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Perceptions of Texas High School Football Coaches Regarding Concussions
No full textWith new information regarding degenerative neurological problems, researchers linked Alzheimer’s disease with repeated head injuries such as a concussion. The new findings resulted in an outcry from the public, and the medical fraternity provided more information and safety for coaches and players. To this end, football regulations have been amended and player education, especially at the high school level, has increased. The purpose of this qualitative multiple case study was to explore how medical data and media exposure on the subject of football-related concussions influence the perceptions and practices of Texas high school football coaches. The study was conducted at five school districts, and the participants included eight head football coaches in Texas. The methodology applied semi-structured interviews and direct observations for data collection. The data were analyzed using field notes and NVivo coding, which uncovered four themes that were used to substantiate the findings. The key findings from this study indicated a need for a continuation of increased concussion awareness. Also, findings from this study indicated media coverage and recent medical findings increased the coaches\u27 awareness of the potential seriousness of concussions, and media coverage and recent medical findings influenced their coaching practices and attitude towards the sport. Concussed athletes were handled according to UIL protocol, which included talking to parents. The concussion protocol of the school eased the burden off the coaches and allowed them to focus on coaching the team
Social Media Policies and Academic Freedom: Higher Education Faculty and Administrator Perceptions
No full textThe aim of this study was to determine the perceptions higher education faculty members and administrators have on the use of social media, whether academic freedom applies to social media, and the legal protections of academic freedom on social media. A quantitative survey and semi-structured interviews were employed to gather descriptive data about perceptions from a mixed group of higher education faculty and administrators. Chi square analysis was used to determine significance of constructs. Results from this survey indicate that administrators are more likely to use social media personally and professionally, while faculty members are more likely to believe the protections of academic freedom apply to social media. Fewer than half of both groups believed social media was protected by academic freedom. This study demonstrated a definite need for greater understanding of academic freedom protections by administrators and further research in this unexplored territory
Understanding the Public Education Gender Gap Amid Secondary and Central Office Administrators
No full textDespite advances in political movements and societal awareness, there is still an obvious gender discrepancy among U.S. public education secondary school and superintendent positions plaguing our nation. Data indicates that most middle and high school classroom teaching positions are filled by women and yet more campuses and districts are led by men. The literature review uncovered two main categories that lead to this gap: external and internal factors. Societal bias, stereotypes, and hiring practices are among the external causations of this margin. Likewise, work life balance and self-desire to combat old organizational structure impact women internally from assuming advanced leadership positions. Based on this information, and two guiding questions addressing women’s challenges and perceptions were explored, and an anonymous survey of current and aspiring leaders from three Houston, Texas area public school districts was administered. The results demonstrate a correlation to the two categories discovered through the literature review and key findings were generated to gain more understanding into the gender gap. The study includes direct comments and experiences provided by the study group. More importantly, the study provided viable insight into steps and further study options that can be generated to continue the conversation addressing a more balanced leadership profile
A Phenomenological Study of Six Helping Professionals and Their Experiences with a Persistent Adolescent Suicide Cluster
No full textThis phenomenological study examined the lived experiences of six helping professionals, or gatekeepers, who serve the same community and in their professional roles have been professionally exposed to an adolescent suicide cluster. The purpose was to explore a fresh perspective, to uncover similarities between the participants’ experiences, and to better understand the effects that teen suicide has on helping professionals. The three-part interview design did achieve data saturation, and the multi-phase analysis stimulated the emergence of five distinct themes: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) as a root cause, a description of the at-risk teen population, short-term crisis response, long-term stabilization, and helping professionals’ means of coping with adverse gatekeeper experiences (AGEs). The results of this study are significant and demonstrate: (a) how a group of gatekeepers, from a variety of service industries, perceive the cluster phenomenon, affected teen group, and prevention efforts; (b) how this study’s participants have been similarly impacted by adolescent suicide; and (c) how they have remained dedicated to protecting and developing healthy youth.
Keywords: Suicide, adolescent suicide, teen, at-risk, susceptible, suicide cluster, victim, survivor, aftermath, crisis response, coping, gatekeeper, helping professional, phenomenology, lived experiences, adverse gatekeeper experience
Building Effective Parental Involvement In Middle Schools: The Parents\u27 Perceptions
No full textParental involvement is an integral variable that bears a significant value in the overall academic achievement and learning process of a student’s educational journey. Therefore, all parents should play a major role in their children’s academic success from elementary through middle and high school. The prime focus of this research was to examine the perceptions of middle school parents and find strategies to build effective relationships between the school and home. This two-part case study utilized Epstein’s (1995) School and Family Partnership Surveys of Teachers and Parents in the Elementary and Middle Grades, and semi-structured interviews to gather a firm understanding of the parents’ perceptions of parental involvement. Guided by Epstein’s (1995) Six Types of Involvement, this study examined the different ways parents are involved in their children’s academic achievement. Forty-five parents completed the survey and 22 of these participants were interviewed. The data were analyzed and the results were coded based on Epstein’s (1995) Framework of the Six Dimensions of Parental Involvement: parenting, communication, volunteering, learning at home, decision making, and collaborating with the community. The qualitative findings of this research showed that parents want to be involved, but there was a disconnect in communication between the families and the schools
The Perceptions of Middle School Counselors on Bullying Preparedness
No full textSchool counselors are in a position to enforce bullying interventions and provide prompt and thorough investigation of student reported incidents. There are many causes and types of bullying creating challenges for school counselors when identifying the warning signs. This challenge is one obstacle middle school counselor’s encounter when approaching and addressing reported incidents of harassment. My purpose for completing this qualitative case study was to discover middle school counselor’s perceptions on resources, strategies used, and what additional training may be needed to provide prompt and thorough investigations of students adequately reporting bullying incidents. In this qualitative case study, I collected insights from middle school counselors from four local school districts in Southeast Texas regarding their perceptions of bullying and prevention procedures at middle schools. I focused on school counselors at these middle schools (grade levels sixth through eighth). I examined the experiences of middle school counselors in these school districts, as well as the resources and training provided to them. The underlying problem that led to this study was that current middle school counselors might not have up-to-date resources or training on school practices so that they can promptly and thoroughly investigate student reported incidents of bullying. These challenges are obstacles that middle school counselors encounter when approaching and addressing reported incidents of bullying. The findings of this study revealed that middle school counselors’ perceptions of bully preparedness need up to date resources, face challenges when addressing bullying, and identify gaps between what is being done to address bullying and what should be done. Counselors need resources that focus on bully awareness and conflict resolution skills
Teacher Efficacy and Its Influence on Classroom Management When Teaching African American Males in Grades PreK-2: A Case Study
No full textThis observational case-study examined teacher efficacy and its influence on classroom management when teaching African American males in grades preK-2, through the lens of choice theory (Glasser, 1998). Data were analyzed with the intent of gaining an in-depth understanding of how teacher efficacy influenced classroom management when addressing the needs of survival, power, freedom, fun, and belonging of African American males in grades preK-2. Through the use of professional development, the intended goal was to discover insight of how to better assist teachers in supporting the social and emotional needs of their African American male students in grades preK-2. The researcher expected to find a relationship between classroom management and teacher efficacy, when considering the influences of various elements such as professional development, teacher bias, the availability of educational resources, and cultural awareness. Data was collected from pre-and post-professional development responses, as well as from observations. Research was conducted in a suburban Illinois school district, located on the outskirts of a major Midwestern city. Participants included 10 teachers whose classroom population consisted of 5 or more African American male students in grades PreK-2. Using the comparative analysis design, teacher pre-and post-professional development responses were compared to one another. Findings revealed that teachers who understood how to fulfill students’ needs of survival, power, freedom, fun, and belonging, through the use of professional development, were able to identify, create, and implement appropriate classroom-management strategies that were directly tailored to the needs and abilities of their African American male students
A Case Study Investigation of Differentiation in Middle Grade English and Math Classrooms
No full textThe research questions investigated in this study were designed to explore (a) what strategies of differentiation teachers used in their practice of teaching and learning, and (b) what challenges teachers faced in implementing differentiated strategies. Efforts to answer these questions were supported by existing related research and theories in the field of education and were examined using an explanatory case study methodology. The intent of this study was to add to the body of literature regarding the ways in which middle grade teachers used differentiated strategies and the challenges teachers faced in implementing differentiated strategies. The findings of this study indicated teachers had an awareness of the terms associated with using multiple methods to address the unique learning needs of students, but in practice, they actually implemented differentiated strategies on a limited basis. Participants indicated inconsistent use of differentiated strategies to reach student learning objectives and extend student learning. Multiple stakeholders, including specialists who work in the field of academically and intellectually gifted and who work in the field of special education students, should be viewed as valuable in the process of planning instruction. To improve student learning using differentiate strategies, teachers must embrace a common understanding regarding differentiated strategies. Interactions between multiple educational organization stakeholders have value when investigating the experiences of teachers regarding their use of differentiated strategies and the barriers they faced in implementing of those strategies
