Creativity in the Brazilian Culture

Research has pointed out creativity as a sociocultural and contextually embedded phenomenon. As a consequence, the effect of cultural factors on the manifestation of creativity has been discussed worldwide. The purpose of this chapter is, therefore, to analyze the development of creativity in the Brazilian culture. A brief description of the Brazilian culture is provided. Models of creativity developed by Brazilian researchers, as well as a review of creativity studies conducted in the educational environment, are presented. Guidelines for future cross-cultural studies on creativity are also suggested

Cultural Responsiveness, Racial Identity and Academic Success: A Review of Literature

Commissioned by the Heinz Endowments, this paper reviews the literature on "culturally responsive pedagogy" and the arts. Academic success among African Americans is correlated with education that incorporates racial identity and socialization and a focus on resiliency and culturally relevant concepts. The arts are an ideal venue for such educational programs

Perceveid Social Support in middle school students

Research on school climate has among its purposes to contribute to improving the quality of education, one of the main challenges of the Mexican educational system, particularly at the level of basic education. Our aim was to explore the relationships between the dimensions of school climate of perceived social the support teacher-student, support student-student and opportunities for autonomy and academic performance. The study was non-experimental and correlational. The sample consisted of 325 students from a middle school in northeastern Mexico, with a mean age of 13.4 years who responded to a scale of perceived school climate. The results show that students perceive great teacher support associated with student-student support and opportunities for autonomy. In addition, we found that academic achievement related to teacher support and opportunities for autonomy. These data are consistent with the country´s educational policy, which emphasizes the teacher´s role as facilitator of student learning to improve learning outcomes and the quality of education.Fil: Rodriguez, María Concepción. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León; MéxicoFil: Vivas, Jorge Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología. Centro de Investigación en Procesos Básicos, Metodologías y Educación; ArgentinaFil: Comesaña, Ana. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata. Facultad de Psicología. Centro de Investigación en Procesos Básicos, Metodologías y Educación; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Mar del Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ramirez, Laura Minerva. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León; MéxicoFil: Peña, José Armando. Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León; Méxic

Learning-Related Values in Young Children’s Storybooks: An Investigation in the United States, China, and Mexico

This research examined the prevalence of learning-related values in children’s storybooks in the United States, China, and Mexico. Storybooks ( N = 157) were randomly selected from government-recommended booklists in each country. Trained coders assessed the prevalence of learning-related beliefs (e.g., malleability of ability), motivated cognitions (e.g., achievement orientation), and behaviors (e.g., effort) in the storybooks. A set of MANOVAs revealed that Chinese (vs. American and Mexican) storybooks contained more instances of learning-related beliefs and behaviors. For example, Chinese storybooks included more instances of achievement-related goals and behaviors, relative to storybooks in the United States and Mexico. With the exception of achievement goals and helplessness, the prevalence of learning-related qualities was largely similar in the United States and Mexico

Pilot Evaluation of the Mexican Model of Dual TVET in the State of Mexico

Since the first public announcement of the Mexican Model of Dual TVET (MMFD) in June 2013, more than 5,000 apprentices have enrolled in the programme and around 2,000 already graduated. The Ministry of Education (SEP and CONALEP), the Chambers of Commerce (i.e. COPARMEX) and the German Cooperation Agencies (i.e. CAMEXA) have been collaborating with state authorities, families, schools and companies to turn this initial idea into a significant and sustainable initiative. Although the numbers are still small, it seemed necessary to undertake a pilot evaluation study of the implementation and impact of this program on its participants to inform those responsible for this policy. We decided to focus our study on the State of Mexico because of the higher number of apprentices in this state and because of the access that the CONALEP authorities gave us to the informants. The report that you are about to read is structured in four main sections. In the first one we reviewed the international evidence on the experiences of policy transfer of Dual TVET. Transferring international good practice sin TVET is always a complex process that requires careful attention to the experiences and lessons from those that tried to do it before. In the second section, we present the main characteristics of the Mexican Model of Dual TVET and the specificities of its implementation in the State of Mexico. In a federal country like Mexico, it is important to understand that national policies may largely vary across states in terms of design and implementation. The third section outlines the methodology of the study, which is inspired by the realist evaluation principles. Realist evaluation, not only tries to measure the impact of interventions on beneficiaries, but also to understand the causal mechanisms that explain why this policy is more effective in certain contexts and with certain beneficiary populations than in others. In the final section, the results of the interviews and the survey with 25 apprentices that completed their studies under the MMFD in the State of Mexico are presented. Obviously, the reduced sample of the study limits the representativeness of our findings but it will offer some expected and unexpected results that should not be ignored by those involved in this policy in the State of Mexico and nationally

Informal Education. Sociocultural Expression. and Symbolic Meaning in Popular Immigration Music Text

One February morning as I noted the events of the primary school talent show, a sixth-grade boy belted out this song made popular in two countries by the Mexican rock group, Los Bukis. It was 1987, and I was doing fieldwork in a rural Mexican immigrant-sending community I call San Felipe, for an ethnography of families and their children who emigrated from Mexico to the United States[2

“The feeling of fear was not from my student, but from myself”: A pre-service teacher’s shift from traditional to problem-posing second language pedagogy in a Mexican youth prison

This era of globalization, capitalism, and economic progress has given rise to mass incarceration, as a considerable number of youths in developing and developed countries live behind bars in detention facilities without appropriate educational support. Educators in these facilities deposit knowledge, through traditional pedagogical approaches, under systemic oppression and surveillance deemed necessary for safety and security. This study investigated implementations of Freire’s (2000) problem-posing pedagogy using a participatory action research (PAR) approach through the lens of critical theory. Two of the co-authors helped develop a Freirean language teaching program in an urban youth prison in Mexico, centering student teachers’ critical self-awareness by providing them with opportunities to reflect on their identity, life experiences, and reality while teaching in prison. Through critical, autoethnographic self-reflections of a bilingual teacher candidate on her teaching practices, this study provides insights into how the teacher was impacted by the problem-posing pedagogy and how it was reflected in her transformation to a critical, loving teacher and student progress. This research embraces a humanistic approach to teaching incarcerated youth in Mexico through care and courage by supporting them as students, as well as by empowering their voices and thoughts. Building a learning community, where students and teachers create respectful human connections through dialogue and discussions on language, culture, and lived experiences, is portrayed in this research as essential

Latino Adolescents and Acculturation

Latino youth are a growing, dynamic presence within most U.S. communities. Over the past decade, the number of Latino children has increased at a higher rate than any other ethnic group, and it is projected that by 2035, one in three children will be of Latino descent (National Council of La Raza, 2011). Many of these youth thrive and experience well-being, while others are faced with challenges imposed by discrimination and limited opportunities and access to resources. While adolescence is a unique developmental period of identity exploration and discovery for all youth, Latino adolescents in particular may face additional challenges as a result of their ethnic minority status and how they are viewed by others in U.S. society (Edwards & Lopez, 2006; Vazquez Garcia, Garcia Coll, Erkut, Alarcón, & Tropp, 2000). To support Latino youth in light of the challenges they may face, mental health professionals must understand their unique cultural contexts and identities. One aspect of identity, acculturation, has been identified as a prominent variable that is related to mental health outcomes and behaviors among Latino youth. In this chapter, definitions and models of acculturation are described, as well as research about the relationship between acculturation orientation and well-being. Finally, a case study is provided to illustrate some of the concerns that a Latino adolescent might present in therapy based on his level of acculturation and life experiences

Immigrant Youth and Digital Disparty in California

This study addresses three key research questions regarding immigrant youth and the digital divide:What are the patterns of home technology use among native-born and immigrant families and youth?What are the causes and consequences of the digital divide for immigrant families and youth?How does technology at CTCs in California benefit immigrant families and youth

Exploring a Prefigurative Culture in the Immigrant Family: A look at the sociolinguistic impact of children on the immigrant parent

According to the U.S. Census Bureau (2010), 12.9% of the population in the United States is that of immigrants. With this increase in recent immigration, the population of limited English speakers has also increased which includes both children and adults. While much research has been done in terms of how bilingualism and biculturalism have impacted the children within immigrant families, very few studies have focused on the parents and how the children\u27s English language learning and acculturation have impacted their own English learning and acculturation. This study was intended to fill that lack of research by exploring the sociolinguistic impact that children are having on their immigrant parents. This research had three main goals: 1.) to determine the effect of children on the parent\u27s acculturation level, 2.) to determine the effect of children on the parent\u27s motivation to learn English, and 3) to explore the effect of the English language use on the family structure of these immigrant families. This study used a survey questionnaire to measure the impact of children on their Hispanic immigrant parents in terms of acculturation and motivation/attitude toward the English language. Four hundred surveys were distributed at multicultural events focused on the Hispanic population in Denver, Colorado. Both quantitative and qualitative analysis were used to analyze the data. The statistical analysis showed that these participants had an overall low acculturation level, but a high motivation and attitude toward the English language regardless of the children-related demographic factors. However, through the qualitative analysis it was found that the children\u27s English language use was in fact impacting the immigrant parent\u27s motivation to learn the English language as well as altering the roles and practices within the family