Once upon a time in Scotland, a young prince had lost his smile. It seemed nothing could raise a smile from Prince Donald, not the baker's treats or the bard's songs. The court magician tried to make a new magical beast for the prince, but it was so awkward he let it go. Hana, the magician's granddaughter, was still determined to help Donald. Using her grandfather's magic, she invented a majestic creature with the body of a horse and the horn of a gazelle, and called him 'a unicorn'. Hana and Donald playfully chase the unicorn through the forest, and it seems that this magical animal might hold the key to the prince's smile. But then they discover a darker beast, lurking in the trees. The unicorn, magical and strong, is Scotland's national animal and heraldic symbol. Renowned Scottish children's author and storyteller Lari Don weaves an enchanting tale, inspired by local folklore, about the origins of the unicorn. A perfect companion to bestselling picture book The Treasure of the Loch Ness Monster, this stunning and authentic tale is atmospherically brought to life by Nata a Ilincic's rich illustrations, and is destined to become a classic.

Ishbel and Kenneth need to save their family from going hungry, so when they remember the old local tale about treasure under Urquhart Castle, they set off across Loch Ness in a rowing boat. But the loch may be hiding its own secrets. There's another ancient story about a giant monster living in the depths... Legends of the Loch Ness Monster abound, but this new tale from renowned Scottish children's author and storyteller Lari Don sidesteps the modern Nessie to create a new Loch Ness Monster myth inspired by local folklore. A perfect companion to bestselling picture book The Secret of the Kelpie, also by Lari Don, this timeless tale of Scotland's most famous creature, atmospherically brought to life by Natasa Ilincic's stunning illustrations, is destined to become the classic Loch Ness Monster story.

Enter: a bunch of cool guys who look like they got that unapproachable swag. But let's be real-that's not the true them. They're just a bunch of dorks who've got the act down pat. So sit back, grab some popcorn and enjoy watching a bunch of goofy guys try to look cool all day every day.

Through in-depth socio-historical analysis of discourses and processes of quantification around school performance and student failure rates in Brazil, this volume highlights the prevalence of Eurocentric colonized thought that results in the persistence of exclusion bottlenecks, different trajectories according to gender, race and class, significant regional variations in the rates of failure and dropout, among other problems. Focussing on processes performed between 1918 and 2012, chapters offer rich analysis of historiographic sources including journals, newspapers, and administrative documentation to trace the development of initiatives intended to promote the democratization of Brazilian schooling. Examination of reforms including school classification, the graduated school model, admissions examinations, and automatic promotion reveal a school system which mirrors wider societal injustices and guarantees academic success for only a minority of students. Bringing a nuanced and elaborated historical perspective of the pragmatics of the selective classificatory logic in different institutional and epistemic qualities of the school organization of children and reasoning about abilities and achievement, it will appeal to scholars and researchers with interests in curriculum and assessment, the sociology of education, and the history of education.

Foodborne microbial outbreaks are a serious food safety and public health concern worldwide. One of the most challenging issues in food safety is the identification and characterization of foodborne microbial communities, which is a core objective of research by food scientists and food microbiologists. This book reviews the molecular advances in food science related to the safety and quality of food along with recent diagnostic tools for the detection of emerging pathogens based on the food commodities. It presents a wide selection of methods for the identification and characterization of foodborne infectious agents. The volume provides an overview of foodborne pathogens, diseases, and outbreaks and then proceeds to delve into techniques for characterizing foodborne pathogens using molecular approaches. It reviews state-of-the-art methods for detecting and tracing foodborne pathogens using next-generation sequencing and whole-genome sequencing for controlling foodborne illnesses as well as the application of microorganisms in food production for preventing foodborne illnesses. The volume ends with a chapter that provides an overview of management systems and analytical tools for public health protection from foodborne illnesses. Key features: Reviews the detection of foodborne pathogens using recently developed molecular technologies Provides deep insights into the fundamental and functional aspects of microbial interventions in food science Addresses current challenges for the management of food safety Includes updated studies on microbial safety for processed food items Discusses advanced management systems for foodborne pathogens This book will be an important reference source for food scientists and food safety supervisors from production to processing and from transport to retail. This book will also be vital source for teachers, students, and researchers for exploring recent developments for food safety by employing advanced microbial and molecular methods.

Warm-up’s over. Easy mode’s off now, but nothing is impossible when they’re all in this together. Get ready for this crew of dorks overflowing with pizzazz to turn it up! Ladies and gents, return to your seats...it’s time for Act II.

Feminist concern with difference has rarely extended to rurality even if it is now widely recognized that experiences of inequality depend on intersections of several identities in each individual life. This lack of concern may reflect the urban background of the majority of feminist academics or at least their urban positionality once in the academy. It may equivalently be that feminists have been influenced by stereotypes of rural women as traditional and reactionary, and thus seen them as unlikely exponents of gender equality, and an unfruitful focus for scholarly energies. Perhaps the problem is a broader one, that is, reflective of the much documented, but still apparent unwillingness of many feminists to recognize and address difference in any of its manifestations. Regardless, even with the recent interest in intersectionality which has necessarily renewed and reenergized debates in feminism about diversity and inclusion, the question of how women are differently positioned because of their non-metropolitan location has remained largely overlooked.

Feminist concern with difference has rarely extended to rurality even if it is now widely recognized that experiences of inequality depend on intersections of several identities in each individual life. This lack of concern may reflect the urban background of the majority of feminist academics or at least their urban positionality once in the academy. It may equivalently be that feminists have been influenced by stereotypes of rural women as traditional and reactionary, and thus seen them as unlikely exponents of gender equality, and an unfruitful focus for scholarly energies. Perhaps the problem is a broader one, that is, reflective of the much documented, but still apparent unwillingness of many feminists to recognize and address difference in any of its manifestations. Regardless, even with the recent interest in intersectionality which has necessarily renewed and reenergized debates in feminism about diversity and inclusion, the question of how women are differently positioned because of their non-metropolitan location has remained largely overlooked.

The Complete Grimoire is a magickal beginner's guide to witchcraft practices and knowledge, written by Lidia Pradas, the creator of the beloved Instagram handle Wiccan Tips. A grimoire is a witch's handbook filled with all the magickal information, rituals, and practices that a witch uses during their lifetime-a key tool of their craft. Elegantly designed, featuring a gold foil-embossed cover and beautiful illustrations, and written in Wiccan Tips' trademark concise and practical style, The Complete Grimoire presents the key pillars of witchcraft, including: Procuring the proper tools and setting up an altar Harnessing your spells and magick Sabbats and the Wheel of the Year How to safely work with deities and spirits You'll also learn fundamental spells and rituals, such as casting a circle, creating a sigil, and making moon water. Lidia is a reassuring and trusted guide on your witchcraft journey, addressing key questions and debunking common misconceptions. The Complete Grimoire is an informative, accurate resource the newly initiated and experienced witch alike can use in their daily craft.

Summer's here, so get ready to cheer on this gang of dorks! They've got the 4-1-1 on how to beat the heat as they turn up the cool-and the goof-for some fun in the sun! From sleepovers to movie dates, they're doing it all, so sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

Tickets please! Place your bets! Who's the coolest of them all? They didn't start the fire, but this band of dorks still got that oomph...+ 1. With a new bro in the squad, they're ready to bring it-best of three, right? Y'know, against all odds, they always come out on top! But this time, well...keep watching! The match ain't over yet.

The research examined in the opening chapter of Progress in Education. Volume 60 aims at uncovering and examining pre-service teachers' concepts of teaching activity relating to student coeducation and educational practice in school classrooms. The authors describe the problems faced by schools system-wide use of evidence-based teaching approaches with evidence-based teaching practice, followed by a technology-based theory to practice design solution for building the capacity of practicing teachers with teacher led and cooperative instruction. The effect of a two-way immersion school project on the second language proficiency and mathematics competences of 10-12-year-old children is investigated with an intent to open new avenues for teachers, researchers and policy makers, by encouraging new immersion projects based on local conditions. Next, this compilation focuses on the particularity of communication as a key factor in creating, developing and improving interpersonal relationships between parents and their pre-school age children. Some thoughts, comments and suggestions on this topic based on the literature and on the author's educational / academic experience, consists the content of this chapter in a brief way for a vast field of study. Currently, mental well-being among healthcare students and practicing professionals is a major worldwide concern. Studies have described alarmingly high levels of anxiety and stress among students of dentistry, nursing and medicine. As such, the authors discuss the two main stressors for mature students while in higher education. Drawing on empirical research using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis as the predimoninant method of enquiry, the authors focus our attention on two important aspects of the student transitional journey: student experiences as they move from secondary school to a branch campus medical school in the Middle East, as well as the medical graduates' challenges as they move from a Middle Eastern-based university delivering a Western curriculum to begin practice as junior doctors. The penultimate chapter demonstrates the importance of school, rehabilitation and mental health counselor education programs in the United States and Georgia. With a significant number of the United States population having substance abuse problems, all counselors will encounter clients struggling with substance abuse. Therefore, counselor education programs should requite knowledge or skill development in this area. The final chapter looks at the root causes of problems with the current education system in Western societies, using Australia as an example, and how the systemic core of the issues arising are stem from the system being stuck in an historic paradigm.

In this compilation, the authors present the results of a research project that investigates how understanding the relationship between culture, employment and education can help Tanzanias young people to secure jobs, survive in the creative workforce and have a prosperous future.The authors define situation specificity, showing that the previous discussions have been overly simplistic. It is suggested that situation specificity is important in at least three ways: practice and theory-practice transfer, methodological issues including generalization and biases, and dispositions as goals of educational intervention.Next, it is proposed that an ethnomathematics curriculum helps students to demonstrate effective mathematical processes as they reason, solve problems, communicate ideas, choose appropriate representations through the development of mathematical practices, and recognize its connections with STEM disciplines. The authors work, in relation to STEM, is based on the Trivium Curriculum for Mathematics and Ethnomodelling, which provides communicative, analytical, and technological tools as well as the development of emic, etic, and dialogic approaches that are necessary for the development of the school curricula.The penultimate chapter provides an overview of the role of higher education institutions in graduates entrepreneurship knowledge acquisition in Tanzania. Unemployment problems faced by recent graduates in the country are highlighted and linked to the diffusion of entrepreneurship into non-business academic programs.In the closing chapter, the authors argue the need for a paradigm shift from the current domain focused curriculum (or semi-functional curriculum) to one that is really functional for acquiring of relevant knowledge and skills. Education should take place within authentic contextual learning environments, where complexity may be unpacked gradually through continuous exposure and habituation of expected responses.

Progress in Education. Volume 57 opens with a study wherein the aim is to investigate long-term effects on motor skills and scholastic performance of increased physical education and adapted motor skills training according to the Motor skills Development as Ground for Learning (MUGI) model. Additionally, the author sets out to describe the implementation and societal gains of the Swedish Bunkeflo ProjectaA Healthy Way of Living. The authors offer a theoretical and practical approach regarding gamification in physical education. For this, the different types of gamification are analyzed, particularly focusing on the origin of gamification in the field of business. The original method of distance learning by exam is discussed, principally the way students can revise their exam papers many times in order to increase their grades, suggesting that didactic encouragement included in the feedback has a motivating function. The following study presents an exercise designed to support the understanding of green roofs as urban ecosystems through a conceptual model, acting as a facilitator for communication across different disciplines. This study shows how conceptual modelling may promote a better-integrated solution for socio-ecological problems. Also presented in this compilation are the results of research concerning tutoring technology for physical education in special needs children. Technologies are employed for correcting motion and psycho-functional and physical capabilities, as well as for the diagnosis and monitoring of psycho-functional conditions. In the 21st century, technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based society, the authors propose that all students need to develop their capabilities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to levels beyond what was considered acceptable in the past. In closing, the authors present arguments supporting how academic development enhances teaching and learning in rural universities. Scholars argue that staff development helps enhance the learners' performance, in addition to improving the university teaching and learning environment. (Imprint: Nova)

Progress in Education. Volume 55 opens with an examination of current issues in education that may impede progress in the field. A variety of external threats are analyzed, including k-12 and university funding and ideological threats in the form of political forces that may attempt to dictate k-12 curriculum.The research underpinning the following chapter is derived from the authors personal involvement as teacher-educators in leading a Collaborative Action Research project in a New Zealand suburban Christian school. The overarching research question was, How might the Collaborative Action Research process affect teachers professional practice and student learning?The authors explore the concept of optimal best practice situated within the context of secondary school mathematics learning. In particular, they provide a complex methodological conceptualization for the understanding of optimal best practice, which takes into account cognitive load imposition.As new computer and web-based tools present an opportunity to motivate students and improve educational guidance services, this collection describes an online guidance project for secondary school students. The results of this project seem promising for improving the quality of guidance and students decision-making processes regarding their academic futures.The relationship between individuals possession of cultural capital and their musical preferences has been extensively examined in Western society; however, little attention has been given to it in contemporary Chinese contexts. As such, the next study focuses on junior secondary school students preferred musical listening styles, and their perception of how their cultural capital has shaped their musical preferences in contemporary Hong Kong society.Many contemporary classrooms are currently designed to be flexible and open. Such designs reflect those that were trialed in classrooms during the mid-1960s to the late 70s when the open plan classroom became popular. The authors explore this initial open plan movement in the 60s and 70s, investigating some of the changes that influence classrooms today.Following this, the authors illustrate how element interactivity gives rise to different types of cognitive load (intrinsic, extraneous, and germane) when middle school students solve a complex science problem. Analyzing learning tasks in terms of element interactivity assesses their suitability for targeted students, thus lowering the chances of cognitive overload.The final chapter is directed at scholars thinking of undertaking a research project, particularly at post-graduate level, and discusses the concepts of objectivity and subjectivity in educational research. The authors suggest that true objectivity is challenging due to researchers familiarity with the subject matter, however research may still be valid providing researchers accept and acknowledge that this plays its part in their interpretation of the findings.

Four contributing factors are essential for student learning: metacognition, educationally sound curricular design, instructional delivery characterized by interactive lecturing and active learning, and formative and summative assessments of learning. In this collection, the authors open with the proposition that all teachers must ensure students develop their metacognitive skills, reflect deeply about thinking, and learn how to apply concepts, while continually encouraging students to question their understanding and ask questions to gain clarity. Next, the authors attempt to advance the argument that effective pedagogy of school mathematics requires teachers deep knowledge of the subject matter, appreciation of historical perspectives, awareness of the current worldwide teaching standards, and integration of using concrete problems with fostering growth mindset as the psychological foundation of productive thinking. A study is presented which was conducted in two provinces of Gauteng and KwaZulu Natal in South Africa in two male correctional centres. The authors report on some of the strategies used at the two facilities to overcome educational challenges concerning the teaching and learning of offenders. The chapter recommends that these centres should address their infrastructural challenges while incorporating computer-based learning as part of their curriculum practices. In another study, this compilation examines how explicit instruction on text structure and the use of authentic texts as writing models helped a class of second graders learn to write sequential text. Sequential text is categorized as one text structure used by authors writing informational text. Students as young as second grade are expected to know the sequence text structure and to provide textual evidence within their sequential text. Following this, students perceptions, practices and performance were examined while using a LMS (Moodle) in a blended learning environment. This is a case study based on the log files of 335 students who attended an academic course on ICT Integration in Education for over three years. Learning design was conducted during the course based on problem-solving in blended learning environments. Another study aims to compare primary school students' attitudes towards inclusion in relation to the direct contact or lack thereof with classmates who are physically impaired. The results suggest that coexistence with persons with functional diversity in the school environment, and especially in physical education, could improve attitudes towards inclusion. In the quest to promote the development of the whole person, some schools have introduced modifications to educational processes to foster the wellbeing of their students under a new umbrella term known as positive education. This collection proposes that instead of targeting generic outcomes of wellbeing, measures should be based on school-specific wellbeing constructs, such as provided by the PROSPER (Positivity, Relationships, Outcomes, Strength, Purpose, Engagement, and Resilience) framework. The study for the final chapter was conducted with a case study approach in two active learning classrooms as the investigated case units. Nine teachers and three persons from the service staff focus group were interviewed, and answers from the semi-structured interviews were analysed by use of the qualitative data analysis tool Atlas.ti.

Progress in Education. Volume 53 explores the different factors involved in flexible study options and delivery modes in higher education from a students and service providers perspective. The authors also investigate the available literature in order to explore the fine line between offering students a variety of study options to suit their specific needs, circumstances and learning styles, versus exploiting the tertiary education system through commercialization and implementing a pure business model that considers students as clients or service users rather than knowledge seekers.Following this, the compilation delves into the potential impact of profiling on students learning experiences and well-being at school. The authors contend that achieving a particular type of profiling may assist in the enhancement of academic experiences, and this theorization has important educational and psychological implications.The performance of Spanish secondary schools whose 15-year-old students were assessed in mathematical competencies by the OECD (PISA program) in 2003 and 2012 is evaluated, and research reveals that Spanish schools decreased in efficiency over time. Persistent technical inefficiency was a larger problem than residual technical inefficiency when evaluating the educational performance of Spanish secondary schools over time. The results are worrisome because the average socio-economic status of the families increased significantly in this period.The next study was conducted with the goal of determining how flipped teaching and learning classrooms affects university students perceptions of teachers professional development. The results show that there are significant differences in some dimensions of TPACK for two university instructors, and the research implications and limitations of this study are detailed along with suggestions.One study aims to examine the types of conclusion of argumentative discussions between parents and children during mealtime. The findings of this study show that the most frequent types of conclusions are dialectical, (ie: one of the two parties accept or refuse the standpoint of the other party, reaching in this way the concluding stage of their argumentative discussions.Later, a case study is detailed which examines student perceptions of a fully online community learning environment within an undergraduate course at a Canadian university. The authors use a theoretical model based on elements of engaging online learning environments, and the results indicate that successful design of flipped classroom models requires full student participation in Authentic and Alternative Assessment, Problem-Based Learning, Online Learning Communities and Critical Reflection of self and peers.The authors analyze inverse modeling problems in the context of teacher training courses. Two different inverse modeling problems are proposed to prospective teachers, who are asked to reformulate them in order to be used in secondary school courses. These type of problems have been the core subject of several preceding papers and have been studied as they relate to engineering undergraduates.The concluding chapter reviews literature on the philosophical concept of bullying strategies. The authors analyze the significant usage of anti-bullying strategies as prominent strategies in teaching, as informed by conceptual and theoretical frameworks of cognitive and metacognitive theories.

Progress in Education. Volume 52 opens with an analysis of the Alps in the context of introducing innovative approaches for sustainable mobility. Alpine areas receive millions of visits by tourists traveling by car each year, exceeding the carrying capacity of these areas and thus decreasing the quality of the visitor experience. The authors aim to improve the development of sustainable tourism and gain a competitive advantage within the tourism market.This collection goes on to argue that successful schooling encompasses much more than just academic performance. Students attend school to appreciate and acquire other achievement-related attributes, such as subjective well-being experiences, proactive engagement, and the seeking of mastery in different disciplinary areas. The authors contend that this line of inquiry may yield a number of educational significance for teachers, school administrators, and stakeholders to consider.Next, this collection examines recent developments in the dynamics and complexity of cultural identities between the state and politics in Hong Kong that have shaped values and music education in light of the twentieth anniversary of the handover to China and the construction of values education through school music education. It is argued that preparations for values education might pose a challenge to how musical meanings and non-musical meanings should be delineated and delivered in the school curriculum.The widespread and debilitating effects of mathematics anxiety are experienced at all educational levels and in most countries around the world. Thus, the authors set out to illuminate this problem for educators and suggest ways to reduce mathematics anxiety among their students.Given the increase in dynamic environments associated with educational reform, it is important to reassess whether transformational leadership remains the most effective approach to change in educational settings, and if not, whether alternative approaches might be considered. From this perspective, an integrative literature review explores recent evidence to examine the effects of transformational leadership in educational reform settings.

In the opening chapter of Progress in Education. Volume 51, the authors present a meta-analysis indicating that the prevalence of addiction to new technologies among Iranian youths are increasing, focusing on the epidemiology of internet addiction. The results of this study may be used by developing countries to acquaint parents, policy makers, administrators of high schools and universities, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education, and all educational and cultural planners. The authors maintain that the spread of new communicational technologies has had both positive and negative effects on our lives. Next, this collection addresses the degree to which First-Time in College (FTIC) community college students and non-FTIC community college students differed in their quality of on-campus and off-campus relationships. Inferential statistical analyses of responses to a national survey revealed the presence of statistically significant differences between these two groups of students in all dependent variables. Implications and recommendations for future research are provided. The following study is an attempt to investigate the relationship between foreign language motivation and anxiety among third and fourth year students attending the secondary vocational-technical Complex of Catering and Hotel Industry Schools in Wisla, Poland. The research and discourse also take into consideration such essential factors as English language proficiency, grades and frequency of extracurricular contact with English. The authors later suggest that geology plays an important and essential role in education from an economic point of view, in the relationship between science and society and, therefore, should be present in the school syllabus. In geology teaching, learning can become more complex outside its natural environment, thus fieldwork practical activities are suggested by the curricular guidelines of different geoscience disciplinary areas and their advantages are highlighted in the literature. Focusing on several Russian undergraduate and graduate classes of different national origins, one chapter discusses the issue of college students search for internationalized and diversified self-improvement in higher education. In addition, the discussion also ties in some general practices of English in Russian academia in comparison with the similar cases in USA, South Korea and China. A multiyear empirical investigation is presented which analyzed the degree to which economic status was related to the postsecondary enrollment of Texas public high school graduates at Texas 2-year public colleges and at 4-year public universities. Specifically analyzed were the enrollment percentages of students in poverty and students who were not poor for three academic years for Texas public high school graduates. Reflection is proposed as a skill that must be taught to preservice teachers in their education programs, and it should not be assumed that preservice teachers know how to reflect on their teaching or that they see the value in reflection. Thus, a study explores how preservice teachers perceive the value of reflection with vlogs in their reflective communication skills. In the final study, this book examines the effectiveness of conducting an in-class assessment of interpersonal functioning in a graduate psychology class for masters-level counseling psychology students. Results indicate that conducting an in-class interpersonal assessment increased students knowledge of interpersonal theory and interpersonal methods of assessment. These findings have implications for the teaching of interpersonal assessment as well as for the practice of clinical assessment in group settings.

In Progress in Education. Volume 50, the authors present connectivity as a value that presents a numerical increase in the measure that leads to significant, transversal and related learning between the three dimensions analyzed. From these data alongside quotient positivity/negativity, learning dynamics can be characterized. The following chapter deals with the attitude of teachers towards inclusion and identifies several beliefs that are central to an inclusive mindset. Important theoretical constructs such as like self-efficacy, implicit theories of intelligence, and different models of disability are introduced, and their empirical significance in the context of inclusive education is discussed. Another study is included which explored older adults' motivations for and the benefits of participating in cooperative learning groups. Qualitative focus group discussions were held with 13 cooperative learning groups and a total of 93 older adults. The results indicated that the motivations behind participating in cooperative learning groups included curiosity, the desire to promote senior citizens learning camps, the desire to learn exercises, personal interests, the desire to leave the house, the desire to combat physical and mental deterioration, and recommendations from others. The authors present an integrated picture of resource distribution practices in the classroom setting. Rather than examining each resource distribution practice separately, the study conceptualizes all resource distribution practices as an interrelated system of evaluations structured along the dimensions of universalism. The authors set out to demonstrate to teachers, including trainee teachers, how they can use a set of virtual applications to teach the contents of any subject in order to promote an engagement in learning. Thus, they describe a study with trainee teachers to whom a set of apps were presented. During this research, the trainee teachers were taught how they could use these apps in their classes. This book includes a report on research conducted in four South African universities regarding the manner in which newly appointed lecturers join the pool of postgraduate research supervision teams and, most importantly, how interpersonal relations among newly appointed and long service lecturers play out regarding the universities access to government subsidies for research output. This book also focuses on the psychological outcome of integrating the learner-oriented approach in the second language learning process of engineering students of the Universitat Politecnica of Valencia through synthesising second language learning and content objectives. Problematic texting in college students is also analyzed in order to determine its relationship to texting dependency and executive function. Moderate problematic texting participants showed the expected dependency on texting and showed deficits across a wide array of executive function indices.

The ongoing Progress in Education Series presents substantial results from around the globe in selected areas of educational research. Schools are institutions that sail in the tempest of educational issues, reforms, strategies, data and tools, as well as reflect changes in society. Embedded in all of these are technology, diversity, and innovation -- their inevitability has been demonstrated in our schools and communities. Chapter One presents an investigation on childrens conceptualisation of force and brings into discussion fundamental theoretical considerations, which have influenced pedagogical practices for the last decades. Chapter Two discusses some of the issues around instigating an effective PBL (Problem Based Learning) approach to facilitate the learning of Engineering Mathematics. Chapter Three reviews a transdisciplinary digital learning environment for Special Education in the 21st Century. Chapter Four focuses on integrating multicultural curriculum through service learning projects. Chapter Five describes the distance walked by physical education (PE) teachers in PE lessons, measured by step counters and investigates how distance walked by PE teachers is influenced by the methodology and the contents of PE lessons. Chapter Six analyses differences in the number of steps PE teachers took in PE lessons attending to the age of the students, and analyses differences attending to the time of day. Chapter Seven deals with the role of proprietary structure in explaining the efficiency of the secondary education industry. Chapter Eight reviews "new" teaching professionalism and the professional development of educators in higher education. Chapter Nine discusses first language use by teachers and students in English as a foreign language classrooms. Chapter Ten presents research on enhancing knowledge flows through knowledge representations in healthcare professional development. Chapter Eleven provides a review on the health professions' student admission policy. Chapter Twelve focuses on an efficiency assessment of Spanish public universities.

The ongoing Progress in Education series presents substantial results from around the globe in selected areas of educational research. Schools are institutions that sail in the tempest of educational issues, reforms, strategies, data and tools, as well as reflect changes in society. Embedded in all of these are technology, diversity, and innovation - their inevitability has been demonstrated in our schools and communities. The first chapter of this volume explores how different acts of depiction play a role in orienting childrens thinking and reasoning during experimental tasks at school. Chapter Two reviews how to implement STEM literacy in elementary school curriculum. Chapter Three provides background information about STEM education in the United States; discusses what ideal STEM classrooms and lessons should look like; and provides step-bystep teaching demonstrations for each of the activities and assessments. Chapter Four reports qualitative and quantitative research findings from participating primary teachers following their involvement and participation in "MyScience". Chapter Five discusses the application of creativity in implementing the practical activities of a teacher of philosophy. Chapter Six focuses on the development of creativity in higher education. Chapter Seven investigates whether creativity can promote gerotranscendence. Chapter Eight reviews a longitudinal study on the factors related to Taiwanese adolescents' academic coping. Chapter Nine studies a reveiw of Chinese university students' perspectives of affective learning in response to Hong Kong's Umbrella Movement and its protest songs. Chapter Ten focuses on how students perceive the influence of parental cultural capital and support on their music listening and instrumental learning, with particular reference to the context of Beijing.

The ongoing Progress in Education series presents substantial results from around the globe in selected areas of educational research. Schools are institutions that sail in the tempest of educational issues, reforms, strategies, data and tools, as well as reflect changes in society. Embedded in all of these are technology, diversity, and innovation - their inevitability has been demonstrated in our schools and communities. Chapter One describes and summarises a line of selected social-psychological research spanning over 40 research publications that have largely targeted students and teachers in the Detroit Public School (DPS) district. Chapter Two reviews a human-centred approach in the educational environment. Chapter Three uncovers, from a student perspective, whether or not affirmative action is good social policy. Chapter Four examines the college selection processes of high achieving students who attended urban high schools and eventually enrolled in a rural predominantly White institution (PWI). Chapter Five reviews developments in accredited universities in the United Kingdom where the development of shell frameworks, based upon the requirements of learners rather than subject discipline, has enabled some adults to fulfil their learning requirements and gain formally accredited qualifications. Chapter Six analyses the teaching profession and the requirements to become a teacher in Spain and compares them with those required to become a teacher in Finland. Chapter Seven reviews how newly qualified home economics teachers experience the initial stages in the workplace in Norway.

The ongoing Progress in Education series presents substantial results from around the globe in selected areas of educational research. Schools are institutions that sail in the tempest of educational issues, reforms, strategies, data and tools, as well as reflect changes in society. Embedded in all of these are technology, diversity, and innovation - their inevitability has been demonstrated in our schools and communities. The first chapter of this volume reviews studies on the associations between childrens temperament dimensions and academic achievement. Chapter Two analyzes the psychometric properties as well as the validity of a newly developed scale for measuring preadolescent students' self-concept of L2 grammatical competencies. Chapter Three examines differences in reading skills of Texas high school students as a function of gender. Chapter Four presents a longitudinal study of a sample of prospective teachers which analysed the evolution from before to after their teaching practices of their personal metaphors about themselves as teachers and about their pupils' role, and the emotions associated with those metaphors. Chapter Five explores the perception of Taiwanese secondary teachers on self-regulated learning-based instruction. Chapter Six reviews differences in high school completion rates by high school size for Hispanic students in Texas. Chapter Seven examines the effect of student and family background and student academic preparedness on success in college. Chapter Eight determines the extent to which differences were present in college-ready rates in reading, mathematics, and in both subjects for Asian boys and Asian girls as a function of their economic status in Texas high schools for 2005-2006 through 2011-2012.