Volume 2015 No. 4

Examination of Professional Development on Perceived Importance of, Frequency of Use of, Familiarity with, and Confidence Level for Research-Based Middle School Literacy Instruction

Kristen Pennycuff Trent, Tennessee Technological University, US

A Right to a Project of (African) Life: Boko Haram, ESC Classification of the Right to Education and the Unjustiability of Generationlising Human Rights

Foluke Ifejola Ipinyomi, University of Bristol Law School, UK

Understanding Young People's Engagement with Sustainability. An Ecological Approach

Giulia Rossi, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, and Martin Dodman, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Sustainability, Italy

Is God an Information Inputter? Complex Specified Information as Evidence for Divine Action

Juuso Loikkanen, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

Postsecondary Education in the 21st Century: What Matters For Effectiveness

Anupama Joshi, California State University, Dominguez Hills, US

The Impact of Religion on Acculturation of Chinese International Students Education

Olufolake Sophia Orekoya, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

Examination of Professional Development on Perceived Importance of, Frequency of Use of, Familiarity with, and Confidence Level for Research-Based Middle School Literacy Instruction

Kristen Pennycuff Trent, Tennessee Technological University, US

The Reading and Writing Institute (RWI) provided an opportunity for practicing teachers to review, renew, and research literacy strategies for assessment, diagnosis, and remediation of third- through seventh-grade students. Each morning teachers spent three hours in professional development sessions exploring research based literacy strategies. They implemented new knowledge in three hour afternoon sessions with a client as they assessed and diagnosed students’ literacy skills and created and implemented an individualized intervention plan. At the end of the institute, teachers reassessed and recommended future interventions for the clients.

Project evaluation occurred through informal participant interviews that were coded and analyzed for qualitative themes as well as quantitative ana
Pennycuff-Trent_K.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [373.3 KB]

A Right to a Project of (African) Life: Boko Haram, ESC Classification of the Right to Education and the Unjustiability of Generationlising Human Rights

Foluke Ifejola Ipinyomi, University of Bristol Law School, UK

The constitutional non-justiciability of ESC rights in Nigeria precludes judicial relief based on violations of the right to education (RtE) of Boko Haram. This paper questions the generational hierarchy of human rights, and the contextual classification of RtE as an ESC right. The violators of RtE, who are non-state, as well as the content and benefits of the right, make this classification questionable. The international human rights law (IHRL) indicators of RtE, therefore, become redundant. This paper argues for an approach that focuses on vulnerable groups and de-emphasises generationalisation of human rights and unproven preconceptions of international relations. Utilising the jurisprudence coming out of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which prescribes an overarching right t
Ipinyomi_F.doc.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [475.1 KB]

Understanding Young People's Engagement with Sustainability. An Ecological Approach

Giulia Rossi, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, and Martin Dodman, Interdisciplinary Research Institute on Sustainability, Italy

There is a clear recognition of the importance of considering both social and environmental dimensions in the understanding of sustainable development. Agenda21, for example, underlines the crucial role played by citizens within communities for the achievement of sustainability.
Since the concept of development implies an ongoing temporal continuum, the role of the new generations in society and their engagement in this process are of particular significance. However, the literature on young people’s development has not yet explored sustainable engagement as a construct based on the union of both civic and environmental dimensions and as such they risk continuing to be treated separately.
The aim of this paper is to propose a framework within which to explore the concept of sustainabilit
Rossi_Dodman.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [383.5 KB]

Is God an Information Inputter? Complex Specified Information as Evidence for Divine Action

Juuso Loikkanen, University of Eastern Finland, Finland

In the 21st century discussion between science and religion, one of the most peculiar phenomena is the theory of intelligent design. According to the theory, some features of the universe are too complex and too well-ordered to have been brought about solely by natural causes. Instead, these features are taken as evidence of the work of an intentional supernatural agent, who is usually identified as the Christian God.
One influential approach to intelligent design is that of William A. Dembski, who sees God as an “information inputter,” a being who controls events occurring in the universe by miraculously entering information at convenient times and places. In this article, my aim is to offer an overview of Dembski’s theory, as well as to identify and discuss some problems associated
Loikkanen_J.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [378.0 KB]

Postsecondary Education in the 21st Century: What Matters For Effectiveness

Anupama Joshi, California State University, Dominguez Hills, US

In the wake of the 2008 economic crisis followed by a slow recovery, the conversation about the value, role, and cost of higher education in contemporary society gained prominence in the United States. The work on disruptive innovation (Christensen, Horn, Caldera & Soares, 2011) especially captured the imagination of the higher education leadership. This paper addresses the question of whether or not there is a match between the stated goals of higher education as reflected in student learning outcomes and the skills sought by employers in their newly degreed hires. Some critical assumptions and recommendations drawn from disruptive innovation are examined. Finally, based on experiences as an administrator, strategies for effectiveness are outlined that emphasize responsiveness to student
Joshi_A.pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [425.4 KB]

The Impact of Religion on Acculturation of Chinese International Students Education

Olufolake Sophia Orekoya, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong

The importance of religion to life and how it affects people of all ages and across cultures has been the focus of research. As the Chinese student population in Europe and America continues to be on the rise, this paper reviews the literature on how Chinese and as a whole, Asian international students find help in religion to cope with the inherent stress associated with acculturation. Observations highlighted in the review include:1) new exposure to religious practices; 2) development of relationships with the religious community; 3) social and cultural factors of religious practice and acculturation; 4) the Church as a surrogate family; 5) positive effect of meaning in life. The above observations are projected for the understanding of the struggles, aspirations and relative positive ef
Orekoya_S .pdf
Adobe Acrobat document [421.8 KB]

Volume 2015 No. 4

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