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1997 research outputs found
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Principals As Instructional Leaders: Supporting New Middle School Principals To Implement Systems Allowing For Instructional Leadership
Full text linkThis study is a collection, interpretation, and, eventually, recommendations based on data collected through interviews with current middle school principals. The research questions examine how middle school principals can increase their effectiveness as an instructional leader within the building. The research begins by examining the factors contributing to the principal being an instructional leader and what systems can be implemented to support this goal. These systems should include the ability for principals to facilitate learning for staff, just as staff facilitate learning within their classroom. Policy implications and recommendations highlight the need to look at resources available for principals as well as the culture of the building
A Tri-State Study of Middle School Teachers’ Perceptions of Generation Alpha Students: Are Middle Schools Ready for “Generation Glass?”
Full text linkThe passage to middle school has been identified as a confusing period for young adolescents involving a series of major transitions. A new variable that now permeates these already lofty transitions is the firm entrenchment of Generation Alpha in the middle grades classroom. “Gen Alpha” includes anyone born from 2010 onward, making them the first generation who will be entirely born and shaped in the 21st century. The purpose of this study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of current middle school teachers across Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio toward their Gen Alpha students so as to uncover the concrete issues that these teachers encounter as they work with this undeniably unique cohort. A total of 139 teachers responded to the researcher-generated electronic survey, which was coded inductively and analyzed for content. Feedback points to a cohort that is digitally literate with great adaptability, but also a cohort that exhibits delayed social development and a myriad of global concerns. These factors all have implications for the ways they learn, interact, and function in the middle school classroom
Exploring Secondary Teachers\u27 Digital Curricular Autobiographies As A Path Towards Digital Equity: A Currere Journey
No full textCombining a narrative approach with portraiture and theoretically framed by reconceptualism and critical digital pedagogy, this study explores participants’ beliefs about and experiences using information and communication technologies (ICT) for learning. It also explores participants’ understanding of digital learning as essential to educational equity in a postdigital society. Participants were secondary teachers serving socio-economically marginalized Black and Latinx students across four public high schools in Chicago. Through a series of semi-structured interviews each constructed a version of their digital curricular autobiography (currere). Through this reflection, participants recalled their own experiences being excluded from learning which contributed to their present digital pedagogical practices and helped form their equity stances. Participants’ past experiences and present practices were also linked to concerns for students’ future post-secondary success. The currere method fostered reflexivity among the participants. The currere method itself was an engine which produced data for analysis. The method allowed participants to connect their curricular past to their pedagogical present, evaluate their practice, make connections between their practice and questions of digital equity for their students, and relate more closely to their students empathetically and pedagogically
Inpatient Staff Perspective on Verbal De-escalation within a High Acuity Population
Full text linkThis study explored inpatient staff’s perspective of verbal de-escalation within a high acuity population as well as the factors that make either a positive or negative impact on the effectiveness of verbal de-escalation as used in high acuity impatient settings. This phenomenological study used semi-structured interviews of 5 participants working in this setting. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling, and interviews were conducted via zoom. This study found that participants unanimously agreed that the training they received regarding verbal de-escalation was not sufficient and that employment of certain personality traits and behaviors were more effective than using only the methods of verbal de-escalation they were taught. Participants reported that providing choices for patients, expressing empathy, using humor, validating patient experiences, being self-aware, and avoiding directives were among the many useful skills that have been effective in their experiences of verbally de-escalating patients in crisis. Information gathered from this study suggests that alongside the training provided, making positive human connections with patients plays a vital role in whether verbal de-escalation will be successful
Understanding the Barriers and Contributions to Success Among African American Graduate Students Pursuing Doctorate Degrees in Clinical or Counseling Psychology: A Comparative Analysis of Predominantly White Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S.
Full text linkThis study investigated the barriers encountered by African American students in earning doctorate degrees in clinical or counseling psychology at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) compared to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This study aims to elucidate the challenges encountered by African American graduate students in their pursuit of doctoral degrees in clinical or counseling psychology. The study focused on analyzing the obstacles and positive impacts experienced by African American graduate students as they strive to obtain doctorates in clinical or counseling psychology. Multiple challenges and contributions have been identified in this a phenomenological qualitative study. The qualitative results indicate that the experiences of African American graduate students were influenced by several significant factors, including their self-efficacy, academic readiness, social support, the racial identity development and the effectiveness of their educational environment
The Fourth Wall of Dialogue: A Co-Constructive Collaboration on BIPOC Student Sense of Belonging in Higher Education
Full text linkBlack, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) students’ sense of belonging (SOB) at higher education institutions has decreased over the last 30 years despite numerous initiatives aimed at increasing a sense of belonging for this group of students and addressing the challenges they face from various intersectionalities including cultural biases, gender marginalization, and racial subjectivities. Sense of belonging is often subjective in nature because it refers to an individual\u27s lived experience, it is important for higher education institutions to tailor their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive (DEI) initiatives to meet the needs of the students on their campus. This initiative should include focusing on the current components of institutional supports for SOB and aligning those proposals with the needs and experiences of BIPOC students in a way that will increase their ability to feel like valued members of the college community and contribute to their personal and academic success. The goal of this qualitative phenomenological study was to investigate BIPOC student experiences with institutional supports for SOB and to conceptualize what they believe would be ideal supports for increasing SOB at a diverse community with a commitment to “break the fourth wall”, a reference to Diderot’s theatrical metaphor describing invisible borders and perceived barriers that exist between BIPOC students and their institutions of higher education. Results revealed that a co-constructed environment allowed student participants to collaboratively share their individual experiences while also proposing ideal supports that educators and administrators can utilize to build resources creating a more inclusive and welcoming environment for BIPOC students. Results also provided affirmative learning practices that are not only relevant but build connections between BIPOC students and the institution in the hopes of continued spaces for further collaboration to improve the overall student experience of belonging
Global Collaboration through Balanced Engagement in a Virtual Exchange Project
Full text linkVirtual exchange emerges as a high-impact practice in global learning. Leveraging online technology, this pedagogical approach offers intercultural learning opportunities among students across borders. This study explored collaboration between U.S. and South Korean college students by examining student learning and engagement in virtual exchange. The virtual exchange project in this study was designed to enrich U.S. students’ learning of Korean songs and enhance their vocal performance. Utilizing the Community of Inquiry (COI) framework, we analyzed student engagement across cognitive, social, and academic dimensions to assess the effectiveness of the virtual exchange project. Findings revealed that the presence of cognitive, social, and academic engagement was crucial for project success. Although limitations and challenges in maximizing virtual exchange effects were identified, the overall results illustrate the potential of global exchange to enhance student learning of non-western songs and their vocal performance. This study informs future research on designing high-impact learning practices at a higher education institution to foster intercultural collaboration within a student-centered framework
A Program Evaluation of 3DE Schools by Junior Achievement
Full text link3DE Schools by Junior Achievement is a framework for instruction designed to reshape the instructional ecosystem through a high school model that uses project-based learning and case-study methodology to help students acquire core competencies. The context of this inquiry includes various states in America where 3DE Schools are implemented. I utilized a mixed methods approach to collect data and gauge the influence of the 3DE instructional framework on students\u27 readiness for college and career pursuits. Key outcomes showed that students in 3DE cohorts scored higher in math and English than the national average, contributing to an overall higher graduation rate among 3DE cohorts. My primary recommendation is to replicate the 3DE model in high schools throughout the United States
Drug Use and Harm Reduction: Community Readiness As Pathway To Well-Being And Reintegration
Full text linkDrug abuse negatively impacts the life and well-being of those who use drugs; this harm often extends to their loved ones, communities, and society. One presumptive set of psychological explanations for drug abuse is an addictive personality, a psychological susceptibility resulting from challenging family relationships, inadequate reinforcement, the absence of healthy role models, conflicting parental expectations, and a lack of love and respect. Harm reduction is a public health approach that focuses on minimizing the harmful effects of drugs and reducing judgment. It aims to meet people where they are in life and provide judgment-free, empathetic, supportive, and needed medical psychosocial outreach. More harm reduction-focused services would likely improve public health and build supportive communities to achieve superior healthcare outcomes. A greater combination harm reduction with a greater reliance on community empowerment through collaboration would likely facilitate the political will and investment needed to keep people with drug use disorders healthy and safe until they are ready to access and receive treatment
The Role of Work-Based Learning in Developing Future Skills and Competencies for the Workforce in the Fourth Industrial Revolution
Full text linkThe study investigated the impact of work-based learning on developing skills and competencies required for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Educators must adapt to what students need to succeed in this era. In this study, seven participants who oversee or have overseen a portion of various work-based learning initiatives engaged in a semi-structured interview process. The interview questions inquired about teacher preparation, practical strategies, programs or models of work-based learning, challenges and limitations, sustainability, and the impacts of different work-based models on employability skill development. The results provide hope that work-based learning can play a crucial role in today’s more technologically advanced workplace. Participants emphasized the critical importance of students developing soft skills to meet the growing needs of the workforce and the rapid pace of advancement. Most participants also mentioned the importance of developing technical skills, which are job-specific knowledge and abilities, such as computing, and technology skills. Challenges and limitations encompass teacher resistance to change and a lack of resources, and employer engagement. Effective strategies for work-based learning models include developing stronger partnerships with industries, developing a continuum of programs (internships, co-ops, apprenticeships) with clear pathways aligned with student interests and career goals, updating the curriculum to reflect modern workforce skills, and providing ongoing professional development for teachers in soft skills and new technologies. Factors for sustainability include improving program management through better data analysis and teacher buy-in. Sustainability also involves continuously recruiting students, including minorities and students with disabilities. Policymakers and educational leaders must recognize work-based learning’s critical role in developing workforce-ready skills. Implementing these programs in K–12 education is imperative