scholarly journals Character strengths of first-year student teachers and the 5 Cs of the Positive Youth Development framework: A mixed-methods study

2021 ◽  
pp. 127-150
Author(s):  
Polona Gradišek
Author(s):  
Kriss Lange ◽  
Joshua Matthews

Abstract Japanese EFL learners’ difficulty with accurately decoding connected English speech motivated this mixed methods study. The aural decoding capacities of 63 first-year Japanese university students, with low to intermediate level English proficiency, were first measured with a battery of paused transcription tests (PTT). The transcriptions were clusters of three-words that each possessed attributes typical of co-articulated speech. In addition, after each test, a subgroup of 10 participants individually listened to the same PTT and recounted introspective self-observations of their perceived difficulties with the aural decoding tasks in their L1. These quantitative and qualitative data were used to identify four trends in decoding errors which were categorized as follows: limited collocation familiarity, syntactic knowledge constraints, difficulties utilizing co-text, and L1 phonological influence. This study investigates some of the difficulties associated with aural decoding, highlights the challenges of identifying the origins of decoding errors and suggests that more focus is needed on developing decoding skills as well as knowledge of formulaic language in L2 listening education.


2013 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 335-344 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T.L. Shek ◽  
Lu Yu ◽  
Xiao Fu

Abstract Despite the fact that different Chinese communities have already undergone industrialization and urbanization, Confucian virtues are still regarded as developmental ideals in Chinese culture. Unfortunately, while Confucian virtues are commonly discussed under Chinese philosophies, they are rarely examined in the context of developmental research. In this paper, several key Confucian virtues are discussed, including loyalty (“zhong”), filial piety (“xiao”), benevolence (“ren”), affection (“ai”), trustworthiness (“xin”), righteousness (“yi”), harmony (“he”), peace (“ping”), propriety (“li”), wisdom (“zhi”), integrity (“lian”) and shame (“chi”). These Chinese traditional virtues are also linked to the concepts of character strengths and positive youth development constructs highlighted in Western culture. It is argued that Confucian virtues provide an indigenous conceptual framework to understand character strengths and positive youth development in Chinese culture. Furthermore, when service leadership is considered in Chinese contexts, these virtues should be regarded as important cornerstones.


2021 ◽  
pp. 175-196
Author(s):  
Marija Bingulac

Roma continue to face numerous challenges in Serbia, including disproportionately high rates of illiteracy and school dropout, poverty, unemployment, and discrimination. The Serbian government has pursued education policies relevant for Romani children and youth, but implementation efforts have not resulted in educational inclusion nor in raising the economic situation of the Roma citizens. This chapter presents participatory evaluation results of an alternative educational program in Belgrade, Serbia, that uses the positive youth development (PYD) framework to assist marginalized Roma youth to enroll in the mainstream educational system. This mixed-method study consisted of in-depth interviews with 80 respondents and an empirical analysis of an original survey of financial well-being used to assess the overall impact of the program. Perhaps most importantly, the voices of the real experts on poverty and educational needs—the Romani youth and their families who have experienced these realities—personally are brought forth. One important finding highlights the need for both education and labor market policies to be designed and implemented in concert with each other and taking into account the need of Roma youth to contribute to families’ total income. Mainstream compulsory education can inadvertently hurt the Roma family who, with no expectations of long-term returns on educational attainment, view their son’s or daughter’s time in school as a loss of essential family income. These realities—a policy mismatch between what Roma need and government’s inclusion efforts—are explored in depth in this chapter.


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