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PERCEPTIONS OF LOW-INCOME PARENTS ON KINDERGARTEN READINESS: A QUALITATIVE STUDY
Full text linkThere is a significant amount of research documenting the importance of school readiness and its implication for life-long consequences (Jarrett & Coba-Rodriguez, 2017, 2018; Kang et al., 2017; Malsch et al., 2011). Parents play a critical role in supporting the acquisition of all skills needed to prepare children for school readiness. Readiness refers to being prepared with the necessary skills to access learning (Saracho, 2023). The purpose of this study is to explore the practices and perceptions of low-income parents on kindergarten readiness skills in the Hollywood School District (HSD) as measured by the Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA). Students in HSD enter kindergarten demonstrating readiness at a rate lower than other students in the state of South Carolina (SC Education Oversight Committee). Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the researcher conducted semi-structured interviews with parents of kindergarten students who scored demonstrating readiness on the KRA in a high-poverty, rural school district to gather data on lived experiences with preparing children to start school and their perceptions of readiness. Thematic analysis of the interview data revealed themes of parents’ perceptions of readiness and practices. The anti-deficit achievement framework (S. R. Harper, 2010, 2012) served as the basis for developing the research and interview questions from an asset or strengths-based mindset instead of a mindset that focused on what was lacking. Findings indicated how parents successfully prepared their children for kindergarten, their expectations of prekindergarten education, and their misconceptions and perceptions of school readines
Relationship between driving while impaired and riding with an impaired driver among adolescents in the United States
Full text linkBackground: Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use (ATOD) and sexual risk-taking are contributors to the health and welfare of adolescents and a significant percentage engage in these behaviors. These behaviors may contribute to other risk-taking such as driving while impaired (DWI) or riding with an impaired driver (RWI). The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between DWI and RWI and ATOD use, sexual risk-taking, and physical fighting among adolescents. Methods: Date for this study were derived from the 2017, 2019, 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) (n = 45,132). Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between DWI and RWI and ATOD use, sexual risk-taking, and physical violence. Results: Heavy smoking, binge drinking, prescription pain medication without a prescription, sexual intercourse with four or more people, and being in a fight on school property were associated with DWI. Binge drinking, prescription pain medication without a prescription, alcohol or drug use before last sexual intercourse, and being in a fight in or out of school were associated with RWI. Conclusions: The results seem to suggest that risk behaviors are intertwined with DWI and RWI. There may be a combined effect of engaging in one risk behavior, influencing engagement in other risk behaviors.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the Journal of Substance Use: https://doi.org/10.1080/14659891.2024.238927
The Impact of Cash Holding Decisions on Firm Performance in the IT Industry
No full textThis study examines the relationship between corporate cash holdings and firm performance within the IT industry, which is characterized by intense competition and rapid technological advancements. We propose an integrated framework that combines principal component analysis (PCA), machine learning (ML) algorithms, and Shapley additive explanation (SHAP) values to estimate and interpret model outcomes. Based on 21,051 corporate financial statement data items from 2004 and 2023, the empirical evidence supports an inverted U-shaped relationship between cash holdings and profitability, suggesting that holding either too little or too much cash is suboptimal. Among the tested models, the random forest demonstrates the highest explanatory power (R2) and the lowest prediction errors (RMSE), outperforming the traditional ordinary least squares (OLS) regression by explaining 47% more variance. Our findings provide practical implications for researchers and stakeholders interested in enhancing corporate risk management and performance.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the Journal of Risk and Financial Management: https://doi.org/10.3390/jrfm1811062
The Chanticleer, 2024-10-03
Full text linkThe editorially independent student produced weekly newspaper of Coastal Carolina University.https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/chanticleer/1740/thumbnail.jp
Use of space by urban Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus) as a window into habitat suitability
Full text linkWild animals in urban environments face new challenges that may change how they use space and, at the same time, how they use space provides clues to suitability of habitat: bird territories in desirable areas tend to be smaller and populations denser. Loggerhead Shrikes (Lanius ludovicianus), historically associated with shortgrass habitats such as pasture and shrub steppe, occur widely in urban areas of the southeastern United States. For a complete picture of shrike use of space in urban spaces, we present three measures for a population inhabiting urban areas of Horry County, South Carolina: population density, home range size, and nest spacing. We maintained an individually banded population of shrikes in a core 8.4 km² study area of occupied shrike habitat within a larger 19.8 km² monitored area. We estimated breeding season, non-breeding season, and year-round home range sizes by mapping perch locations of 38 banded shrikes throughout the year. We used records of 142 nests to calculate distance to nearest neighboring nest. Over a three-year period, the 8.4 km² core area supported 6.9 shrikes/km². The extended monitored area supported 2.9 shrikes/ km². Year-round home range estimates averaged 2.5 ha, and breeding and non-breeding home range sizes did not differ. Median distance to nearest active nest for 85 focal nests was 354 meters (range 43–1751 m). Comparisons of these metrics with other published studies indicate that shrikes in this urban area are at higher densities, maintain smaller home range sizes, and nest more closely to their neighbors than their rural conspecifics, indicating that urban areas likely provide richer resources for Loggerhead Shrikes than rural areas.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in the Journal of Field Ornithology: https://doi.org/10.5751/JFO-00458-95020
The effects of conspecific stress cues caused by harassment in the mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus)
Full text linkMany organisms, especially fish, participate in herding or schooling behaviors for various benefits such as increased survival rates, better hydrodynamic efficiency, or for hunting tactics. Due to being in a tightly packed group, disturbances or predation in their environment can result in group behavioral changes. Fish release hormones into surrounding water through excretions like urine because of a disturbance which may affect their surrounding conspecifics. In this experiment a lone mummichog (Fundulus heteroclitus) was exposed to a water sample from other conspecifics who were stressed through harassment. Physical behavioral changes such as changes in swimming activity, respiration rates and position in the tank were observed and recorded. Overall, the lone individual had a significant increase in behavioral changes when exposed to water containing conspecifics stress hormones. All the parameters of behavior change that were looked at had an increase in occurrence from the control to experimental trials. Analyzing the significance of these behavioral changes will lead to conclusions about the importance of chemical cues in not only a fish’s lifestyle, but also other species that have schooling or herding behaviors. Learning more about the behavioral stress responses for harassment will lead to important findings in this world with growing industrialization where humans are increasingly encountering wild animals and disturbing them
POLYGLOT
No full textPOLYGLOT: the concept album is the debut solo album from clarinet player Eric Schultz. It was recorded in the Edwards College recital hall at Coastal Carolina University by Mckinley Devilbiss in March 2022. The music was commissioned by a Professional Enhancement Grant from CCU and was supported with funding from Coastal Carolina University’s Department of Music and The South Carolina Arts Commission.
This project was published as Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. POLYGLOT was produced by PARMA Recordings and was released on Navona Records on October 4, 2024 (https://www.navonarecords.com/catalog/nv6655/).https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/polyglot/1000/thumbnail.jp
TEACHERS’ PERCEPTION OF SCHOOL COUNSELORS’ EFFECTIVENESS WHEN SUPPORTING MIDDLE-LEVEL AFRICAN AMERICAN MALES
Full text linkSix teachers representing three sites in a single school district shared their perceptions through interviews regarding school counselors\u27 effectiveness when supporting African American middle-level males academically, socially, and emotionally. A reflexive thematic analysis guided this study with the help of the sociocultural and expectancy theories. As participants shared their perceptions through interviews, they answered the three research questions that guided the research. The research questions are: (a) What are teachers\u27 perceptions of the effectiveness of school counselors in addressing the unique social and emotional needs of African American male students? (b) What do educators expect of school counselors regarding supporting African American male students\u27 academic, social, and emotional success? and (c) What are teachers\u27 perceptions of their role regarding collaboration with school counselors to promote student academic, social, and emotional success?
This research revealed that teachers perceived school counselors as effective when supporting African American middle-level students. As teachers shared their expectations of school counselors, they often expressed the expectation of collaboration. The collaborative efforts between teachers and school counselors are vital as middle-level students explore different roles, values, beliefs, and relationships to find themselves and fit in with society\u27s norms. Additionally, following the unique challenges faced by middle-level students, according to Erikson (1985), it is essential to note the societal influences that negatively affect African American male students.
This study adds to the literature and the need for potential targeted professional development for teachers to better understand school counselor roles and responsibilities and iv work more collaboratively to support students. Participants emphasized the need for professional development to collaborate more effectively with school counselors to help students
The Relationship between Sun Protective Behavior, Health Beliefs, Attitudes, and Norms of Sun Exposure among College Athletes
Full text linkThe purpose of this study was to access the relationship between sun protective behavior, health beliefs, attitudes, and norms of sun exposure among college athletes. An electronic survey was provided to student athletes for about two weeks in October of 2023. Prior to student participation the Institutional Review Board approved the protocol and data collection. The survey was sent to the students by the athletic director through an app called Teamworks that connects to all the athletes at Coastal Carolina. The majority of students who took the survey reported they did not wear sunscreen in past games/practices. Of those who felt susceptible to skin cancer, believed their lifestyle increased their risk of skin cancer, and felt reapply sunscreen was not an inconvenience were more likely to wear sunscreen during their games/practices. Those who felt susceptible to skin cancer due to their lifestyle and who reported their friends wore SPF 30 sunscreen were more likely to get sunburnt at games/practices. This study further shows the importance of informing college athletes about sunscreen protection and skin cancer awareness. There is a need for more encouragement and information spread about this topic to have a greater chance at preventing skin cancer
Between Religion and Politics: The Case of the Islamic Movement in Israel
Full text linkThe power of the “moderate” branch of the Islamic Movement (Alharaka al-Islamiyya, subsequently referred to as IM) Southern Faction (IMSF) in Israel stems from its ability to adapt to different situations, reconcile with the complex reality of being an indigenous minority in a state that defines itself a “Jewish state”, and operate within the state structure accepting democratic processes that have long been debated to clash with Islamism. Besides being represented in the Israeli Knesset since 1996, the culmination of this adaptation was the joining of the movement to the short-lived Zionist coalition government on 2 June 2021 (the government collapsed in July 2022). This historic entry of an Arab Party into a Jewish/Zionist government coalition for the first time in Israel’s history was a shocking surprise to many, not only due to the IM being an Arab–Palestinian movement but also an Islamist movement. My analysis shows that despite this reconciliation, the IM continues to emphasize religiosity, binding it to the national political struggle and identity of Israel’s Palestinian minority. For its supporters, the IMSF is seen as a meeting point of spiritual/religious needs on the one hand and material needs in the social, political, and cultural spheres on the other. However, for its opponents, mainly from the other Arab political parties, the IM had deviated from the national consensus and accepted strategies and tools to deal with the challenges facing them as a minority in Israel. And, for some others, the IM had even deviated from Islam itself. I draw on a field study that spanned several years. It is based on qualitative, extensive interviews with senior Islamist and non-Islamist leaders in Israel, as well as primary sources of the IM, including publications, leaders’ speeches, and social media. All quotes in this article are based on the author’s interviews during 2022–2024. Interviews with the following leaders and activists: IM leader Abdul-Malik Dahamsheh, sheik Ibrahim Sarsour, former MK Muhammad Hasan Ken‘an, Nosiba Darwish ‘Issa, IM MK Eman Yassin Khatib, NDA’ chairman Sami Abu Shehadeh, secretary general of Abnaa al-Balad (Sons of the Country) Muhammad Kana‘neh, and with Kufr Qare‘ former mayor Zuhair Yahya were conducted by in-person or by phone during summer–fall 2023. The interviews with former IMNF activist Aisha Hajjar, activist Zuhriyyeh ‘Azab, journalist Abd el-Rahman Magadleh, and DFPE member Elias Abu Oksa were conducted via What’s App, Messenger, and e-mail in 2022. The interview with political analyst Ameer Makhoul was conducted in December 2023 via Messenger. Follow-up communication was mainly through What’s App to clarify certain points. The interview questions focused on the reasons for the Islamic Movement’s division into two wings, the religious and political justifications for entering the Knesset and the coalition, the relationship between the southern wing and the main Arab parties active in the Israeli Knesset, the experience of unity with them, and the experience of its members while in the Zionist coalition. This article examines how the Islamic Movement in Israel uses religion as a tool to influence the national, cultural, political, economic, and social lives of the Arab minority in Israel. It asks: How does the Islamic Movement, religiously and politically, justify its involvement in the political game and in a Zionist government coalition, and how do Arab parties perceive this involvement? Moreover, it raises an important question about the nature of the movement: to what extent is the Islamic Movement a political Islam movement, and whether it has abandoned the basic goals of political Islam for the sake of becoming a democratic Islamic party? This article will provide significant insight into crucial aspects of the IM that have been previously overlooked. While being in a Zionist coalition gave hardly any latitude in decision making about policies, budgets were an attractive avenue for the Islamic Movement to guide public opinion and gain political support. The article comes during the ongoing war on Gaza, which will undoubtedly cast a shadow on the political climate and the political map in Israel in general and on the political work of Arab parties and the Islamic Movement in particular. Although it is too early to predict the impact of this war on the Islamic Movement and its political future, it can be assumed that the impact will be profound.
This article was published Open Access through the CCU Libraries Open Access Publishing Fund. The article was first published in Religions: https://doi.org/10.3390/rel1501011