Active learning is a teaching approach that requires students to do something intellectually with course content. This involves examining, questioning, and relating knowledge gained from previous experiences to new knowledge and skills. Native American students have been found to have low financial literacy skills. Family and consumer sciences…

The goal of this paper is to illustrate how the promotion of 21st Century process skills can be used to enhance student learning and workplace skill development: thinking, problem solving, collaboration, communication, leadership, and management. As an illustrative case, fashion merchandising and design students conducted research for a…

This paper introduces a leadership development model that raises the question "Leadership for what?" Leadership is about going somewhere-personally and in concert with others-in an organization. Although leadership, especially position (elected or appointed) leadership, often is discussed in terms of leader qualities and skills, the…

Critical-thinking skills permeate the ability to pass tests such as the Certification Registration Examination for Dietitians (RD Exam) (Dietetic Educators of Practitioners, 2011). The impact of critical thinking on the RD Exam should be evaluated to assist faculty members when developing curriculum-especially as trends in dispositions emerge.…

The United States labor market has undergone a dramatic sea change with increasing numbers of permanent freelancers and temporary workers. One in three workers has a temporary freelance job. It is estimated that, by 2020, more than 40% of the American labor force-60 million people-will be self-employed. This article discusses labor force trends,…

The foundation and impetus for a sustained professional development program offering 44 graduate courses serving 641 FCS educators (approximately 50% returning participants) in Pennsylvania and the surrounding area were the six assumptions of Knowles related to the motivation of adult learners. Education researcher Malcolm Knowles asserts that…

For decades, family and consumer sciences (FCS) Extension educators have provided health related education to consumers through Cooperative Extension programming at land grant universities. However, offering diabetes education can be extra challenging due to the complicated nature of the disease and the multi-faceted treatment required. Faced with…

Youth and adult partners participated in youth asset mapping, a form of action research, to assess community assets and youth involvement opportunities. Qualitative data were analyzed to examine youths' feelings of empowerment and experiences with adult partners. Asset mapping contributed to youth empowerment, especially when adults were engaging…

Historically, curriculum for home economics included experiences in home management residences. In this qualitative study, nine alumnae and one advisor who lived in a home management house between 1939 and 1959 were interviewed about how their experiences influenced the quality of their lives in the 40-60 subsequent years. Alumnae of the residence…

Service-learning projects are a cornerstone of student experiential learning. Such programs have proven to be mutually beneficial to communities and students within a variety of family and consumer sciences courses. However, there is a paucity of literature addressing service-learning efforts within the field of financial planning. There is an…

Population shifts have changed the face of many Idaho communities, but inclusive relationships among groups can build the social capital required for communities to thrive. University of Idaho Extension developed "Idaho's Journey for Diversity and Human Rights" as a hands-on traveling workshop about past and present issues of human rights and…

The first objective of this article is to increase awareness and understanding of individual decision-making biases. The second is to provide FCS professionals with strategies to improve consumer financial decisions. Individual decision biases are presented within the context of a seven-stage decision process. Proactive consumer educators using a…

This article describes "Training for Strong Families," a family strengthening program for officers working in the state prison system. The program was offered once per week on the same day and at the same time, and the sessions lasted 15-20 minutes. The new program included topics such as Budgeting 101, Relationships, and Stress Management.…

Much of what is taught in the family and consumer sciences (FCS) classroom is based on scientific research. The existing knowledge base is so broad that overlooking research as a teaching resource and tool happens often. Research enhances what is taught, thereby improving the effectiveness of teachers. Whether it be applying or translating…

This study examines characteristics of family and consumer sciences (FCS) collegiate faculty who do and do not incorporate service-learning in their teaching and determines their dominant mode of teaching practice. Survey results from 368 faculty members in institutions of higher education across the United States demonstrate that FCS faculty…