Entrepreneurial Community College Presidents: An exploratory qualitative and quantitative study

Tertiary Education and Management - This study examined the entrepreneurial, nontraditional fundraising behaviors and activities of 23 community college presidents using interview and survey data....     

Educational Neuromyths Among Teachers in Latin America

Neuroscientific knowledge has undeniably gained interest among educators worldwide. However, not all “brain facts” believed by teachers are supported by science. This study sought to evaluate the belief in these so‐called neuromyths among 3,451 Latin American teachers. We found that, consistent with prior research among teachers in other geographic areas, teachers in Latin America hold major misconceptions about neuroscience, especially as it relates to factual information about its structure and functioning. Differences across South American nations were observed with moderate and slight effect sizes for general knowledge of the brain and neuromyths, respectively. Teachers working in higher education had slightly superior performance. Teachers at all levels who reported knowing more about the brain, however, were more likely to believe invalid assertions known as neuromyths. These results shed light on trends in the field of education, hoping to encourage the development of strategies aimed at correcting the use of science as it relates to education. The implications regarding teaching practice, policy, and teacher training are discussed.     

The geometric curvature of the spine during the sirshasana,the yoga’s headstand

This study analysed the behaviour of the geometric curvature of the spine during sirshasana. The position of dorsal retroreflective markers was computed via stereophotogrammetric analysis in six males and five females (29.4 ± 8.8 years, 63.0 ± 11.4 kg, 1.66 ± 0.08 m [average ± standard deviation]). The spinal points were projected onto the sagittal and frontal planes of the trunk, a polynomial was fitted to the data and the two-dimensional geometric curvature was quantified. The inferior lumbar lordosis decreased compared to the orthostatic position and gait, which may favour the posterior protrusion of the lumbar spinal nucleus pulposus in people with posterior herniation. The lateral deviation at the middle of the thoracic spine increases during sirshasana, which may reflect increased difficulties for postural control and spinal loads. It could be useful for promoting positive spinal structural and functional chronic adaptations for healthy participants, if the yoga programme is carefully planned and the spinal alignment is carefully monitored during a headstand. However, it may aggravate some spinal diseases, especially scoliosis.     

Integrating Public Art,Environmental Sustainability,and Education: Australia's ‘Creative Village’ Model

This paper will attempt to position the Creative Village project within the parameters of an international debate on public art, sustainability and education. It will begin with a brief history of the project and its community and arts origins, then examine its engagement with environmentally-responsive art and design, and finally its integrative educational paradigm. I will argue that the value and significance of the programme is that it has successfully bridged complex educational, design, community and environmental goals through having clear core values and a practice of flexible delivery.     

“When I Grow up I Would Like to Be …”: Factors Affecting Career Choice of Community Disability Workers in Southern Africa

The effectiveness of community based rehabilitation (CBR) programmes depends on the calibre of staff recruited and employed. Therefore, this study aimed to understand how the life experiences of community disability workers (CDWs) in Malawi, Botswana and South Africa influenced their choice of career. A life history approach was used to gather data from 16 CDWs, involving two interviews of each participant. Disability Studies postgraduate students conducted the interviews and analysed the data with academic staff, using thematic content analysis. It was found that lack of career guidance and information about community disability work affected participants’ initial choice of career. Some ended up in CBR because poor schooling prevented them from choosing other careers. Personal experience of disability and exposure to role models in rehabilitation motivated the career choice of some. The authors make recommendations including the selection of trainees with personal experience of disability and CDWs mentoring potential recruits.     

Turning Ideologies Inside Out: Developing Young Readers’ Empathy for Critical Voices in Narrative Fiction

This article is located at the crossroads between two distinctive human traits, empathy and rational thought, with narrative emerging as a particularly powerful means to enable young readers to bring them together. Specifically, we discuss the role that critical literary exegesis plays in the development of empathic consciousness in literary readers. The discussion is conducted through the critical narrative discourse analysis of a short story that is widely read by Portuguese young students. The story deals with what has become a living experience for many students – emigration – and puts opposing social ideologies about this experience in a subtle dialogue. Narratological critical analysis provides an essential tool for readers to turn those ideologies inside out. It enables them to escape the main character’s conformist positioning and develop a liberating empathy, and hence a more sensitive perspective about the social reality that the narrator offers for our consideration.