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Student Perceptions of Teacher Praise: Considering Diversity
Get PDFThe purpose of this study was to expand the praise preference literature by considering student diversity. Specifically, students (grades 7-12) acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were assessed while considering the following: (a) White/ Non-White, (b) Rural/ Suburban, (c) Special Education/ General Education, and (d) Low SES/ Middle-High SES. Students’ acceptability and preferences for praise and reprimand were collected through the Adolescent Praise and Reprimand Preference Survey (APRPS). A total of 1125 students completed the APRPS. Regardless of diverse group comparisons (except Low SES and Middle/High SES) the top three preferences across (schoolwork and appropriate behavior) all groups included (a) private paise, (b) get out of work passes, and (c) extra credit. For Low SES and Middle/High SES groups private praise and extra credit were most preferred; however, Middle/High SES also most preferred get out of work passes and Low SES also most preferred private and public points. Except for White and Non-White reprimand preferences for not doing work, all students (regardless of diverse group comparisons) preferred private reprimand for not working and inappropriate behavior. Differences were found amongst the diverse group comparisons which are detailed, along with limitations and future directions
Exploring International Graduate Students’ Internship Experiences in the USA: A Case of Eastern Illinois University Students
Get PDFInternational graduate students in the United States begin their academic journey with the goal of professional growth, but they frequently struggle to secure internships due to bureaucratic barriers and competitive marketplaces. This study explores Eastern Illinois University\u27s international graduate students\u27 experiences through the perspective of sensemaking theory, with the goal of understanding how they make sense of the internship process. In-depth qualitative interviews with ten students revealed that students make sense of their internships in two ways: on one end, the struggles, and on the on the other end, how they are strengthening. Through sensemaking, students analyze and adapt to their struggles and cultivate resilience and strategic approaches to their professional development.
Key themes emerged from the interviews, demonstrating that students make sense of their internships as critical to their professional development, but face major barriers in obtaining these opportunities. Navigating visa constraints in the application process, cultural obstacles, and a competitive internship environment are all struggles. Despite these struggles, students use their sensemaking talents to analyze and adapt to the challenges, cultivating resilience and strategic approaches to their professional development.
The study concludes that higher education institutions, particularly Eastern Illinois University, play an important role in helping international students by improving career services, fostering social sustainability, and advocating for legislation reforms that make internships more accessible. The fundamental implication is that international graduate students require a comprehensive support structure that covers both their professional and personal requirements, aiding their effective integration into the US workforce and contributing to the global talent pool
Navigating Black Identity: Black Young Adults’ Perception of Being ‘Black Enough’ in America
Get PDFThis thesis highlights young adults’ assumptions that social performance and certain cultural proficiencies validate one’s Blackness. I discuss cultural expressions and differences and social behaviors and why such markers and differences are insufficient to define and authenticate Black identity. I posit that the primary determinant of Blackness is a matter of biology and a shared historical context. I begin by reviewing historical and contemporary perspectives on the racial identity of African Americans and Black Africans across various eras in the United States. This is followed by analyzing the ways in which young people question their Black identities—ethnic, cultural, social, and collective—and the many discrepancies occasioned by defining Blackness only by these parameters. As examples, I analyze three stories in Ibi Zoboi’s anthology Black Enough: Stories of Being Young & Black in America. In looking at Varian Johnson’s “Black Enough,” I focus on the limitations of defining Blackness by social behaviors. Using Brandy Colbert’s “Oreo,” I discuss why social hybridity is assumed to “unauthenticate” an individual’s Blackness, concluding that Blackness is not dependent on one’s dominant social milieu. To address some disparities between the African American culture and the Black African culture, I look to Black African’s social and cultural misconceptions about African American Blackness in Tochi Onyebuchi’s “Samson and The Delilahs.” Ultimately, I argue for greater attention to the complexity of Black identities. This study encourages a more inclusive understanding of what it means to be Black in the U.S. context
