Journals.uncc.edu (North Carolina's Urban Research University)
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Understanding cultural factors contributing to obesity in Head Start Hispanic preschoolers: Perceptions from one county Head Start
No full textObesity rates among low-income Hispanic preschoolers are higher than those of whites, highlighting the need for understanding the cultural factors that may contribute to obesity. A survey was distributed to Hispanic Head Start families; preschooler body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Two focus groups examined caregiver perceptions about obesity and meal practices. The rate of overweight/obesity in the preschoolers was 44%, whereas, 79.4% of caregivers reported child weight as “normal.†Caregivers perceived “thinness†as a disadvantage, favored home-cooked meals, and expressed a desire for children to assimilate to mainstream foods. Obesity prevention within Head Start must account for caregiver perceptions of healthy weight and incongruities between cultural values/ practices and guidelines. Head Start practitioners must understand the influence that school foods/meal styles have on cultural meal practices at home and the influence of social networks on home health behaviors. An opportunity exists to educate families within their cultural social networks
Four Classrooms Model How Teachers Use Spanish in Head Start
No full textNational Head Start policy mandates incorporating Dual Language Learner (DLL) children’s home language in classroom instruction. It is less clear, however, how this is actually implemented in early childhood classrooms. In four local Head Start centers in a predominantly Spanish-speaking DLL county, classroom observations helped shed light on when the home language of Spanish was used and how it may have contributed to DLL children’s school readiness skills. The observations revealed that Spanish was used to promote certain academic as well as planning and recall skills; to provide emotional caregiving; and to communicate with parents as well as during daily health routines. Thus, in line with Head Start’s “whole child†model, Spanish was used for academic, socio-emotional, and health development as well as to strengthen the home-school partnership
Unhealthy Weight Status in Head Start Preschoolers: The Role of Hispanic Culture
No full textObesity rates among low-income Hispanic preschoolers are higher than those of low-income whites, highlighting the need for understanding the culturally factors that may contribute to obesity. Utilizing a community-based approach, a survey was distributed to Hispanic Head Start families; preschooler body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Two discussion groups examined caregiver perceptions about weight status and meal practices. Caregivers perceived “thinness†as a disadvantage, favored home-cooked meals, and expressed a desire for children to assimilate to mainstream foods, but these practices could contribute to unhealthy weight status. Obesity prevention within Head Start must account for caregiver perceptions of healthy weight and incongruities between cultural values, meal practices and weight guidelines. Findings provide considerations for Head Start programs when designing culturally-relevant obesity prevention programs that are responsive to Hispanic families’ cultural needs and perceptions
Preliminary Analysis of Technical Characteristics of the Basic Technology Competencies for Educators Inventory-Revised
No full textThe purpose of the present study was to update and evaluate technical characteristics of the Basic Technology Competencies for Educators Inventory. Undergraduate and post-baccalaureate teacher education majors provided data for analysis. The principal component analysis supported the theoretical structure of the 10 components hypothesized in the design. The before and after instruction study supported the predicted change that would be expected after instruction in basic technology, with large effect sizes. The internal consistency reliability coefficients indicated a high level of homogeneity within components and across all items on the BTCEI-R scores, which will result in consistent scores. The results of this study support the use of the BTCEI-R for measuring educators’ technology competencies
The Future of Social Justice in Adult Education: A Gateway to Evolutionary Change
No full textABSTRACT WILL NOT BE INCLUDEDSocial justice is a difficult term to define, partly due to its overall complexity. In general terms, social justice is a set of beliefs and behaviors concerned with liberty, individual and collective rights, social, economic and political opportunities.Social justice has expanded to include a broad set of definitions that differ depending on the source. Social justice means different things to different individuals based on their current studies or occupation. The challenge is determining how our societal roles help narrow a working definition of social justice so itcan be applied to graduate programs and organizational training programs, in much the same way that mission statements are applied. Similar to mission statements that include a succinct set of standards and goals agreed upon by those within an organization, a definition of social justice can be just as succinct without excluding history or hope for the future
Critical Points of Resistance: Preparing Adult Educators to Educate Inside the U.S. Prison System
No full textThis is a proposal answering the call for the Special Theme Issue on Adult Learning and Mass Incarceration. The purpose of this proposed research article is to present a case study that demonstrates the application of innovative critical pedagogical teaching methods used in a University classroom setting with adult educators who were preparing to teach inside the U.S. prison and jail system. While there is a body of literature that discusses the nature of adult education in the prison classroom, there has been a lack of data-based research that specifically highlights the critically overlooked issue of how do we develop adult educators for the task of teaching on the “inside� This article will be an example of engaging alternatives and reformulating the conceptualization of how to approach preparing adult educators to teach behind bars by discovering and creating new possibilities for the role of adult education in prison
Reentry: Advancing Social Justice While Forging New College Student Identities in Transitional Places of Incarceration
No full textThe mass incarceration of minority men and women in America continues to increase yearly. While there has been a plethora of studies that consistently confirm that educational programs for incarcerated individuals reduces recidivism, few, if any focus on the education of individuals who are at transitional places of incarceration. How does a short intensive college preparatory program at a transitional place of incarceration affect incarcerated men’s perceptions of themselves as potential college students upon release? The findings from this study show a positive shift in students’ attitude and motivation towards attending college and can help inform the development of college preparatory programs at transitional places of incarceration. Â
