Journals.uncc.edu (North Carolina's Urban Research University)
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Evaluation of Obesity Prevention Strategies in a Head Start Program
No full textAbstract
An evaluation of the I am Moving, I am Learning strategies was conducted in one Head Start program. A mixed methods design was used, including caregiver and teacher surveys, and nutrition specialist classroom observations. 249 caregivers and 46 teachers participated. Teachers identified their influence on preschoolers through role modeling of healthy eating and physical activity and were observed using the program mascot and music. However, they did not model physical activities and engaged in limited nutrition discussions during meal/snack times. Teachers identified the need for more time to incorporate IMIL activities, additional resources for implementation, more caregiver engagement with IMIL, and take-home activities/music. Most caregivers were not familiar with IMIL/5210 messages and did not incorporate health behaviors at home. Future research could explore the impact of caregiver engagement in IMIL on child/family behavior change and strategies for enhancing teacher modeling of movement in the classroom
Activism in the University: Opportunities for Reflective Dialogue and Action
No full textBlack liberation theology, blending justice-centered theology and Marxist analysis, centers on liberating the oppressed; while Womanist theology argues that a truly liberated world is one in which the experiences of the oppressed are given voice in tone and depth consistent with their culture and lived realities. Drawing from these anti-oppression frameworks, this article tells the story of a racialized faculty caucus at State University of New York (SUNY) Empire State College (ESC) that is engaged with the institution\u27s administration towards achieving racial equity in faculty work conditions. The authors demonstrate how the caucus, through critiquing inherently oppressive institutional structures that disadvantage racialized faculty, is challenging the administration to acknowledge and abolish the racism that exists in the institution. The work of the racialized faculty caucus at ESC articulates how faculty can call upon a university to interrogate its ethos towards realizing a more just set of policies and practices.  
Challenging Socio-Economic Marginalization: Freire’s Influence in Rural Uganda
No full textThe study explores the work of Atanansi Community Based Organization, grassroots organization focused on the empowerment of marginalized poor, subsistence farming communities in rural Uganda. Through the application of Freirean conscientization and application of ideas from Catholic social teaching and liberation theology, the communities have been able to question their socio-economic realities, questioned the marginalization, and took action to start a community grade school, women income generating activities, and youth skilling programs. Through the process of conscientization, the community has learnt to rely on itself without waiting for the central government or politicians.
Key Words: Conscientization, Marginalization, Paulo Freire, Rural Uganda, Theology
Liberating Faith and the Journey of Inconclusion: A Close Reading of Paulo Freire’s Essay “My Faith and Hope”
No full textIn this essay, I offer a close reading of Paulo Freire’s essay “My Faith and Hope” in which he theorizes a liberating faith. I condense Freire’s thoughts about faith, spirituality, and theology into three major themes or arguments. First, I argue that Freire’s liberating faith involves the complexity of becoming unsettled which empowers one to divorce silence for a holy rebelliousness against injustice. Second, I argue that Freire’s liberating faith encompasses the challenge of being in faith which is a process in which one commits to being actively engaged in the struggle to free the oppressed. Finally, I argue that Freire’s liberating faith is comprised of the courage to battle through hope which Freire describes as a permanent search, process or journey toward liberation or freedom —that is, the journey of inconclusion. Finally, I discuss the implications that Freire’s view of a liberating faith has on racial equity in education
Transformational Power of Theatre of the Opressed with Marginalized Students
No full textA reflective essay on how I came to find Augusto Boal\u27s Theatre of the Oppressed and how it transformed me, my theatre program and ultimately, my students. I introduce how I came to this practice and how I use Boal\u27s techniques and practices in combination with others to create my own theatre pedagogy. I discuss assessments based on a non-traditional rubrics such as self-worth, vulnerability, adaptability, collaboration, creativity, empathy and unity. Finally, I believe this collaborative theatre is a type of social justice in and of itself; it offers a way to radicalize and liberate ourselves from oppressive systems which most of us are constantly boxed into
Disconnected connection: A reflective look at the challenges of student engagement in higher education during COVID-19
No full textCrisis for the University Student: Changing Student Housing and Growing Cost Burden
No full textCollege cost burden and student debt are among the most pressing discussions in contemporary US society. This conversation has largely been focused on changes in tuition and fees. While this is important, over 60% of the college cost at four-year public institutions is housing. This substantial burden has already forced 35% of four-year college students to be housing insecure and 7% to be homeless (Baker-Smith et al., 2020). In order to address this, it is essential we understand the factors driving housing costs and its impacts on students. This paper assists in that goal by investigating changes in on- and off-campus housing costs at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in recent years. Using tuition, fees, and on- and off-campus housing data from UNC Charlotte, we demonstrate that student housing cost increased by 6% on-campus and 20% off-campus between 2017 and 2019. We also collected survey data from 99 students. According to those results, 59% of students currently feel cost burdened by their housing cost and 88% would feel burdened if their rent increased. Students believed being part of a growing university and city attributed to increasing off-campus rents.
Keywords: housing, surveys, students, higher education, mixed-method
Feminism = Women\u27s Movement? The Effects of Gender and Terminology on Endorsement of Feminism
No full textBuilding on past research, this study examined whether endorsement of feminism is still influenced by terminology used (i.e., feminism vs. women’s movement) and participant gender. 100 undergraduates (36 men and 64 women) were randomly assigned to receive scale items that either referred to feminism/feminist or women’s movement/women. In addition to endorsement of feminism using these items, activism, acceptance of traditional gender roles, and feminist identification were measured. As expected, men endorsed feminism less than women, and participants in the women’s movement (vs. feminism) condition endorsed feminism more. When controlling for feminist identification, there was no gender difference in activism or acceptance of gender roles for participants in the feminism/feminist condition; however, women reported more activism and less acceptance of gender roles than men in the women’s movement/women condition. This study suggests that there is still stigma surrounding feminism that influences its endorsement, especially among women
Employees\u27 Psychosocial Beliefs and Workplace Attitudes
No full textAs employees spend a great deal of their adult lives in the workplace, it is important to investigate their beliefs and attitudes toward the organizations in which they work. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore whether there were differences between United Kingdom and United States employees’ perceptions of their well-being, psychological capital (PsyCap), occupational self-efficacy, interrole conflict, and attitudes about their workplace. This study also examined associations between employees’ well-being, PsyCap, occupational self-efficacy, interrole conflict, and attitudes about their workplace. Lastly, the study explored if Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (1943) could be used in the coding of employees’ workplace attitudes. While there were no cross-national differences, there were significant associations between many of the variables. Moreover, while participants wrote positively about their workplaces and felt they generally aligned to their values, Maslow’s Hierarchy (1943) did not demonstrate to be a useful theory to guide coding
Helping Young Children Develop Emergent Language and Literacy Skills: The Roles of Curriculum, Training, and Coaching
No full textThis article discusses the need for accessible, practical, and cost-effective professional development for Head Start teachers in developing emergent language and literacy skills. We describe the development and components of ABCDuet: teaching materials, professional development and personalized coaching. The program is designed to make training and coaching in language and literacy teaching practices more effective, accessible, user-friendly, and sustainable, using innovative software and video assets. We report findings on the feasibility and efficacy of ABCDuet implementation on teacher and child outcomes from an evaluation of the program in 21 Head Start classrooms. Outcome data indicate the program can be implemented in authentic preschool settings by teachers with varied educational backgrounds and experience, serving children with a wide range of emergent language and literacy skills