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Caught at a Crossroads: Secondary Principals’ Perceptions of Change Agentry within Two Paradigms of Education
Full text linkSecondary school principals increasingly face the challenge of working in the space between the existing, obsolete paradigm of education (standardized testing and accountability) and the paradigm that has yet to come into existence (i.e., a radically different way of thinking about education as a social system). Principals continue to be held accountable for increasing student achievement (based on continued use of assessment tools that are inadequate to prepare students for the realities of the 21st Century) while implementing a paradigm that does address realities for the 21st Century. Such a paradigm emphasizes cognitive development where thinking, through reciprocal processes of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and viewing have primacy (i.e., providing opportunities for young people to learn how to think rather than being told what to think as opposed to the emphasis in the traditional transmissive, standardized assessment and accountability paradigm). Thus, principals are caught at the crossroads between a paradigm based on an outdated understanding of achievement and a paradigm based on understanding equity, access, technology, and opportunity gaps caused by societal injustices traditionally advantaging Whites while disadvantaging African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans. The purpose of my study was to understand secondary principals’ perceptions regarding change agentry as it relates to those who viewed change agentry as paradigmatic (meaning a change in leadership, assessment, curriculum, and the definition of achievement) from those who seek piecemeal changes and do not recognize a need for a paradigmatic change. All participants spoke of a paradigmatic change, but perceptions and beliefs shared by participants suggest it is not yet understood
Lived Experiences of Students, their Parents, and their Teachers regarding Students who Returned-to-Learn Post-Concussion: A Phenomenological Approach
No full textThis dissertation examined the experiences of students who sustained a concussion while in high school and returned-to-learn with post-concussion symptoms, as well as the students’ parents and teachers. Return-to-learn (RTL) is a process through which students re-integrate into the classroom after a concussion. Through a phenomenological qualitative research study three students, four of their parents, and six of their teachers were interviewed to examine the academic, social and emotional implications of students returning to learn while enduring post-concussion symptoms. Implications from this study include the need to increase teacher, student, and parent education regarding concussion and to create a systematic communication process for working with students post-concussion
The Impact of Depression and Anxiety on the Academic Achievement of Foster Youth
No full textThe purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to identify barriers to and facilitators of academic achievement in foster youth diagnosed with depression or anxiety and identify evidence-based interventions in the literature aimed at improving these variables. Ten foster youth ranging in age from 13-18 years were interviewed using a semi-structured interview process. The data was coded according to the first two steps of the constant comparative method, giving consideration to nuances such as metaphors and linguistic connectors. Results indicated that facilitators of academic achievement include teacher support and encouragement, a desire to become independent, and a positive attitude towards school and learning. Barriers to academic achievement include learning and cognitive difficulties and a lack of teacher support. Effective interventions aimed at improving academic achievement in this population, including those identified by participants and those identified in the literature included providing greater support and encouragement to students, periodically checking student understanding throughout class, providing information about college or career preparation, individualized and direct instruction, promoting parental literacy behaviors, effective classroom behavior management, creating opportunities to highlight student success, providing hands-on learning experiences, and involving students in the decision-making process
Querer Superarse: First-Generation Latinos
Full text linkFirst-generation Latinos have endured challenges in an educational system that was not designed to serve or support them as they progress from kindergarten through high school. However, many first-generation students have beaten the odds through scholastic achievement, high school graduation, and acceptance to a four-year university. The intention of this study was to get a better understanding of what the determining factors are that help first-generation students overcome the challenges they face as they strive to succeed in high school, then obtain a college degree. The research also aimed to understand which intrinsic and extrinsic influences impact first-generation Latino students. Guided by social capital theory, this study used a qualitative approach to examine the high school experiences of eight first-generation Latinos attending a local university. The findings indicated that first-generation students are driven to succeed in high school via five interconnecting areas: encouragement from their parents, encouragement from teachers, programs and resources, thinking about the future, and aprovechar las oportunidades (taking advantage of the opportunities) an education offers. Each of this study’s eight first-generation Latinos currently attending a local four-year university experienced all five of the finding areas throughout their high school journey. The purpose now is to share these findings with my school site, which serves a significant large population of Latinos, so that we may continue to guide and support students who are going to college and strive to encourage, motivate, and inspire more Latinos to pursue a college degree
Attitudes Towards Teaching Computational Thinking and Computer Science: Insights from Educator Interviews and Focus Groups
Full text linkIn the last three years, integration of both computational thinking (CT) and computer science (CS) into K-12 instruction has become a focus of many schools throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia and the United States. With this new widespread demand, educational leaders and educators are focusing efforts on understanding the core concepts and practices of CT and CS, looking for logical connections for integrating across curriculum, and seeking strategies for implementing a wide variety of educational technology tools (apps and devices). This phenomenological research study was designed to gather depth information from 14 K-16 educators through both semi-structured interviews and two focus groups. Participants were asked open-ended questions about their self-efficacy, confidence, and prior experiences with teaching and learning CS. Moreover, each educator described his or her most significant concern for seeking appropriate professional development for building their CT/CS teaching and learning competencies in meaningful and relevant ways. Overall, nine themes emerged from the data: attitudes about CT/CS, access to industry experts, understanding CT/CS concepts, understanding CT/CS practices, use of relevant technology tools, alignment of CT/CS to current standards, teacher confidence, time to develop their own mastery for CT/CS, and access to appropriate professional development (PD) as the main connector
Access and Success in Rigorous Math Courses: English Learners and Reclassified Students in High School
Full text linkThis study focused on access and successful completion of A-G math courses for English Learner (EL) students. Access and success rates in A-G math courses for current and former ELs from six districts were analyzed, including how the rates vary by EL levels and time of reclassification. Relevant literature was reviewed, including state guidance for EL reclassification, tracking and placement, scholarship about EL access to rigorous coursework related to the English requirement for college, access to advanced courses, and math serving as a gatekeeper to more rigorous math courses and college access. This study focused on two research questions 1) How is the classification level of current and former English Learners related to their access to and success in rigorous (A-G approved) math courses in high school? 2) How does this vary by EL level and time of reclassification? The results of the study were analyzed through Bourdieu’s cultural capital framework and it was ascertained that EL students’ accessed and succeeded in A-G math courses at significantly lower rates than RFEP students. While higher level EL students accessed rigorous math courses at a higher rate than lower level EL students, success in these courses was not related to EL level. The results of the study further indicated that third and fourth grades are critical grades for reclassification as related to experiencing success in rigorous math courses. Based on the results, five recommendations for addressing these inequities are offered follow by ideas for future research
Sex-Specific Developmental Effects of Father Absence on Casual Sexual Behavior and Life History Strategy
No full textA substantial body of research has investigated the effects of early family environments on the sexual maturity and behavior of adolescents and young adults. Most of this research has focused primarily on (i) early childhood environments, (ii) these effects in females with much less attention devoted to males’ sexual maturity and behavior, and (iii) sexual behavior of adolescents and young adults. To address these limitations, we asked 392 adults (209 males, 183 females; ages 17–62) to report the ages at which they lived with their biological father across their first 20 years of development, their number of casual sex partners, and to complete a life history (LH) strategy measure. Consistent with theoretical predictions, males had more casual sex partners and a faster LH strategy than females. For both males and females, longer time spent growing up with their biological father was associated with fewer casual sex partners and a slower LH strategy. The current study also provides clear evidence of sex-specific developmental effects on reproductive strategies as a function of when during development father absence (FA) occurs. When FA occurred during middle childhood, females exhibited faster LH strategies; whereas, when FA occurred during adolescence, males exhibited faster LH strategies. Together, these findings suggest the effects of FA are not specific to females nor early childhood environments. In addition, effects of FA appear to persist beyond adolescence and early young adulthood with opposite effects on males’ and females’ reproductive strategies depending on when during development it occurs
Conducting and presenting qualitative research in pharmacy education
No full textSituation: The evolution of practices in healthcare and the content and delivery of pharmacy education have generated new challenges for practitioners and academicians. Fittingly, pharmacy education research in the academic setting has grown rapidly to provide innovative solutions to these challenges. One approach for addressing these challenges includes the collection and analysis of qualitative research (QR). Though a useful methodological tool, many pharmacy educators are not trained to appropriately conduct QR and present the findings of their work.
Methodological literature review: QR offers many advantages for pharmacy education researchers. However, prior to delving into QR projects it is important to understand the key distinctions of the approach, role of the researcher, and the significance of situating the study so that the research question, data collection techniques, and analysis procedures are aligned.
Recommendations: We provide recommendations for several key components for conducting QR, articulating the process, and presenting and contextualizing the findings.
Implications: This article serves as a primer on QR methods, offering relevant background information, ways to apply this approach in pharmacy education research, and recommendations for presenting qualitative findings. Employing rigorous qualitative approaches in pharmacy education and appropriately presenting the procedures and findings will increase the visibility of QR and provide an opportunity for scholars to become familiar with the approach
An Exploration of Pharmacy Education Researchers\u27 Perceptions of and Experiences Conducting Qualitative Research: Challenges and Benefits
Full text linkObjective: To investigate pharmacy education researchers’ experiences conducting qualitative research and their perceptions of qualitative research in pharmacy education.
Methods: One-time, in-depth interviews were conducted with 19 participants across 12 schools/ colleges of pharmacy. Faculty represented the most significant demographic in the sample, followed by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows/scholars, and residents. Interview transcripts were coded, and emergent themes were identified using a modified form of the Sort and Sift, Think and Shift method.
Results: This study revealed that pharmacy education researchers have varying levels of training in conducting qualitative research or none at all. On average, participants had either led or contributed to three qualitative projects (range 1-20 projects). Three emergent themes were identified: 1) pharmacy educators\u27 qualitative training experiences, 2) barriers and challenges to considering and conducting qualitative research in pharmacy education, and 3) benefits of employing qualitative research in pharmacy education.
Conclusion: The application of rigorous qualitative approaches by pharmacy education researchers clearly holds great potential in addressing complex and evolving healthcare problems. However, like other health fields, findings from this study suggest that increased opportunities for training and exposure to qualitative approaches are needed to enhance preparation and appreciation for this vital research tool
Has \u27Too Big to Fail\u27 Been Solved? A Longitudinal Analysis of Major U.S. Banks
No full textIn the wake of the global financial crisis that erupted in 2008, there has been extensive commentary and regulatory focus on the ‘Too Big to Fail’ issue. In this paper, we survey the proposed solutions and regulatory initiatives that have been undertaken. We conduct a longitudinal analysis of major U.S. banks in four discrete time periods: pre-crisis (2005–2007), crisis (2008–2010), post-crisis (2011–2013) and normalcy (2014–2016). We find that risk metrics such as leverage and volatility which spiked during the crisis have reverted to pre-crisis levels and there has been improvement in the proportion of equity capital available to cushion against asset value deterioration. However, banks have grown in size and it does not appear as if their business models have been redirected toward more traditional lending activities. We believe that it is premature to conclude that ‘Too Big to Fail” has been solved, but macro-prudential regulation is now much more effective and, consequently, banks are on a considerably sounder footing since the depths of the crisis