How do class,status, ethnicity,and religiosity shape cultural omnivorousness in Israel?

In this article we study the determinants of cultural participation in Israel with an emphasis on the Weberian distinction between class and status. The class measure is based on occupational groupings, and status is operationalized as a rank of occupations based on social distance. We expect that class will be less important than status in shaping cultural participation patterns. In addition, due to the importance of ethnicity and religiosity in Israeli society, we expect that these factors will be significant in shaping cultural participation. Data are based on two telephone surveys conducted in 2006 and 2007 of a random sample of the Jewish population in Israel. We find that, contrary to our expectation, class is more influential than status. We also find that ethnicity and religiosity are important factors that shape cultural participation patterns. We discuss possible explanations to the finding regarding class and status, with special attention to the role cultural policy plays in mediating the economic effect on consumer behavior. We also call for more attention to ethnicity and religiosity in studies of cultural stratification.

What Makes a Good School Leadership Program? A Qualitative Study of the Lookstein Center Educational Leadership Advancement Initiative (ELAI)

How do educators become successful leaders? This qualitative study set out to learn more about The Lookstein Center ELAI program as well as mentoring and leadership training in general, with the hope of offering insights to other school leadership programs. The mentor-mentee relationship was seen to develop into a collaborative partnership, with the reflective relationships becoming enriching for both the mentor and mentee. The findings also emphasize the value of mentoring for midcareer educators. In addition, the importance of the cohort experience was stressed. Finally, unique to the ELAI program, location was viewed as a very influential aspect of this leadership training program for Jewish educators.     

Between Veritas and Communitas: Epistemic Switching in the Reading of Academic and Sacred History

We compared how 8 religious believers (historians and clergy) and 8 skeptics (historians and scientists) read a series of documents on 2 topics: the Biblical Exodus and the origins of the first (American) Thanksgiving. Readings by religiously committed historians differed from those of their non-religious peers. Navigating between the competing commitments of their faith communities on the one hand and an academic guild on the other, religious historians engaged in epistemic switching, varying epistemological criteria to align with the allegiances triggered by the document under review. To explain these findings, we propose that historical understanding be conceived not as a unitary construct but as a form of coordination between multiple axes: a vertical axis of increasing intellectual sophistication as defined by the discipline; and a horizontal axis of identification and commitment, along which individuals move between a variety of allegiances and affiliations as they engage the epistemological criteria of sacred history. Implications for future research in the learning sciences are discussed.     

Designing a curriculum model for the teaching of the Bible in UK Jewish secondary schools: a case study

This paper describes the process of designing a curriculum model for Bible teaching in UK Jewish secondary schools. This model was designed over the period 2008–2010 by a team of curriculum specialists from the Jewish Curriculum Partnership UK in collaboration with a group of teachers from Jewish secondary schools. The paper first outlines the context of UK Jewish secondary schools and then the curriculum context in which this specific model was designed. It then details the model itself and concludes with a discussion of the implementation of the model and associated challenges.     

Adolescents’ Evaluation of Teachers Using Disparaging Humour

Abstract High school students viewed a video‐taped lecture of a professional actor playing the role of a teacher. Four films were presented, one of which was a control film in which no humour was used. The other three films contained (a) self‐disparaging humour (directed toward the teacher), (b) other‐disparaging humour (directed toward the students, and (c) mixed humour (a combination of a and b). All 186 10th graders from four classrooms participating in the experiment were given sociometry of humour tests. Results showed that the teacher using mixed humour received the highest evaluations on ‘appeal’ and ‘originality’ factors; the other‐disparaging teacher was perceived as most powerful, while the teacher not using humour at all was perceived as the most systematic in his teaching method. The sociometry of humour test revealed that students with a sense of humour are more appreciative of a teacher using humour, than are students who do not possess this attribute.     

Teaching evaluation: antecedents of teachers’ perceived usefulness of follow-up sessions and perceived stress related to the evaluation process

This study examines teaching evaluation based on student feedback which is intended to contribute to teachers’ professional development. Although studies have highlighted that teaching evaluation is a potential source of professional development and that follow-up sessions are crucial to this benefit, little attention has been paid to the usefulness of follow-up sessions as perceived by the teachers involved. Based on 217 teacher responses and analysis done with Structural Equation Modelling, this article provides additional insight into teaching evaluation by investigating possible antecedents for teachers’ perceived usefulness of follow-up sessions and for evaluation-related stress. Our results indicate that the perceived developmental purposes of teaching evaluation, recognition of the person conducting follow-up sessions and perceived clear communication from leaders are positively related to teachers’ perceived usefulness of follow-up sessions. Higher levels of perceived control purposes are related to higher levels of reported stress among the evaluated teachers.     

Interdisciplinary primary school curriculum units for sustainable development

Abstract

Education for sustainable development (ESD) provides crucial opportunities for young people to be involved in complex sustainability issues. This study contributes to existing knowledge about primary school teachers’ approaches to ESD across a range of subjects. Norwegian schools can join the Sustainable Backpack programme (SBP), which supports teachers to develop projects that promote a holistic understanding of sustainable development across school subjects. The present study set out to examines teachers’ interdisciplinary approach to ESD and the SBP teachers’ perceptions of how their curriculum units promote environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development. The study is a multi-case study, with curriculum units designed for students aged 10-13?years from 14 Norwegian schools. Content analysis suggest that the units used several subjects to ESD, but the teachers could have challenged the students’ reflection to a greater extent in terms of argumentation and critical thinking. The units succeeded to some extent in pursuing a holistic approach.