A comparison of Hispanic and African-American sexually abused girls and their families.

OBJECTIVE: To study the differential effects of sexual abuse on Hispanic (HN) and African-American (AA) girls. METHOD: Sexually abused girls and their caretakers (N = 159), of which 52% (n = 82) were AA (mean age 9.8 years, SD = 3.4, R = 6-17) and 48% (n = 77) were HN (mean age 10.1 years, SD = 3.8, R = 6-18), were included in the study. The mother/caretaker was administered a demographic form, the Achenbach's Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the Family Assessment Measure (FAM-P). The child completed the FAM-C and the Trauma Symptom Checklist for Children (TSCC). The clinician completed the Parental Reaction to Incest Disclosure Scale (PRIDS). RESULTS: HN girls were found to have a greater number of sexually abusive episodes and waited longer to disclose their abuse while AA girls were more likely to have experienced vaginal penetration. The perpetrators of HN girls were older and more likely to be fathers or stepfathers. The mothers/ caretakers of HN girls perceived their children as having significantly more aggressive behavior, anxiety/depression, somatic complaints, internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and had a higher total score on the CBCL than did AA girls. The HN girls were more likely to see their family as dysfunctional with confusion regarding family values and rules. HN mothers/caretakers perceived their families as more conflicted regarding adaptability and family controls. CONCLUSIONS: HN girls experienced more emotional and behavioral problems, and both HN girls and their mothers/caretakers perceived their families as more disturbed and dysfunctional.     

Does blended instruction enhance English language learning in developing countries? Evidence from Mexico

Despite steady investment in English language education made by developing countries over the past few decades, results continue to be constrained by lack of high-quality instructors and language learning resources. Thus, using technology in language instruction has increasingly been recognized as a potential approach for addressing these constraints. This study uses administrative data from a large public university in Mexico to examine the impact of a technology-enhanced blended program on students' English course grades and course completion rates. Specifically, we focus on a campus-wide policy change in all compulsory English language courses that replaces half of the traditional face-to-face class time with an interactive online learning environment developed by a leading technology-mediated English language learning and assessment provider. Our results suggest that, compared to traditional face-to-face instruction, blended learning had a significant, positive impact on students' course grades and course completion rates. In addition, the enrollment-teacher ratio increased after replacing half of the face-to-face instructional time with online learning, suggesting that blended learning environments hold promise for providing high-quality and cost-effective language instruction.     

dMath: a European project for the restatement of mathematics teaching

In this article the main characteristics of the dMath project are introduced. With the mathematical modules developed within this project a new tool is made available to the different users as a support of the teaching and learning of mathematics in the context of EHEA and of the Bologna declaration.     

“They Let You Back in the Country?”: Racialized Inequity and the Miseducation of Latinx Undocumented Students in the New Latino South

The Urban Review - This 3-year multi-site critical ethnography in a focal state in the New Latino South provides insight into the everyday experiences of racism, racialization, and racial...     

Educational Planning and Social Responsibility: Eleven Years of Mega Planning at the Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON)

ABSTRACT The Instituto Tecnológico de Sonora (ITSON), a public and autonomous university in Cuidad Obregon, Sonora in Mexico has, since its inception, maintained a commitment to society and public service. To transform this commitment into valued results, it has used Mega Planning as its framework over the last eleven years. This article illustrates the impact an educational institution can have through a strategic planning and implementation approach that is focused on measurable objectives, the appropriate processes and activities, and the required resources for the development of its region (i.e., students and their environment). The article will begin with a brief background of the institution, its strategic approach, the subsequent curriculum and organization reform, and finally four key strategic programs that have had a positive social impact in the region: The Integrated Community Development Program; ITSON‐Consulting; Masters in Agribusiness; and the Software Factory.     

Active Learning in Architectural Education: A Participatory Design Experience (PDE) in Colombia

Contemporary architecture teaching in Colombia still resembles the traditional master–apprentice model, which is also common in many parts of the world. The model of regular curricular focus on classroom‐based modules where theory and practice are predominantly disengaged, leaving the students to make their connections. Students that learnt with these models face greater difficulties to apply knowledge, compared with students taught with active learning formats. It is argued that participatory design processes could be catalytic for change in this area, by empowering participants in the co‐creation of their socio‐spatial context. This article aims to contribute by suggesting a methodology for a Participatory Design Experience (PDE), which could be applied to transform a conventional teaching module into a student‐centred learning environment. The methodology was tested and refined through a case study, demonstrating its effectiveness in architectural education. The article describes it in detail in order to be replicated by educators in comparable scenarios.     

The dangerous discourse of invisibility: A critique of the National Research Council's national science education standards

In this critical review essay, I argue that the National Research Council's (NRC) 1996 National science education standards uses a discourse of invisibility to lay out its massive reform for science education in the United States. This invisibility discourse dangerously compromises the well-intended goals of the NRC by not directly addressing the ethnic, socioeconomic, gender, and theoretical issues which influence the teaching and learning of science in today's schools. Herein I propose that the Standards ought to provide strong arguments and evidence in support of the reasons why equity should be a guiding principle in science education reform. In the same manner, the Standards must articulate the theoretical frameworks and empirical evidence on which the numerous recommendations for change are based. Only then would the Standards provide the conceptual guidance necessary to encourage teachers, administrators, parents, and politicians to spring into action and take the necessary risks associated with radically transforming schools. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 34 : 19–37, 1997.     

The relationship between lower body stiffness and injury incidence in female netballers

The aim of this study was to provide contemporary information on injury rates in an elite and sub-elite netball population and to explore the relationship between lower body stiffness and lower body injuries. One elite and two sub-elite teams of female netballers (n = 29) performed the vertical hop test to assess active lower body stiffness (K_vert) and myometry to assess quasi-static stiffness. Lower body injuries were monitored via self-reporting and liaison with physiotherapists. Twelve lower body non-contact injuries were sustained by 10 players, equating to 11.29 lower body injuries per 1,000 exposure hours. The most commonly injured sites were the calf (33%) and ankle (25%). No significant differences between K_vert of injured and non-injured players were reported, however, injured elite players recorded significantly higher season mean quasi-static stiffness in the soleus (p = 0.037) and Achilles (p = 0.004) than non-injured elite players. Elite and sub-elite netball players recorded a higher injury incidence than previous reports of injuries in recreational netballers. Within the constraints of the study, relatively high stiffness of the soleus and Achilles appears to be related to lower body non-contact injury incidence in female netballers, particularly at the elite level. These results provide a basis for development of injury prevention strategies.     

Rethinking equity: standpoints emerging from a community project with victims of violence and abuse in Argentina

Cultural Studies of Science Education - This article contributes to expand the definition of equity in education and science education through the consideration of the challenges and opportunities...