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(1 - 15 of 15)
- Title
- The barriers to obesity prevention or elimination in Libya: A phenomenological analysis.
- Author
- Elrashid, Abubaker Moh
- Abstract/Description
-
Obesity prevalence in Libya has dramatically increased in the last three decades from 12.6% in 1984 to 30.5% in 2009 and from 36.10% in 2010 to 47.4% in 2019. High rates of obesity put Libyans at risk for contracting diseases, including cardiovascular disease, liver disease, diabetes, and cancer. These obesity-related health conditions ultimately affect national development as the Libyan government allocates much of the healthcare budget to the treatment of obesity comorbidities. The purpose...
Show moreObesity prevalence in Libya has dramatically increased in the last three decades from 12.6% in 1984 to 30.5% in 2009 and from 36.10% in 2010 to 47.4% in 2019. High rates of obesity put Libyans at risk for contracting diseases, including cardiovascular disease, liver disease, diabetes, and cancer. These obesity-related health conditions ultimately affect national development as the Libyan government allocates much of the healthcare budget to the treatment of obesity comorbidities. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the perceptions of select U.S. Libyan immigrants about the barriers to preventing or eliminating obesity in Libya. The researcher framed the study using the health belief model (HBM; Hochbaum, 1958; Rosenstock, 1974a). The HBM has six main concepts. Perceived barriers, a concept of the model, guided the development of the research questions. The researcher collected interview data from 10 Libyan immigrants in the United States. The study's findings include a perceived inability of current health education to create awareness about addressing the barriers to obesity prevention or elimination among Libyans. Per the findings, health education regarding obesity is not a priority for Libyans because they do not consider obesity to be a disease. The findings of this study have implications for raising awareness about obesity through primary healthcare. The study may also influence policies relative to the adoption of health education programs that will enforce prevention or elimination rather than treatment of health conditions such as obesity in Libya.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1202001229, WFE0000713
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Basic psychological needs of emergent educational leaders relative to effective leadership practices.
- Author
- Guy, Theresa Marie
- Abstract/Description
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The high turnover and retirement rates of K-12 educational leaders posed a need for providing quality pipelines for preparing emergent educational leaders. Quality educational pipelines should develop effective and stable educational leaders to meet the projected needs for supplying the K-12 educational workforce. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to identify the relationships among perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness as described in self...
Show moreThe high turnover and retirement rates of K-12 educational leaders posed a need for providing quality pipelines for preparing emergent educational leaders. Quality educational pipelines should develop effective and stable educational leaders to meet the projected needs for supplying the K-12 educational workforce. The purpose of this nonexperimental quantitative correlational study was to identify the relationships among perceived autonomy, competence, and relatedness as described in self-determination theory (SDT; Deci & Ryan, 1985) and the five effective leadership practices of Modeling the Way, Inspiring a Shared Vision, Challenging the Process, Enabling Others to Act, and Encouraging the Heart (Kouzes & Posner, 2017a) perceived by emergent educational leaders within the United States' southeastern region. The Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in General Scale (Deci & Ryan, 2000; Gagné, 2003) and the Leadership Practices Inventory®-Self (LPI®-Self; Kouzes & Posner, 2017a) were used to collect participant data from students enrolled in graduate educational leadership degree programs (N = 64) at four universities. The nonexperimental quantitative correlational research design allowed for analyzing the data using a Pearson product-moment correlation procedure. Five significant results were revealed. All three basic psychological needs significantly influenced Enabling Others to Act, and the basic psychological needs of autonomy and competence significantly influenced Challenging the Process. All three basic psychological needs were present in the sample of emergent educational leaders. The emergent educational leaders appeared to require skill development and training in the leadership practices of Modeling the Way, Inspiring a Shared Vision, and Encouraging the Heart to ensure educational leadership effectiveness.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233323356, WFE0000751
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of 4-H youths' prosocial development on academic achievement in north Florida counties.
- Author
- Hancock, Emily Baxter
- Abstract/Description
-
Placing youths' academic achievement over prosocial skill development is stunting youths' social and emotional growth. Research shows that the 4-H youth organization promotes prosocial skill development in youth. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to examine the relationship between the intensity of participation in a 4-H youth program and the development of prosocial behavior in nine to 12-year-olds in three North Florida counties. The research is framed by Arnold's...
Show morePlacing youths' academic achievement over prosocial skill development is stunting youths' social and emotional growth. Research shows that the 4-H youth organization promotes prosocial skill development in youth. The purpose of this cross-sectional correlational study was to examine the relationship between the intensity of participation in a 4-H youth program and the development of prosocial behavior in nine to 12-year-olds in three North Florida counties. The research is framed by Arnold's 4-H thriving model which operationalizes the outcome variables that contribute to positive youth development. The researcher used Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory to support Arnold's model. The researcher sampled public school, 4-H youth from three North Florida counties between the ages of nine and 12. A convenience sample of 4- H youth (N = 72) completed the Bridge-PYD survey to evaluate their presentation of positive development while the 4-H leaders and corresponding classroom teachers completed the Child Trends Survey to reveal youths' prosocial presentation in the two environments. Included in the data collection are measures of youths' most recent reading and math scores on the Florida Standards Assessments (FSA). Moderation analysis demonstrated a significant moderation effect, p < .001, indicating that the relationship between prosocial development and academic achievement is moderated by the intensity of 4-H participation. The results conclude that North Florida 4-H youths presented high prosocial skill development in addition to academic success as measured by the FSA. This study serves as a resource for youth development practitioners and an examination of current education mandates.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1202024515, WFE0000715
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Effects of positive behavior intervention and support levels on office discipline referrals.
- Author
- Franks, Lori Jones
- Abstract/Description
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This quantitative ex post facto study investigated the relationship between the number of Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) that result in out-of-school suspensions and levels of positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) in elementary, middle, and high schools in three school districts in the Southeastern United States. Many public schools decrease disruptive classroom behaviors that negatively affect the learning environment by implementing evidence-based practices like the PBIS...
Show moreThis quantitative ex post facto study investigated the relationship between the number of Office Discipline Referrals (ODRs) that result in out-of-school suspensions and levels of positive behavior intervention and support (PBIS) in elementary, middle, and high schools in three school districts in the Southeastern United States. Many public schools decrease disruptive classroom behaviors that negatively affect the learning environment by implementing evidence-based practices like the PBIS framework that uses six attributes--a multi-tiered approach, reinforcement, data, systems, outcomes, and environment--that addresses the daily systems, data, and practices that affect student outcomes. Also, schools are utilizing internal PBIS coaches to assist in building and sustaining the PBIS framework. The PBIS framework served as a conceptual lens for this study. The U.S. Department of Education Civil Rights Data Collection website served as a data source on office referrals that resulted in an out-of-school suspension. From the website, the researcher collected archival data recorded on a convenience sample (N=285) from elementary, middle, and high schools during the summer 2019 semester. The researcher used Kruskal-Wallis H testing to compare mean differences between the three groups. The results did not find that levels of PBIS support affect ODRs. The conclusions drawn from this study infer that the outcome value of the PBIS framework--a reduction in office referrals--needs to be revisited. Furthermore, the study showed a need to examine PBIS implementation science and close the research-to-practice gap. The study has implications for researchers, educators, and educational policymakers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233296570, WFE0000748
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- An examination of ethnocultural empathy in campus policing.
- Author
- Vaughn, Stefan Wayne
- Abstract/Description
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The quantitative study examined diversity training and police service differences on levels of ethnocultural empathy among Florida's public university campus police officers. Enrollment in Florida's public universities has increased markedly along all social, cultural, and racial lines during the last decade (State University System of Florida [SUS], 2017). As such, campus police officers must interact more routinely with members of various minority groups. Relationships between police...
Show moreThe quantitative study examined diversity training and police service differences on levels of ethnocultural empathy among Florida's public university campus police officers. Enrollment in Florida's public universities has increased markedly along all social, cultural, and racial lines during the last decade (State University System of Florida [SUS], 2017). As such, campus police officers must interact more routinely with members of various minority groups. Relationships between police officers and minority members have long been strained by a myriad of social, political, and economic issues (Clayton, 2018). As a result, campus police officers must maintain cultural competence to promote positive relationships within these diverse campus communities (Moule, 2012). The researcher used the model of ethnocultural empathy (MEE) as a conceptual lens to examine the topic (Wang et al., 2003), along with the Scale of Ethnocultural Empathy (SEE) to collect data relating to ethnocultural empathy levels (Wang et al., 2003) among a small sample (n = 37) of police officers from five public universities in Florida. Ethnocultural empathy is the model's singular concept. Statistical testing compared group differences using independent samples t-tests. The results identified a statistically significant difference relating to an ancillary factor but not in relation to diversity training or police service. The conclusions drawn from the study infer heightened supervisor interest in diversity training development, demographic underrepresentation in Florida's campus police departments, and the need to standardize diversity training curriculum for campus police officers in Florida. The study has implications for researchers, campus police administrators, police trainers, and campus stakeholders.
Show less - Identifier
- 1130061083, WFE0000679
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Examining eighth-grade students' career decision-making: self-determination theory and cognitive information processing.
- Author
- Morris, Rosemarie Herbert
- Abstract/Description
-
Dramatic fluctuations in employment trends pose a problem for young adolescents embarking on the career decision-making process. Paired with inadequate career-guidance resources, this creates a serious societal problem. This study empirically examined relationships among eighth-grade students' perceptions of relatedness, autonomy, and competence (Deci & Ryan, 1985) relative to students' career decision-making readiness (Peterson et al., 1991). Eighth-grade students (n = 108) in the...
Show moreDramatic fluctuations in employment trends pose a problem for young adolescents embarking on the career decision-making process. Paired with inadequate career-guidance resources, this creates a serious societal problem. This study empirically examined relationships among eighth-grade students' perceptions of relatedness, autonomy, and competence (Deci & Ryan, 1985) relative to students' career decision-making readiness (Peterson et al., 1991). Eighth-grade students (n = 108) in the southeastern United States completed the Basic Psychological Needs Scale and the Career Thoughts Inventory. Correlational analyses reveal statistically significant relationships between students' perceptions of autonomy and student perceptions of decision-making confusion (r = -0.42, p = 0.00), external conflict (r = -0.43, p = 0.00), and commitment anxiety (r = -0.21, p = 0.03). Student perceptions of competence show significant relationships with student perceptions of decision-making confusion and external conflict. Perceptions of competence are associated with commitment anxiety (r = -0.18, p = 0.07), decision-making confusion (r = -0.36, p = 0.00), and external conflict (r = -0.38, p = 0.00). Satisfaction of relatedness needs are associated with external conflict (r = -0.36, p = 0.00), decision-making confusion (r = -0.34, p = 0.00), and commitment anxiety (r = -0.07, p = 0.49). The results provide valuable insights for parents, educators, and education policy directors. Development of a career-readiness curriculum designed to meet the basic psychological needs of young adolescents may prove effective in overcoming career decision-making confusion, alleviating commitment anxiety, and reducing external conflicts. Development and pilot testing of such a curriculum remain for future researchers.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233442052, WFE0000752
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Exploring the concepts of critical pedagogy in a university in Western Africa.
- Author
- Nkansah, Joan Nkansaa
- Abstract/Description
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Quality education and appropriate training that students need to become relevant to society are lacking in many Ghanaian universities. The instructional delivery techniques in these universities do not expose students to critical thinking and the development of critical consciousness. However, studies have established that when students possess critical consciousness, they improve themselves and take actions that serve the best interest of society. The identified case is a private university...
Show moreQuality education and appropriate training that students need to become relevant to society are lacking in many Ghanaian universities. The instructional delivery techniques in these universities do not expose students to critical thinking and the development of critical consciousness. However, studies have established that when students possess critical consciousness, they improve themselves and take actions that serve the best interest of society. The identified case is a private university in Ghana that has prioritized cultivating critical thinking skills and developing critical consciousness within students. The strategies for teaching and learning at this university bear similarity with the principles of critical pedagogy. These strategies do not only set the institution apart from other universities but reflect in students' academic and career excellence. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study, therefore, was to explore how the concepts of critical pedagogy inform the instructional delivery methods in the university. The study employed critical pedagogy as the conceptual framework with research questions emerging from the concepts (i.e., problem-posing education, teacher and student roles, praxis, dialogue) as well as the study's problem and purpose. Eleven purposefully selected participants provided an in-depth illumination of the subject matter. The study's findings revealed that the concepts of critical pedagogy inform the instructional delivery methods in the institution through problem-based curricula content, entrepreneurial skill development, collaborative education, and leadership skill development. The study has policy implications. The findings provide resourceful information to educational leaders on future curriculum and instructional design that are appropriate for individual and national development.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1202267438, WFE0000724
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Increasing reading motivation among fourth-grade students in Title I elementary schools.
- Author
- Blake-Griffin, Crystal Dawn
- Abstract/Description
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Children's motivation to read decreases as they advance in grade level to upper elementary school. Only 35% of America's fourth-grade students achieved reading proficiency. There is a need for increased reading motivation; teachers can influence students' motivation to read with certain instructional practices. This qualitative interpretive case study explored how teachers increased students' reading motivation by implementing specific instructional strategies based on the constructs of the...
Show moreChildren's motivation to read decreases as they advance in grade level to upper elementary school. Only 35% of America's fourth-grade students achieved reading proficiency. There is a need for increased reading motivation; teachers can influence students' motivation to read with certain instructional practices. This qualitative interpretive case study explored how teachers increased students' reading motivation by implementing specific instructional strategies based on the constructs of the self-determination theory (SDT): autonomy, competence, and relatedness. According to Deci and Ryan (1985b), satisfying these three SDT constructs fulfills the basic psychological needs of students and determine their behavior as well as their motivation to complete tasks such as reading. The researcher conducted this qualitative interpretive case study in three Title I schools in one school district in the Southeastern United States. Participants were three fourth-grade teachers selected for exemplary implementation of motivational, instructional practices while maintaining achievement standards. The researcher collected qualitative data using two interviews with each teacher and two observations of instructional practices in each classroom. The researcher found that the a-priori strategies that addressed autonomy were choice, authentic tasks, and providing a rationale. Strategies that addressed relatedness were collaborative learning and relationships, and those that addressed competence were positive feedback, providing appropriate challenges with scaffolds, and time for self-selected reading. The emergent strategies were technology and reading, which addressed all three constructs. The researcher believes additional studies are necessary to learn more about how technology can address students' needs for relatedness, autonomy, and competence to motivate students to read.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233323326, WFE0000750
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Instructor intent to integrate online collaborative activities: a case study.
- Author
- Valaitis, Karen Lynn
- Abstract/Description
-
Online higher education has expanded over the last decade to meet workforce needs for job placement in areas such as healthcare. Collaborative activities are a method used in higher education to develop the higher-order skills that students need to succeed in today's workforce. However, instructors have continued to make the integration of online collaborative activities a low priority. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore instructor intent to integrate collaborative...
Show moreOnline higher education has expanded over the last decade to meet workforce needs for job placement in areas such as healthcare. Collaborative activities are a method used in higher education to develop the higher-order skills that students need to succeed in today's workforce. However, instructors have continued to make the integration of online collaborative activities a low priority. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore instructor intent to integrate collaborative activities in online undergraduate courses preparing students in the field of healthcare. Participants were a purposefully selected sample of 10 undergraduate instructors in healthcare who were not integrating online collaborative activities at the time of the study. The sources of data were one-on-one interviews, a focus group interview, and document research. The theory of planned behavior provided the framework to align the purpose of the study and the research questions. The theory of planned behavior assumes a person's intentions accurately predict a corresponding behavior, and the factors influencing their intent include personal attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control. The findings demonstrate that instructors had a negative intent to integrate online collaborative activities, and the primary areas of influence were personal attitude and subjective norms. Major conclusions include the fact that instructors believe collaborative activities do not achieve the intended outcomes and are more difficult for instructors to manage online than in face-to-face courses. Future research should explore whether strategies directed at changing these beliefs alter the intent to integrate online collaborative activities.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1202267738, WFE0000725
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- New Jersey PK-12 principals' sensemaking of their experiences with environmental sustainability efforts.
- Author
- Mendez, Cluny Christine
- Abstract/Description
-
Environmental sustainability is a growing concern around the world and an issue in many organizations. In schools, many principals have implemented environmental sustainability programs for students. However, it is unclear if the principals have created successful environmental sustainability programs while managing their demands and responsibilities. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore how select PK-12 school principals from a New Jersey school district made...
Show moreEnvironmental sustainability is a growing concern around the world and an issue in many organizations. In schools, many principals have implemented environmental sustainability programs for students. However, it is unclear if the principals have created successful environmental sustainability programs while managing their demands and responsibilities. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to explore how select PK-12 school principals from a New Jersey school district made sense of their experiences with environmental sustainability efforts in their schools. The qualitative case study methodology enabled the researcher to develop a holistic portrayal of the bounded phenomenon of environmental sustainability efforts in education. The study had a theoretical framework of the sensemaking theory by Karl Weick. The sensemaking theory's seven constructs were the means of structuring the research questions: constructing identity, retrospective, enactment, social, ongoing, extracted cues, and plausibility. Semistructured interviews with five principals from the selected New Jersey PK-12 school district and document analysis were the data collection methods. Scholars and policymakers could use the study's findings to inform theory, policy, and practice. The study could contribute to the enlistment of people passionate about environmental sustainability, starting with small initiatives; spread environmental sustainability efforts through collaborative activities; and integrate ongoing environmental sustainability efforts in schools. Future researchers could look to gain the perspectives of other stakeholders, such as teachers and students, on this topic.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233864730, WFE0000754
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Nonnative accent bias in high school: an interpretative phenomenological analysis.
- Author
- Roberts, Sarah Kay
- Abstract/Description
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A problem exists in the inequitable opportunities experienced by nonnative accented students in terms of academics, belongingness, and self-efficacy because of accent bias in the United States high schools. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore accent bias for nonnative-accented students in a high school located in the Southeastern United States. Social identity theory was used as a framework to organize and understand aspects of accent bias...
Show moreA problem exists in the inequitable opportunities experienced by nonnative accented students in terms of academics, belongingness, and self-efficacy because of accent bias in the United States high schools. The purpose of this qualitative interpretative phenomenological analysis was to explore accent bias for nonnative-accented students in a high school located in the Southeastern United States. Social identity theory was used as a framework to organize and understand aspects of accent bias for students. Six high school seniors who self-identified as speaking English with a Haitian Creole accent or a Spanish accent were chosen to participate in observations, individual interviews, and journal writing to explore accent bias experiences in this study. Based on its commitment to context and idiographic detail, interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was chosen to be the methodological subtype to make sense of the participants' experiences. The first conclusion was that the participants subscribed to common accent myths which placed a disproportionate amount of responsibility and blame for poor communication on them. Another major conclusion from this study was that these nonnative-accented students perceived explicit forms of accent bias more easily than implicit forms and often denied the existence of both. Third, the participants responded to accent bias through silence. The three major findings that may relate to accent may be an observable characteristic that is to categorize individuals and compare social groups. This research study illuminates new and varied opportunities for future research on accent bias in educational contexts.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233323062, WFE0000749
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Postgraduation residency plans of sub-saharan African doctoral students in the United States.
- Author
- Ayivor, Sandra
- Abstract/Description
-
The international student population in the U.S. is rising annually. Upon graduation, the students make postgraduation residency decisions to remain in the U.S., return to their home countries, or move to a new destination. Research on international students' postgraduation plans points to various factors that influence a stay or go decision. However, research on postgraduation plans has not focused on doctorate recipients from sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, educational, business, and...
Show moreThe international student population in the U.S. is rising annually. Upon graduation, the students make postgraduation residency decisions to remain in the U.S., return to their home countries, or move to a new destination. Research on international students' postgraduation plans points to various factors that influence a stay or go decision. However, research on postgraduation plans has not focused on doctorate recipients from sub-Saharan Africa. Consequently, educational, business, and government leaders lack information about this population that is crucial to address the effects of brain drain. This quantitative study adopted Lee's push-pull theory, which explains the push, pull, intervening, and personal factors that influence migration, to examine the postgraduation residency plans based on sex, age, marital status, dependent status, field of study, and economic classification of country. The responses to the Survey of Earned Doctorates (SED) were analyzed using Chi-square and logistic regression tests to answer the research questions. The results indicate that, on average, 60% of all sub-Saharan African doctorate recipients plan to reside in the U.S. postgraduation. Furthermore, the variables were statistically significantly associated with postgraduation residency plans. Age, marital status, dependent status, and economic classification of the country of origin were significant predictors of postgraduation residency plans of sub-Saharan African doctorate recipients. Leaders in sub-Saharan Africa and the United States can use the results for student support services and employment-related decisions. Future research should consider employing longitudinal research, mixed methods designs, and include other variables that may provide comprehensive knowledge of the factors that influence postgraduation residency plans.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1201541186, WFE0000710
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Teaching students living in poverty: perceptual experiences about training, strategies, and resources.
- Author
- Gibson, Paul Dennard
- Abstract/Description
-
Many American children live in poverty in the United States and struggle daily with seven basic resource deprivations that represent the constructs of this study. The constructs are: "health and nutrition, vocabulary, effort and energy, mindset, cognitive capacity, relationships, and stress" (Jensen, 2013a, p. 8). The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore the perceptual experiences of elementary school teachers working with students who live in poverty...
Show moreMany American children live in poverty in the United States and struggle daily with seven basic resource deprivations that represent the constructs of this study. The constructs are: "health and nutrition, vocabulary, effort and energy, mindset, cognitive capacity, relationships, and stress" (Jensen, 2013a, p. 8). The purpose of this interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) was to explore the perceptual experiences of elementary school teachers working with students who live in poverty and attend a low-SES elementary school in the Southeastern United States. This study used the framework of Jensen's brain-based learning theory to explore the phenomenon of students living in poverty, which was the impetus for development of Jensen's theory (Jensen, 2013a). The findings support Jensen's theory regarding academic engagement influences relative to the constructs. Using an IPA , the findings reveal that participants felt students living in poverty faced challenges in academics that more affluent students did not encounter but still had the capacity to learn at some level and were academically responsive to strategic, personal attention from the participant teacher. Participants revealed parental feelings of responsibility for the care and nurturing of students, which often grew out of a lack of parental involvement from students' parents or guardians. Participants discussed feelings of responsibility to procure needed resources for students when available and to provide resources personally when unavailable. Finally, participants expressed feelings of love and ministry for students and believed that positive influences in the lives of students living in poverty could change students' lives in a beneficial manner.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- Identifier
- 1293882251, WFE0000764
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Transformative learning within social work diversity education: a mixed methods study.
- Author
- Anzaldo, Lauren Marie
- Abstract/Description
-
Recent societal shifts underscore the importance of preparing social work students for effective practice with diverse populations. Lack of cultural competence among social workers is a problem that can negatively impact communities (Sue et al., 2009). Diversity education is thus a fundamental component of accredited social work graduate programs. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore the transformative impact of diversity education on the cultural competence of...
Show moreRecent societal shifts underscore the importance of preparing social work students for effective practice with diverse populations. Lack of cultural competence among social workers is a problem that can negatively impact communities (Sue et al., 2009). Diversity education is thus a fundamental component of accredited social work graduate programs. The purpose of this convergent mixed methods study was to explore the transformative impact of diversity education on the cultural competence of graduate social work students at a public university in the Southeastern United States. Transformative learning theory, which addresses the change process in education (Mezirow, 1991), offered a framework to explore emergent cultural competence for one cohort of 49 full-time social work students selected as a case study. A convergent mixed methods design with an embedded case study approach offered a multifaceted understanding of participant experiences. Extant field assessment data served as a quantitative data source. Classroom observation and interviews provided qualitative data. Data sets were analyzed then merged and compared. A paired-samples, two-tailed t test indicated a statistically significant difference in mean cultural competence scores on the field assessment between midterm (M = 41.43, SD = 8.12) and final (M = 47.18, SD = 9.63); t(27) = -5.9, p < .01, d = 0.65. Thematic analysis of qualitative data revealed themes of developing cultural competence as well as constructs and phases that are associated with transformative learning. Integration and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data offered an expanded understanding of emergent cultural competence within social work diversity education.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2020, 2020
- Identifier
- 1233653956, WFE0000753
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- Turnaround principals' practices in the southeastern United States: a case study.
- Author
- Lopez-Romano, Brianne Marie
- Abstract/Description
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Turnaround principals of chronically inadequately performing schools faced myriad challenges and required the requisite skills to derive positive transformational change (Duke, 2015). Challenges include identification of the root causes, development of a cohesive turnaround plan, successful implementation, and progress monitoring (Duke, 2015). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore best practices of principals leading turnaround reform efforts. Four cases...
Show moreTurnaround principals of chronically inadequately performing schools faced myriad challenges and required the requisite skills to derive positive transformational change (Duke, 2015). Challenges include identification of the root causes, development of a cohesive turnaround plan, successful implementation, and progress monitoring (Duke, 2015). The purpose of this qualitative instrumental case study was to explore best practices of principals leading turnaround reform efforts. Four cases whereby turnaround principals who have successfully derived rapid school-improvement results provided information that can be used to understand the best practices inherent to a successful turnaround. The research was conducted at each school, and data was gathered from interviews, field observations, and artifacts. Rapid school improvement is nebulous; however, precise methods are limited. Deming's insistence on the leader's role as a predominant factor in improving productivity complements the turnaround principal's role in the improvement process. His work and scholarship influenced the conceptual framework created for this study. The conceptual framework included identification, development, implementation, and assessment and provided a sequential route to understanding nuances inherent in a school turnaround effort. A convergence of evidence model was used to identify common themes and synthesize conclusions. A comprehensive approach is required to understand the enormity of a successful turnaround effort. Similarly, instructional leadership, communication, tenacity, and recognition are essential practices that are evident in a successful turnaround effort. Findings can be used to scale turnaround efforts and build expertise. Questions for future research include understanding the varying contexts, leading schools with different demographic profiles, and expanding similar facets using other approaches.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2021
- Identifier
- 1293884176, WFE0000767
- Format
- Document (PDF)
