Student conceptions of international experience in the study abroad context

While much of recent study abroad research has focused on identifying and measuring different learning outcomes in terms of specific skills, competencies, perspectives and attributes acquired during study abroad opportunities, less research has considered how students’ deeper conceptions and understandings of international experience may change and develop during such educational encounters. This paper presents a phenomenographical research study that explored how students conceive of and make meaning out of their international education experience in a study abroad context. The data are based on detailed semi-structured interviews conducted with a sample of 28 undergraduate students at an American university who engaged in a variety of different study abroad opportunities. Guided by Variation Theory of Learning, the analysis of the data resulted in a typology of student conceptions of international experience (SCIE) that identified four distinct categories of conceptions of international experience (observing, interacting, participating and embracing) described across three constitutive features (being in the other culture, relating to the other culture and learning in the other culture). Hierarchically related through nine critical aspects of variation, the typology provides a unique and useful framework against which to map the “messiness” of students’ complex, often complicated understandings of their experience. It offers study abroad programmers opportunities to better understand and design student learning experiences and assessment instruments that go beyond competencies, skills and other learning outcomes.     

THOUGHTS ON THE PAST,PRESENT AND FUTURE

This year marks the 70th anniversarey of the establishment of the David Yellin Teachers College in Beth Hakerem, Jerusalem, a significant event in the story of teacher education and cultural life in Israel. The anniversary celebration coincides with the 120th anniversary of the birth of the founder David Yellin and the 100th anniversary of the birth of professor Ben Zion Dinur, Yellin's associate in the growth and development of the institution.     

Technological innovation systems and the multi-level perspective: Towards an integrated framework

Technological innovation systems and the multi-level framework are closely related concepts for the study of far-reaching technological change. They draw on common theoretical roots and analyze similar empirical phenomena. However, they have developed rather independent research strands over the past few years. The paper reviews the state of the art of both concepts and explores commonalities as well as differences. Against this background, we outline first elements of a path towards an integrated framework that combines the strengths of the two approaches and allows providing a better understanding of radical innovation processes and socio-technical transformations.     

Troubled Relationships in Early Childhood Education: Parent-Teacher Interactions in Ethnoculturally Diverse Child Care Settings

In order to study the nature of the relationships between early childhood educators and minority families, we interviewed child care teachers (N = 199) and supervisors (N = 77) in three Canadian cities of major immigrant influx. Views of minority families were elicited through 14 focus groups (total attendance, N = 108) in these cities. A coordinated analysis of data revealed four main findings as follows: 1) Although both minority parents and teachers agreed that minority parents were not involved enough in the child care setting, they disagreed about the reasons for the lack of involvement. 2) Minority parents and teachers tended to be unaware of their basic differences in ECE goals, particularly with respect to cognition, social skills, and respect for authority; they gave conflicting accounts of difficulties related to these goals. 3) Schools and minority parents appeared to have substantial differences over what constitutes proper child-rearing methods in the home. The practices of minority parents were often viewed by teachers as lax. 4) Based on teachers' and parents' reports, racial and discriminatory incidents, according to the various definitions of those involved, were not uncommon in child care centers; sometimes teachers were unaware of them. Subtle and unintended effects of racism were much more noticed by some parents than by many teachers. Some of these difficulties may be linked to an “expert model” of early childhood education; hence it is proposed that a collaborative approach is one avenue to better relations between teachers and minority parents.     

A sudden creatinine increase: A case report

Creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) are first-line laboratory parameters in the diagnosis of various renal diseases. In recent decades, cystatin C (cysC) has furthered the laboratory repertoire regarding renal status assessment and has been implemented in many clinical guidelines. Accordingly, with the establishment of cysC as a renal routine biomarker, further opportunities for assessing eGFR have been attained. Nevertheless, various limitations are still associated with cysC and creatinine analysis. Preanalytical errors could cause false results in both biomarkers. In our case, we were confronted with implausibly elevated creatinine levels due to preanalytical errors.     

Leseschwierigkeiten XIV. Internationaler Kongreβ für angewandte Psychologie Kopenhagen,August 1961

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Book reviews

International Review of Education -     

Testing agile requirements models

INTRODUCTION One main purpose of requirements is to de-scribe the functionality of software. Thus re-quirements often serve as a basis for contracts aswell as for communication between customers anddevelopers. However, they are usually captured innatural language accompanied by a few top-levelinformal drawings like use cases or activity dia-grams that denote the structure of the functional-ities in an abstract way. One disadvantage of naturallanguage is that the developer has to cope with…     

Intergenerationale Transmission von kulturellem Kapital in Migrantenfamilien

Zusammenfassung Im Bildungssystem Deutschlands besteht eine ausgepr?gte ethnische Ungleichheit: Kinder aus Familien mit Migrationshintergrund erreichen nicht nur niedrigere, sondern auch weniger Bildungsabschlüsse als ihre deutschen Mitschüler und Mitschülerinnen. Dieses Defizit bei der Akkumulation von kulturellem Kapital wirkt sich wiederum negativ auf ihre Arbeitsmarktplatzierung und damit auf ihre strukturelle Assimilation in Deutschland aus. Die Ergebnisse hinsichtlich der Bedeutung intergenerationaler Transmission von Kapitalien in Deutschland zeigen klar, dass die unterschiedlichen Sozialisationsbedingungen in den Familien einen ausschlaggebenden Faktor für den schulischen und beruflichen Erfolg darstellen. Insbesondere das kulturelle Kapital, das Familien nach einer internationalen Wanderung in intergenerative Transmissionsprozesse investieren k?nnen, scheint von strategischer Bedeutung für den Verlauf und die Geschwindigkeit von Assimilationsprozessen zu sein. Die Struktur des deutschen Schulsystems spielt dabei eine entscheidende Rolle, denn sie bestimmt die Rahmenbedingungen unter denen intergenerationale Transmission in Migrantenfamilien m?glich und erfolgreich sein kann. Summary Intergenerational Transmission of Cultural Capital in Migrant Families: Towards an explanation of ethnic differences in the German educational system There is a clearly established inequality in the German educational system: children from migrant families do not simply achieve lower, but also less qualifications than their German counterparts. This deficit in the accumulation of cultural capital leads to negative placement opportunities in the job market and eventually affects their structural assimilation in Germany negatively. The results concerning the importance of intergenerational transmission of resources clearly demonstrate that differences in the conditions for socialization in the families have a significant effect on school and vocational success. In particular, the cultural capital which families invest in intergenerational transmission appears to be of strategic importance to the course and speed of assimilation processes. The structure of the German school system plays a decisive role, since it determines the framework within which intergenerational transmission in migrant families is possible and successful.