Search results

The article deals with one of the key causes of Roma children's low academic achievement, notably their presence in segregated special schools originally reserved for mentally disabled children. The purpose of the research was to analyse the assessment process for school‐readiness and special educational needs, and discover the reasons for Roma children's widespread failure on the tests.

Using a quantitative survey and qualitative focus group interviews, the study analysed the assessment process for school‐readiness and special educational needs.

The tests in use offer an overly generalized picture of children's abilities. The test results have little influence on the actual decisions about the schools children will be sent to. Roma children tend to do significantly worse on the tests than non‐Roma children, in all examined areas.

The situation of Roma is similar in all countries of the East and Central European region, and resembles the situation of all socially excluded ethnic minority groups. The results can therefore contribute to a better understanding of the educational situation of Roma and other ethnic minority groups in the region. However, the education system as well as the process of determining special educational needs are in several ways unique in each country. The findings therefore have limited validity outside of Hungary.

Although the problems with Roma children's academic performance are well documented, there had been no research in Hungary that focused on the selection process and the problems of using assessment tests in determining Roma children's special educational needs.

An investigation of the internet adoption on Taiwan’s senior farmers was examined in this study. The purpose of this paper is to discuss what specialist technology tools, software and training for senior farmers were available and how confident senior farmers were with using internet, and what internet activities were the most popular among senior farmers.

Quantitative data collected from the respondents were analyzed using descriptive statistical methods.

Key finding from this study is that the senior farmer enjoyed and increased their knowledge using internet with great enthusiasm.

High level of internet adoption for farmer’s learning is certainly worthy of further investigation.

Senior farmers can benefit from internet by using it for information, learning, training, and trading.

Senior farmers are increasingly using applications of internet not only to acquire knowledge and but also to enrich lifestyle.

E-learning is a possible approach using technology transfer delivery model in the agricultural community.

Crises are often studied in international business (IB) research as the external “context” for business strategies, but firms can also be active participants in the unfolding of crises. The study of crises in IB could benefit greatly from studying the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) as active participants, rather than as mere passive actors, responding to exogenous events. History shows that IB crises typically unfold partially as exogenous processes, and partly as the result of MNE strategies. A multilevel and longitudinal approach to studying crises in IB is clearly necessary. This chapter considers the extent to which smaller events that preceded the present crisis – since 1989 – point to systemic problems in global governance. It also defines five overlapping lenses through which future IB studies can further create relevant insights on how to deal with crises: historic, macro, meso, micro and exogenous. The chapter finally serves as an introduction to the whole Progress in International Business Research volume by indicating the relevance of all parts and chapters that follow.