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Extending the Incarnation Through the Ages: A Systematic Study of the History of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word
Get PDFExtending the Incarnation through the Ages is a program that aims to help formation directors in the diverse houses of formation of the Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament by offering a systematic study of the history of the Order of the Incarnate Word. This program intends to help women in formation to articulate the historical and spiritual development of the Order. Through an in-depth study of the historical journey of the Order, women are offered a process to help them to reflect on the relationship of Jeanne Chezard de Mate! with the Person of the Incarnate Word as the force that impelled the expansion of the Order. It is the hope of the program that, through reflecting on the history, the struggles and graces received, and the service the sisters have given, sisters in formation will be able to commit to the building of the Reign of God by becoming women of the Incarnation in our current reality
Homelessness: Relationships Between Program Completion at a Transformational Shelter and Mental Illness, Substance Abuse, and Trauma
Get PDFEach and every evening many people do not have a home to return to. Solving the epidemic problem of homelessness is an ongoing pursuit. Analyzing issues related to homelessness will help solve the problem of homelessness for some individuals and families. Data was gathered, prioritized and analyzed to determine correlations and relationships between completion of a transformational shelter’s program and mental illness, substance abuse, and trauma. Demographic variables were assessed as well. A person is more likely to complete the program if they have a substance abuse issue. Females are more likely than males to complete the program. Program completion is more likely as a person gets older. This study is significant because as it communicates a 47.6% completion rate for this new transformational shelter located in the southwestern part of the United States. The contribution of this research is providing a greater understanding of the impact that substance abuse has on the homeless population. Additionally, an understanding that female members are experiencing a greater level of success at completing the program than men. Social workers can now be better equipped to meet the needs of individuals in their shelters. This study will add significance to the overall research on homelessness because there is currently limited research proving the validity of an integrated program available. This study is foundational to understanding the factors that contribute to homelessness and the relationships that these factors have with successful completion of the individualized program
Sustainable Development and the Issue of Water in the Kagera Region of Tanzania
Get PDFOver the last five decades, an abundance of research on sustainable development has emerged in multiple disciplinary areas, but few studies on the economic, social, and environmental dimensions of sustainability have examined water issues for rural communities. Consequently, the purpose of this case study was to understand how a group of rural women from the Kagera region in Tanzania perceived and experienced sustainable development as a result of their improved access to water. The following central questions of the study sought to explore the local meanings of sustainable development and improved water sources: (a) How was life of rural women from the Kagera region in Tanzania before the rainwater harvester project, and how did it change as a result of it?; (b) How did the rural women from the Kagera region in Tanzania perceive and experience the economic, social, and environmental impact as a result of easier access to water?; and (c) As a consequence of the rainwater harvester project, what did they seek to sustain, and what did they seek to develop? Using a qualitative case study approach, I traveled to Bukoba, Tanzania, to interview members of the Bukoba Women’s Empowerment Association (BUWEA) who were associated with the water project. The findings of the study revealed the hardships of living without easy access to water. The rural women of the Kagera region spent countless hours trekking through harsh terrain in search of water, at times fearing for their safety, while enduring fatigue, illness, punishment, and having to deal with contaminated water. With support from nonprofit organizations, the rural women built rainwater harvesters in four villages. Economic, social, and environmental improvements were reported as a product of easier access to water. Moreover, their reflections provided their own framework and understanding of sustainable development based on four themes: membership, partnerships, group projects, and empowerment. The BUWEA women understand sustainable development as an action constructed under their own framework with outside support. The concept of sustainable development calls for strong membership, supportive partnerships, meaningful group projects, and ultimate feelings of empowerment, all leading to the expansion of their capabilities and enhancement of freedom. Institutions, policymakers, and NGOs should support local initiatives in a collaborative manner with mutual agreement on results as a strategy to secure commitment and sustainability from all
Seguir Adelante: Motivational Qualities of Mexican-American Men Who Achieved a PhD
No full textThe United States is currently facing numerous problems throughout the educational system, from elementary school to higher education. These problems include lack of resources, teaching effectiveness, educational quality and equity. It is apparent that of the severe inequities in our educational system, some groups in our society show disproportionately low rates of educational achievement and participation in higher education. Mexican-Americans are of particular interest due to their growing representation in the United States population. The number of Mexican-American men enrolling in college and completing college degrees is steadily decreasing. The purpose of this study is to explore the perceived motivations of nine Mexican-American males in seeking and completing a doctoral degree. By examining the intensity, direction, and persistence of these men who have completed a terminal degree, educators can learn more about these trends that effect this population
Colorism: The Unspoken Preference to Skin Tone and Its Effect on African American Individuals in the 21st Century
Get PDFThis qualitative study explored the perception of colorism among Black American individuals born between the years of 1952 and 1972 of the pre-Civil Rights Movement and post-Civil Rights Movement generations. Colorism has been defined as the privileging of light skin tone over dark skin tone. The stigma of colorism continues to produce discord, distrust, discrimination, and cultural disconnects between Black and White individuals as well as within the Black American family and community. The aim of the study was to explore the consciousness of colorism in the 21st century and its effect on Black Americans. Racial Identity Development was utilized as the conceptual framework for the study. Through narrative interviews, participants openly shared stories in relation to their life experiences and situations concerning colorism in regard to interracial and/or intraracial discrimination. The findings of the study identified (a) the journey that an African American individual may take in acknowledging and personally accepting a racial identifier, (b) the emotional residue that an individual may sustain due to the subjection of interracial discrimination, and (c) the impact of intraracial discrimination in childhood and/or adolescent years and on adult development. Findings suggest that the concept of colorism continues to be an experience of the Black American culture in America 21st century. Additionally, the findings suggest that adult educators must be knowledgeable of and sensitive to issues of racial identity development and that open and intelligent dialogue concerning interracial and intraracial issues needs to occur in order to dispel ethnic, racial, and societal separation and discord
Transition to a Career Calling: A Phenomenological Study
Get PDFThis phenomenological study explored the experience of eight adults as they perceived, recognized, and transitioned (from valued work) to their career callings. The central phenomenon of this research, callings, is defined as “inner directives towards meaningful life pursuits” (Wall, 2010, p. 7). The response to a calling was explored using William Bridge’s model for moving through life transitions. The research participants were teachers in midlife who had taught in grades K-12 for a minimum of five years after participating in an alternative teacher certification program. Semi-structured interviews included the use of expressive arts providing rich descriptions of the lived experiences of participants. The use of a visual representation facilitated the communication process by providing increased fluency and clarity of the interview responses. Themes from the study included three characteristics of teachers having responded to a calling: (a) integrity or wholeness in the role, (b) innate ability for the work, and (c) a focus on others. Furthermore, six of the eight research participants identified God as the source of their calling. Evidence also illustrated that participants were willing to pay the price of reduced salary, increased responsibilities, or less prestige in transitioning to the career they perceived as their calling. Six of eight of the participants’ childhood experiences were influential in the eventual recognition and transition to their calling with four individuals’ experiences involving childhood difficulties in school. Weaving emerging patterns from interviews and arts-based research within a frame of the contextual constructs of transitions and midlife, provided a unique perspective into the complexity of adult development for these eight research participants. Although no expectation of generalizability exists for the results of qualitative research, as leaders and learners, we all have the opportunity to examine patterns and reflect on applicability in our work environments. It is the hope that individual insight into the prospect of discovering alignment and meaning in career choice will positively impact satisfaction levels and effectiveness for participants in alternative certification programs and other adult education transitional programs
Global Studies Impact: A Case Study of the International School of the Americas
Get PDFThis qualitative case study describes global studies education and curriculum, global citizenship, and the impact of a global studies education and curriculum on students after graduation. What life choices might be influenced by what the students learned through global studies? Did they choose their university studies based on globalized thinking? These are difficult questions to answer, because there are so many variables in the life of an adolescent when making choices after high school graduation. This study discovers the impact of a global studies education with an emphasis on global citizenship on graduates of a global studies high school through student voice and experience—backwards mapping. Graduates from the International School of the Americas, a global studies public high school, were the focus of this qualitative research. The research began with a questionnaire presenting two main research questions plus demographic questions that participants completed. From those participants who responded to the questionnaire, 12 graduates were chosen for in-depth interviews. All data were analyzed for common themes in regard to the global studies questions, related back to the research, and were grounded in theories of adolescent identity theory and adolescent worldview theory. To answer the study question of the impact of a global studies school on its students, four main themes were revealed by the participants: cultural understanding; better equipped for university or professional life; desire to travel or study abroad; and increased political awareness and activity local and globally
How Chief Academic Officers at Private Hispanic-Serving Institutions Use the National Survey of Student Engagement in Assessing Outcomes
Get PDFThe purpose of this grounded theory qualitative research was to investigate how chief academic officers at five private Hispanic-Serving Institutions accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools use the National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results to improve institutional effectiveness and promote undergraduate student success. Five chief academic officers (CAOs) represented their institutions and served as a purposeful sample to qualitatively explore how they used National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) results to facilitate institutional effectiveness and promote undergraduate student success. All these private Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs) participated in NSSE within a specified time frame and were located in one accrediting and geographical region. The two-phased grounded theory research established three axial relationships between the eight coded themes: Actioning (strategizing and prioritizing), analyzing (evidencing, benchmarking, and disaggregation), and culturing (institutionalizing, integrating, and participating). The grounded theory emerged as a synthesis pyramid operationalized within outcomes assessment. Findings indicated that NSSE results are utilized by CAOs in a variety of ways. These included: benchmarking educational practices and peer institutions, linking accreditation and assessment via quality enhancement and strategic plans, formulating and making decisions collaboratively, and using other assessments and results with NSSE results. Findings discovered that NSSE results were promoted more indirectly, than directly, to undergraduates while promoting and integrating NSSE survey results and that all participating CAOs would like to increase NSSE and other assessment participation rates. Also found was a lack of depth communicating what institutional or programmatic actions were taken based on NSSE results to undergraduates. This finding was used to hypothesize how survey participation rates are linked to undergraduate’s ability to make the connection between survey results and institutional actions taken based on those survey results. This linkage, if demonstrated, may inform institutional decision-making, assessment outcomes, and engagement in higher education. In need of further exploration is how other individuals and departments at levels equivalent or below chief academic officers use and make decisions based on the results. Also in need of further investigation is how lessons learned at HSIs can be applied internally and externally to other HSIs, minorities, and emerging populations
Teacher Technology Use and State Accountability Scores: A Correlational Study
No full textThis study was an exploratory study that sought to find a positive correlation between teachers\u27 perceived use of technology and successful test scores as measured by state indicators.
This was an exploratory study that sought to find a positive correlation between teachers\u27 perceived use of technology and successful test scores as measured by state indicators. As more districts purchase expensive technology to assist teachers in reaching the lofty goals set by the state, it is important for administrators and local school board members to know whether or not the purchases are in fact an enhancement to the education process. As districts receive funds from the state, it is equally important for legislators and other state policymakers to have an understanding of the relationship or non-relationship between student learning and technology. The research design employed was correlational intended to assess the relationship between the percent of secondary students meeting passing standards on the state accountability exams for reading and mathematics and teacher responses to the Texas School and Technology Readiness Chart (STaR). The exams used were the reading and math sections of the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS). The study populations were schools with enrollments over 100 students in an educational service region located in Texas. The scores were all based on campus results therefore no individual student or teacher scores were used in this study. This research was similar in nature to a study performed by the Texas Education Agency. As in that study, this study indicated that positive correlations did exist although they were all very slight in nature
