotion regulation strategies when interacting with peers and academic tutors. Emotion regulation strategies believed to improve individual student experiences and their interaction with tutors and peers are discussed.     

Assessment of the laboratory learning environment in an inquiry-oriented chemistry laboratory in Arab and Jewish high schools in Israel

An inquiry-oriented laboratory in chemistry was integrated into the chemistry curriculum in Jewish high schools in Israel, and after a short period was also implemented in Arab sector. In this study, we investigated the effect of culture on the perceptions of laboratory classroom learning environments by comparing the perceptions of Arab and Jewish high school students who learned the inquiry-oriented chemistry laboratory. The learning environment is influenced by student-teacher relationship and we thought that this relation is an important issue in the inquiry laboratory and is different between the Arab and Jewish populations. However, until recently, the Arab teachers have remained in the centre of the learning process and their students perceived them as the main source of knowledge and information. In this study, we used both quantitative and qualitative methods to determine whether the laboratory learning environment was different in Arab and Jewish classes that learned in the inquiry-oriented laboratory in chemistry. A statistical comparison of Arab and Jewish inquiry groups revealed significant differences in their actual and preferred perceptions. From the qualitative part of the study, we found that the teachers and students from the Arab and Jewish sectors were statistically similar in the categories that we measured during the inquiry phase, but they were statistically different during the pre-inquiry phase of the laboratory. From the interviews with the teachers and the students, we found that there were differences in the student-teacher relationship between the two sectors.     

Religious belief: the main impact on the perception of the nature of science on student teachers

This study aims to examine the affect of the degree of religiosity of student teachers, and their nationalism and scientific background on their perception of the nature of science (NOS). First year Arab and Jewish religiously observant, traditional and secular students in Israel (101 in number) with different scientific backgrounds participated in the study. The students completed a closed questionnaire with 35 statements that explored diverse aspects of the perception of the NOS. The findings show that previous scientific knowledge or belonging to the Jewish or Arab nation barely impacts the perceptions of the NOS. In contrast, religious belief, whether Jewish or Muslim, had significant impact. The more religious the students the greater weight they afforded culture and society versus science, and their support of the freedom of inquiry and of the tentativeness of science declined. The educational implications of the findings are discussed in view of the social increase in dogmatic religious belief alongside the unreserved exacerbated skepticism of every truth. Emphasis is placed on reinforcing the liberal dialogue approach that does not fear criticizing tradition, according to which it is possible to educate to critical thought without negating religious belief.     

大学本科教学合理“增负”的意义、影响及策略

"严进宽出"是当下很多大学的培养模式和实际做法。在这种模式和做法下,出现了学生学业负担明显下降、大学教育质量下滑的情形。大学生学业合理"增负"作为高等教育基于教育内外部发展环境与条件做出的及时而正确的选择与判断。大学生合理"增负"将会对现有大学本科教学组织工作产生前所未有的影响,将会对现有大学本科教学改革发挥积极推进作用。新形势下,如何设计大学本科教学理念,开展本科教学组织工作,优化本科教学过程管理,推动本科教学改革,实现合理"增负"目标,促进学生学业质量提升,就成为大学当下在人才培养过程中需要重点思考和着力解决的问题。     

Gender discourse in an Arab-Muslim high school in Israel: Ethnographic case study

Although the school constitutes a key cultural arena for the production and reproduction of gender identities, few studies have addressed gender discourse in educational institutions in developing societies. Such studies are especially sparse in Arab society in Israel. This study goes some way to addressing what is often absent from many sociological portrayals of young pupils and schools, since it uses the words of the teachers and students to clarify the construction of gender discourse in an Arab high school in Israel. It points to activities considered to be gendered; identifying distinctions between the sexes (if they exist) in the staff’s and students’ perceptions of educational experiences at school; and examining to what extent school authority is seen as masculine and whether the school promotes debate and socialization for equality between the sexes. The research employed an inductive methodology including ethnographic data-collection techniques: observations, focus group interviews of students and in-depth personal interviews with school role-holders. Findings indicate that a covert learning program influences gender construction in the Arab school, a program intended to maintain the existing hegemonic social hierarchy. Patriarchal control of the adolescents’ agenda appears weakened and a generation gap separates teachers from students. Voices of students and younger staff advocate deconstruction of the traditional structure and norms of Arab society, suggesting a new agenda, promoting egalitarian discourse, and new personal and collective identities. Conclusions are drawn concerning the school’s role in the deconstruction of the existing male hegemony, the promotion of gender equity. The paper provides ethnographic insights concerning the Arab high school in Israel, pointing up a need for empathetic educator-student dialogue, that will promote egalitarian perceptions and practices, listen to the voice of the younger generation and challenge residual social norms of Arab Muslim society. The findings indicate that a more open gender discourse could offer symbolic resources and/or practical tools to enhance the every-day implementation of equity in the school. The paper also suggests some new research directions.