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Service-Learning & Early Childhood Teacher Education: A Qualitative Exploration of Professional Preparation Standards
No full textPreparing teachers to work with children and families cultivates high-quality early learning. This study explored the impact of service-learning on early childhood pre-professional students (candidates) and community partners (CPs). Focus group transcripts illustrate connections between service and professional preparation standards. Service-learning and professional standards intersect through the experience of candidates and CPs. Findings support the use of Kolb’s model as a foundation for service-learning in early childhood teacher education and can inform service-learning in other disciplines
Enhancing Learning, Changing the World: How Service-Learning Influences the Brain
No full textService-learning helps students learn about course concepts through applying them in a setting outside the classroom. The experiences provided by service-learning create conditions that can lead to changes in the learner’s brain. In this paper, we provide support for this assertion from research in brain-based learning with suggestions of how to explicitly apply concepts from these areas of study to service-learning pedagogy so that we might increase learning
Social and Cognitive Outcomes of Service Learning: Results from a Pre-Post and Control Group Comparison
No full textStudents in an undergraduate course opted to either complete a service-learning project or write article summary papers over the course of a semester. Analyses revealed a significant increase in aspects of empathy, social responsibility, and community and personal involvement in the service-learning group, but not in the control group. The findings are discussed in terms of the social and cognitive benefits of service learning and considerations for incorporating service learning into a gerontology-related course
Engaging Vulnerable Youth in Community-Based Participatory Research: Opportunities and Challenges
No full textDrawing on a community-university (CU) partnership between a non-profit organization that serves teen families, a housing organization and a university, this paper discusses the opportunities and challenges that can arise when engaging vulnerable youth in research. Through this paper, we share reflections on promising practices and ethical considerations in the participant recruitment, data collection, data analysis, and dissemination stages of the research process. Conclusions are offered for those seeking to engage vulnerable youth in research
From Reflection to Resumes: Alumni Perceptions of a Multi-Term Public Service Program’s Connection to Career
No full textThis paper explores how alumni of a multi-term public service program understand the connection between the program and their career development. Qualitative data were collected from 393 alumni based on six open-ended survey questions. While career and professional development is not an explicit goal of the program, a thematic analysis suggests that alumni perceived that the program connected to career reflection, boosted their resume, and guided them toward a public service career or specific jobs
Virtual Service Learning: An Exploration into How Physical Therapy Students Make Meaning of Professional Skill Development Online
No full textThis study explores the perceived effect of a virtual service-learning (SL) experience upon the development of professional skills among physical therapist students. A qualitative case study approach was used to analyze reflection papers through the lens of the constructivist learning theory. Data revealed that virtual SL strengthens communication, fosters adaptability, and cultivates leadership practices. Findings suggest that virtual SL may be less likely to enhance certain affective skills that are crucial to patient-centered care
Stimulate The Senses: How the Great Outdoors Affects Mental Health
No full textMental health disorders and illnesses are a majority concern in societies across the globe in our current age. This paper examines the impacts and the benefits of the outdoors in relation to mental health. Various aspects of the outdoors, such as connection, nature-based therapies, and specific elements, will be addressed to see what kind of an impact the outdoors can have. Studies on these aspects will be reviewed and compared to determine if it is hugely beneficial and worth trying before starting new medications with a long list of side effects for mental health disorders. The findings have shown that even spending a small amount of time outside each day can have a positive impact on mood and mental health. In addition, the same studies show improvement in overall health and well-being, not just mental health. Informing individuals on this benefit can help treat mental health illness and prevent individuals from spending money on various medications
Long Term Effects on Health: Analyzing the Lasting Effects of COVID-19 on the Human Body
No full textThe ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised concerns regarding the long-term effects it can leave on an individual’s health. This abstract provides an overview of the emerging evidence of the long-term effects of COVID-19. Research indicates that COVID-19 can lead to acute or chronic health effects, affecting multiple systems in the body. The symptoms that have been known to effect quality of life in patients that have been suffering from long-haul COVID. While the full spectrum and mechanisms of long-term effects are still under investigation, understanding and addressing the long-term health consequences of COVID-19 remain critical for patient care and public health planning
Academic Motivation Of African American Male Students At Indiana State University
No full textAfrican American student academic performance is a topic of much concern in the U.S. (Allen, 1992; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper et al., 2012; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992). Thus, the task of closing the academic achievement gap between Black and White students is a worthy assignment undertaken by many researchers. The purpose of this study is to perform a qualitative inquiry to learn more about the African American male psychological motivation of self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept. Literature about African American student self-esteem and self-concept exists yet based on my observations, it appears that few studies focus solely on either of these constructs for African American men. (Allen, 1992; Awad, 2007; Black & Allen, 2017; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al., 2015; Harper, 2015; Steele, 1992; Styles, 2017). Thus, this studys purpose includes examining the African American male psychological motivation of self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept. The overall goal of this study was to perform a qualitative study to determine if legitimate relationships exist between self-esteem, racial identity, and academic self-concept and if these relationships contribute to Black male educational attainment. This study uncovered relationships between the four psychological constructs: academic self-concept, self-esteem, racial identity, and academic performance. This study pursued relationships which could be relevant to ideas and solutions for Black male higher education students (Allen, 1992; Awad, 2007; Black & Allen, 2017; Cokley, 2000, 2002, 2003; Cokley & Moore, 2007; Cokley et al, 2015; Harper, 2015). Studying these constructs included how Black mens educational achievement is influenced by discriminatory issues, which are covered in the literature. Thus, findings may show how Black men confront discrimination in their quest to succeed in college (Brundage, 2020; Cappelli, 2020; Congressional Caucus on Black Men and Boys, 2013). It is important to grasp better how Black male students succeed in higher education environments where perceptions of them may be compromised by societys uninformed tainted depiction of Black males. Though Black male students continue to achieve, equitable approaches needed to close the achievement gap between Black and White male students are still sought. Though the life of this dilemma has aged, barriers that impact it have also. Thus, some may anticipate a more significant role for higher education to play in providing more equitable services to Black male students, providing greater leadership in actively uncovering Black male student needs, and then addressing them. Moreover, the studys findings indicate that growth mindset may possess promising potential in impacting what motivates Black male students to achieve despite the barriers they face. Yet, there is much more to learn which leaves a need for further research on this topic
Stress Physiology Of Bats: Methodological And Biological Studies Using Hair Cortisol
No full textStress physiology in bats can be studied through various non-invasive methods, with hair cortisol levels being a particularly valuable measure. Hair cortisol analysis provides insights into the long-term stress levels and physiological states of bats, as it captures cortisol accumulation over time. This method helps researchers understand how different stressors and environmental factors impact bat populations. In mydissertation, I focused on assessing the validity and reliability of hair cortisol measurements in bats and explored the implications of these measurements for understanding bat stress physiology. In the first chapter, I evaluated the use of commercial enzyme immunoassay kits to measure cortisol (CORT) in the hair of big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ). I tested several methodological variables, including extraction efficiency, storage conditions, and differences in CORT content between dorsal and ventral hair samples. My results demonstrated accurate antibody binding across the standard curve range, with consistent CORT measurements achievable using only 3 mg of hair. I found that subsamples extracted once in methanol yielded about 80% of the total CORT. Storage conditions impacted CORT content in samples from bats stored for long periods, but no significant differences were found between dorsal and ventral hair samples. Based on these findings, I recommend shorter-term storage up to one year, limited storage in the pulverized state, and consistent sampling locations on the body. In the second chapter, I investigated hair cortisol levels in three bat species—big brown bats, eastern red bats ( Lasiurus borealis ), and Indiana bats ( Myotis sodalis )—captured over three summers in northeastern Missouri. Using validated immunoassays, I examined species and demographic variations in hair CORT levels, using information-theoretic modeling approach. I found that hair CORT levels were influenced by mass, year, and their interaction across all species. Among reproductive females, species and year explained variation, with lower hair CORT levels for Myotis sodalis and Lasiurus borealis compared to Eptesicus fuscus . Within Eptesicus fuscus , differences in body mass were positively but weakly associated with hair CORT. These data provide baseline values for hair cortisol in temperate-zone bats, although interpretation is complicated by the incomplete understanding of molt timing in these species. In the third chapter, I explored the relationship between short-term and long-term glucocorticoid (GC) measures and immune function in big brown bats ( Eptesicus fuscus ). I examined the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in relation to hold time before blood sampling and hair cortisol levels. Using an information-theoretic modeling approach, I analyzed data on 243 bats and found that sex predicted NLR, with females having higher NLR than males, but hold time did not. In a subset of the same bats for which I had both GC measures, hair cortisol was a weak and positive predictor of NLR, suggesting that longer-term stress is a predictor of shorter-term stress responses. For young bats, hair cortisol, which reflects both prenatal and postnatal stress exposure , did not predict NLR. Overall results suggest a muted white blood cell response to elevated GCs in both adults and juveniles, with in that the average time in captivity prior to blood sampling (~30 minutes) did not elevate blood cortisol sufficiently to induce a white blood cell response that was reflected in the NLR