Towards a cross-cultural understanding of ageing and learning by senior adults in Hong Kong and Australia

Ageing and learning are value-laden concepts that are culturally relevant. Culture plays an important role in influencing what people think, resulting in different views and understandings by people from diverse cultural backgrounds. In the literature, there have been research and discussions relating culture with ageing and culture with learning to shed light on the value systems and predominant cultural values that have influenced the understanding of ageing and learning by people in different cultures. The aim of this paper is fourfold. First, it examines the concepts of ageing and learning and considers the role that culture plays in the understanding of these two constructs. Second, it draws on the predominant East–West cultural debate to shed light on the cultural values and views that have influenced the understanding and conceptualisation of ageing and learning. Third, limitations are identified for the East–West dichotomous view of ageing and learning using the Confucian perspective of learning to illustrate the inadequacies of the Eastern and Western ideas of learning, or lifelong learning, in particular. Finally, this paper draws on findings from a cross-cultural study to compare and contrast senior adults in Hong Kong and Australia, with regard to ageing and learning.     

The art and science of constructivist research in teacher thinking

There have been a number of studies on teacher thinking that have used Personal Construct Psychology theory and method. Many of these accounts have not fully articulated the procedures used. In this article we indicate a number of decisions that need to be addressed when using Repertory Grid techniques. We will argue that there is both an art and a science in the use of such techniques. Research on teacher thinking within a constructivist framework can be enhanced by the use of multi-method approaches. In this article we illustrate the use of Repertory Grid, “snake”, and the self-characterisation sketch as three methods we have used to help student teachers consider their views on teacher effectiveness.     

A preliminary description of nonschool-based friendship in young high-risk children

This study explored friendships in a sample of 51 high-risk preschool-aged children. Thirty-eight children were placed in foster care (25 placed with their siblings and 13 separated from their siblings). Thirteen children, receiving preventive services, were living at home with their biological parents and siblings. Chi-square, ANOVA, and paired t-tests were used to test for between-group and within-subject differences in the target children's friendships. The results demonstrated that the majority of the high-risk children had a “best friend.” However, the foster children all had friends who could be described as quasi-siblings. The results suggest that foster care placement and the presence of siblings may influence the nature of a child's interactions with nonrelated peers.     

The Kindergarten Child: What Teachers and Administrators Need to Know to Promote Academic Success in all Children

This article describes kindergarten from the perspective of the whole child. Specifically, it reviews current research on best practices to improve children’s math and language arts competencies, memory skills, and the role of kindergarten in beginning science. It also describes the social experiences children have in kindergarten with respect to their academic success. Similarly, it reviews the impact of emotional competence on school success. This article then reviews research describing three major influences on children’s kindergarten adaptation and success (i.e., transition, parental involvement, retention). The article concludes with a discussion of full-day kindergarten programs and their potential for improving the chances of all kindergarten children, especially low-income and ethnic minority children, for success in school.     

Understanding and Theorizing the Role of Culture in the Conceptualizations of Successful Aging and Lifelong Learning

Successful aging and lifelong learning are value-laden concepts that are culturally determined. To this effect, people with different value systems and cultural backgrounds may perceive and understand these two concepts differently, resulting in different definitions and conceptualizations by people in diverse cultural contexts. There have been studies of successful aging and lifelong learning that considered what role culture plays in these two constructs separately. However, there is a lack of research studying successful aging and lifelong learning alongside each other, using the same culturally relevant approach to examine the impact of culture on how these two constructs are understood and conceptualized. The aim of this paper is, therefore, two-fold. First, it will examine the concepts of successful aging and lifelong learning and consider the role that culture plays in the understanding of these two constructs. Second, it will present a culturally relevant theoretical framework to theorize and explain older people's own value systems and the predominant cultural values that have influenced their understandings and conceptualizations of what successful aging and lifelong learning mean to them in old age. Considering and examining the theoretical framework from the perspectives of elders themselves is necessary if we are to understand the ways in which culture shapes the experiences of aging and learning in later life.     

A Review of “Seeking Sense in the City: European Perspectives on Religious Education”

If universities can teach about religion, the community colleges cannot be far behind. Here are some impelling reasons     

Inside and outside the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel: Teachers’ perceptions of personal, professional and political positioning

The purpose of this study was to investigate how teachers of the integrated bilingual Palestinian-Jewish schools in Israel construct their school culture in relation to various outside pressures in their attempt to achieve educational change. Field notes from an in-service training workshop were analyzed according to three levels of the teaching context: the personal, professional and political. It was found that the teachers perceive themselves as primarily pedagogical experts with a shared vision based on multiculturalism and coexistence. According to the findings, recommendations are made for improving the positioning of the teachers in relation to pupils, parents and policy-makers.