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Teachers’ Description of Multiple Initiatives Implementation: A Phenomenological Study
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of K-12 public school teachers who have implemented multiple initiatives in a Wyoming school district. This study sought to answer two research questions: (1) How do K-12 public school teachers describe their lived experience with implementing multiple initiatives? (2) How does the lived experience of K-12 public school teachers implementing multiple initiatives help to understand whether teachers are experiencing initiative fatigue? A descriptive phenomenological design was used to investigate to experience of 12 K-12 teachers in a southwest Wyoming public school district who experience multiple initiative implementations. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the steps in Giorgi’s (2009) descriptive phenomenological method. After transcription of each interview, the meaning units were abstracted and turned in to themes utilizing In Vivo coding and thematic analysis. This process produced four categories, which described the participants’ experience: implementation process, impacts and effects, perceived problems, and professional growth. This structure depicted an experience consisting of waves of initiatives or overlapping initiatives. Within this environment, teachers felt the impact on their classroom practices, their professional selves, their emotional state, and their students. Despite some professional growth, the 12 participants conveyed a mostly negative experience. The results of this study can assist future educational leaders in understanding change from the teachers’ perspective in order to gain positive outcomes for reforms
A Case Study to Determine Classroom and Field Educator Perspectives on Occupational Therapy Student Readiness for Transition to Clinical Practice
No full textIn occupational therapy education, fieldwork is essential to preparing students for licensure and practice. Fieldwork is where students are afforded opportunities to assimilate knowledge gained through didactic coursework into newly constructed knowledge developed through practice in authentic clinical environments. The classroom and the field represent diverse and unique teaching and learning environments which students are required to successfully navigate. Facilitating student success these environments requires the efforts of educators and the students themselves. Understanding educator perspectives about student readiness for practice in fieldwork settings can advance organized professional educator development, lead to improved academic curriculums, and more productive communication between academic and field educators. This qualitative case study sought to elucidate perspectives regarding student readiness from the viewpoint of occupational therapy academic and field educators. Data for the study was collected from open-ended survey questions, interviews, and a focus group. Results of the study revealed that educators in both the academic and clinical learning environment value similar characteristics of student readiness for transition to fieldwork. The study also revealed a limited ability in all the educators to clearly articulate the educative processes they employ to improve student readiness. These findings provide evidentiary support that academic programs might use to address their admissions criteria and their curriculums. In addition, the results of this study support the growing need for organized educator preparation and development programs in the profession
Propers 16 (Pentecost 14) Series B 2018
No full textThis PDF comments on the Propers Sixteen, Series B and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching
The Rise of Mass Incarceration and the Private Prison Industry: 1970s-Present
No full textOver the past thirty years the prison population in the United States has rapidly increased to the point that the U.S. now has the largest prison population in the world. How did this happen? Through research, this thesis will argue that mass incarceration is a direct result of the war on drugs and tough on crime policies dating back to the 1970’s. These policies largely targeted the urban poor and minorities. With a rapid increase in the prison population during 1980’s, state governments began to look to the private sector for a more cost-effective alternative. Private prison companies started with immigration detention centers and later gained state contracts. After multiple scandals ranging from escapes, violence, and neglect these companies backed away from state contracts. They returned to immigration detention centers bringing with them all they had learned from operating prisons
A Phenomenological Study: How College Students With ADHD are Affected by Fragmentation and Disassociation
No full textStudents with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD) struggle with more learning challenges than any other group of students; these individuals may experience spiritual fragmentation that impacts the effectiveness of academic program structure and learning outcomes. The purpose of this hermeneutic, phenomenological study was to explore college students with ADHD are affected by disassociation and fragmentation. The conceptual framework for this study was based on the constructionist theories of Maslow, Vygotsky, and Erikson. Purposeful sampling included 39 participants using a Qualtircs survey as the instrument. In addition, five of these parcipants were also interviewed. Data were analyzed through open, axial, and selective coding to identify common patterns and themes of behavior from the participants. The Qualtrics Survey and interviews revealed that 75% of participants understood the textbook definition of fragmentation but only 33% of participants understood how fragmentation hindered their ability to learn. Seventy one percent of participants had experienced trauma in their lives with 48% having that trauma cause them to fail in academia, jobs, and relationships. Regardless of these high failure rates 62% of particpants felt that they had strong enough coping skills in place to cope with life issues with 82% of these particpants still struggling with negative coping skils such as binge drinking, illegal drugs, overspending and over eating. The implications of this study may affect students, parents, educators, universities curriculum, and military personal who struggle with these conditions by increasing awareness of effective tools and strategies used to improve the learning outcomes of students with ADHD
Inclusion or Special Education Resource: Teacher Perceptions of Placement Decisions on Academic Growth
No full textThis qualitative study explored the thoughts and perceptions of 16 teachers and their experiences working with special education students. The programming options most often offered by school districts are general education inclusion or a separate resource setting, yet there is a limited amount of research showing actual academic progress to guide decision making. The following question was central to the research: Based on teacher perceptions, do students with special needs show the most academic success in general education inclusion classes or special education resource classes? Data analysis led to the identification of the following six themes: behavior interfering with teaching, student’s academic progress with content, need for socialization, district-level concerns, programming depends on individual students, and the need for both settings. The information collected suggested that providing a combination of general education inclusion together with a separate special education setting was the best way to encourage academic success. This should be done on an individual basis but all options within the continuum of services should be available. The results obtained from the present study provide a greater understanding of teacher perceptions in both general education and specialized settings and the type of educational supports that are most beneficial and necessary to the academic success of students with special needs
The Effects of Targeted Intervention on Low-Income Urban Students\u27 Reading Achievement
No full textToday’s students are tasked with taking and passing standardized tests each year. Recent tests show that only 36% of the nation’s fourth-grade students are reading at or above proficiency level (Nations Report Card, 2017). Self-regulation strategies, strategies that help students monitor, plan, and make adjustments to their learning during a learning cycle, have been shown to increase student learning outcomes. This quasi-experimental study examines whether the implementation of an intervention in self-regulation has an impact on student reading achievement. In this study, an experiential group of students participated in a 13-week intervention that taught strategies for monitoring learning and progress toward goals. Student test scores from the Northwest Evaluation Association (NWEA) were used for the pre- and post-tests to measure reading achievement growth. Findings from this study revealed no statistically significant relationship between participation in the intervention and student achievement. However, students who participated in the intervention did show more growth than their peers and showed more self-monitoring behaviors at the conclusion of the intervention. Further research should be conducted to determine the long-term effects of this type of intervention on low-income students
Understanding the Student Intern\u27s Journey Through a Holistic Counseling Center: A Phenomenological Inquiry
No full textEight Counselors in training (CITs) were followed through their professional counseling internships in a holistic outpatient counseling center. All participants were similarly exposed to mindfulness activities including yoga, qigong, meditation, and auricular acupuncture over the course of a semester, then asked to respond to the research question: How do student interns of the study site perceive and describe their lived experience of mindfulness phenomena? Phenomenological methodology was applied to the study and data was gathered through focus group discussion and face-to-face interviews. CITs registered descriptions of mindfulness phenomenon with insight, depth, and meaning. Their descriptions were recorded, transcribed, coded, themed, and distilled to the four invariant themes of Attunement, Allowing, Wellbeing, and Flow. The four themes were consistently reflected in literature and hold promise to the benefits of mindfulness practices for CITs personally and professionally. In sum, this study was a relevant response to the research question. Results of this inquiry, while encouraging, are limited by research methodology, sample size and geographic region. More research is needed to further assess the potential benefit of mindful approaches for therapists and clients alike