Campus Ministry and Spiritual Self-Efficacy: A Phenomenological Study of Academic Achievement among Black Male Students at an Historically Black College and University

Bandura’s self-efficacy theory, which emphasizes the importance of self-efficacy in motivation and achievement (Bandura, 1994), provided a lens through which to analyze the influence of Historically Black Colleges and University’s (HBCUs) campus ministry on the development of spiritual self-efficacy and academic achievement among Black males. Historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have a long history of providing higher education opportunities to Black students, and they have been instrumental in fostering academic, personal, and social growth (Smith & Allen, 2014). However, little is known about the specific impact of campus ministry programs on the development of Black males’ spiritual self-efficacy and academic success at HBCUs. In response to this gap in knowledge, this phenomenological study explored the role of Historical Black Colleges and University’s (HBCU) campus ministry in the development of spiritual self-efficacy and academic achievement among its Black male students. Comprehensive data on the experiences of Black males engaged in HBCU campus ministry programs were collected using surveys and semi-structured interviews. The study participants were 14 Black male students enrolled at Brotherhood University, a historically Black college or university located in the Southeast United States. These participants, aged 19 to 26 years, were actively involved in the campus ministry and ranged from sophomores to seniors in their academic standing. Previous studies concluded that campus ministry programs create supportive environments that foster self-belief, resilience, and a sense of purpose through a combination of mentorship, spiritual guidance, community engagement, and personal development opportunities (Palmer et al., 2011). Similarly, this study’s findings suggested that campus ministry at HBCUs played a pivotal role in fostering a sense of community and belonging and significantly enhanced the spiritual self-efficacy and academic performance of vii Black male students. By offering targeted mentorship, spiritual guidance, and opportunities for personal development and community engagement, these programs were instrumental in supporting students’ journeys toward academic success and personal growth, illustrating the critical intersection of spirituality and education at HBCUs. Based on this study’s findings, future research should include longitudinal studies that explore the long-term effects of campus ministry engagement, comparative analyses across different types of higher education institutions, and intersectional examinations of factors like gender, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation with spirituality and campus ministry engagement among Black male students

Teachers’ Self-Efficacy and Cyberbullying: A Qualitative Investigation of Teacher Perspectives

This qualitative study explored the self-efficacy of middle school teachers as they address cyberbullying in the classroom. A phenomenological research design using a purposive sampling method was used. To understand the teachers’ lived experiences and perspectives on cyberbullying, open-ended semi-structured interviews were conducted with seventh-grade teachers from two parochial schools and three charter schools. Participants completed a demographics questionnaire, which was used to gather additional information regarding the teachers’ background and experience. Seven themes emerged from coding the data collected from the teacher interviews and focus group session: 1) collaboration and communication, 2) professional development and training, 3) support and intervention, 4) self-efficacy and confidence, 5) impact based on feedback, 6) challenges, and 7) coping mechanisms. Results from this study will provide school leaders and policymakers with recommendations and data to help create safer learning environments, which will benefit the entire school community

Factors Influencing Student Persistence through Undergraduate Degree Completion: A Case Study of the Social Engagement of Black Students at a Private Historically Black College and University.

This qualitative exploratory single-case study examined the social engagement strategies utilized by one HBCU and the influences of these strategies on Black undergraduate students\u27 sense of belonging and social engagement, which have been found to support and improve student persistence. Previous research on Black undergraduate students\u27 social engagement and persistence has been primarily conducted at predominately White institutions (PWIs), with few studies explicitly focusing on social engagement and persistence at HBCUs. The site selected for this study was an HBCU under the pseudonym Fillmore State University (FSU). A qualitative exploratory case study was utilized as this methodology allowed the researcher to answer a how question exploring the complex social phenomena of the influence of the social engagement of Black undergraduate students on student persistence. The researcher collected and triangulated data from individual interviews with seven staff and five student government leaders to understand the institutional strategies utilized to engage students at FSU socially. A survey of 50 Black undergraduate seniors and a focus group of 10 undergraduate students were used to understand the social engagement experiences and the influence of these experiences on student persistence. This study produced four themes and 12 subthemes related to institutional engagement strategies and the impact of these strategies on student persistence based on the viii perceptions and experiences of Black undergraduate students. Based on research findings, social engagement strategies play an integral role in bolstering motivation and a sense of belonging, improving student persistence

Representations of State-Recognized Tribes: A Content Analysis of Social Studies Standards

This qualitative study analyzes social studies standards across the 11 states that recognize Native American tribes on the state level. The researcher seeks to determine the explicit and implicit representations of state-recognized tribes in the social studies standards required by 11 states. Research on educational issues that impact state-recognized tribes is limited and creates a gap in the literature for these communities. This study is significant because it promotes awareness of the lack of representation of state-recognized tribes in the social studies standards and sub-standards of the 11 states that recognize tribes on the state level. Tribal Critical Race Theory serves as the theoretical framework utilized to analyze the issue of Native American representation in social studies standards. Data has been collected utilizing a conceptual content analysis and a coding scheme developed by the researcher and verified by trained independent raters. Throughout the 4,113 social studies standards of the 11 states covered in this study, one explicit representation and 201 implicit representations of state-recognized tribes were identified. This limited representation of state-recognized tribes contributes to negative stereotypes against Native Americans, increases the lack of awareness of state-recognized tribes, and further alienates Native American students in social studies classrooms while dismissing the historical and modern significance of Native Americans

Here to Stay: Why Black Male Teachers Choose to Remain in the Classroom

This phenomenological study explored the experiences, perceptions, and motivations of Black male high school teachers who have chosen to remain in the high school classrooms. By focusing on factors that drove their commitment to the teaching profession, this study aimed to identify key elements that influenced their longevity in the classroom. The study employed a purposive sampling method and collected data through semi-structures interviews using Zoom, a focus group, and survey results from participants across the southern region of the United States. Six major themes emerged from the individual interviews: (1) impact, (2) representation, (3) relationship building, (4) recruitment, (5) Black male rarity, and (6) supportive administration. Two additional themes: (1) classroom longevity, and (2) strategy implementation, emerged from the focus group session. This in-depth analysis of the lived experiences of Black male teachers provided insight into their commitment, sustainment, and motivation for choosing a lifelong career in teaching

Mutating lysine 336 in Msh6 does not appear to affect DNA mismatch repair in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Defects in the DNA mismatch repair process results in the accumulation of mutations and disease. Mutations in MSH6 and MSH2, encoding for the subunits of the MutSα complex, are often responsible for Constitutional Mismatch Repair Deficiency (CMMRD) and Lynch Syndrome (LS), respectively. This work focused on DNA mismatch repair through analysis of the MSH6 missense variant msh6-K336T. The mutation examined in this study is msh6-K336T in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which is equivalent to msh6-K431T in humans. The mutation results in the replacement of lysine with threonine, an amino acid with different properties. It was therefore hypothesized that the mutation would prevent MutSα complex interaction, effectively hindering recognition and subsequent repair of mismatches. Based on Sorting Intolerant from Tolerant (SIFT) Analysis, it was predicted that the amino acid change will be tolerated in humans and not tolerated in yeast. Combination of Different Properties of Msh6 Protein (CoDP) Analysis predicted that the mutation would likely impair molecular function. Investigation of msh6-K336T was carried out by transforming a plasmid containing the msh6-K336T into yeast lacking the MSH6 gene. Diploid cells containing the msh6-K336T and a wild-type copy of the MSH6 gene were also analyzed. The responses to the CAN1 forward mutation assay were examined to understand the severity of the mutation in MMR. It was determined that msh6-K336T yeast strains behaved very similarly to wild-type strains in the assay, indicating this allele displays a wild-type phenotype and is not defective in the DNA MMR process

Killing Fear, Birthing Black Babies: The Relationship Between Maternal Health Literacy and Desire to Have Children

Childbirth has been traumatizing for Black women since stepping foot on American soil. Generations of Black women have suffered unimaginable pain and even death at the hands of irresponsible and uncaring medical professionals. This fact has left many Black women with a low desire to have children. Improving the maternal health literacy of Black women can be a solution to the hopelessness many women feel towards childbirth. Previous literature on the impacts of resources and services that improve maternal health literacy, and the barriers Black women face to accessing said resources and services validate the need for early exposure to maternal health literacy. Using a quantitative research design, surveys were utilized to find the correlation between maternal health literacy and the desire to have children for Black women aged 18 to 22 at Xavier University of Louisiana. This study aimed to provide a new perspective on the importance of exposing young Black women to maternal health literacy resources. The implications of early exposure include lower maternal mortality rates amongst Black women and an increase in safe births for Black mothers and their babies

Covid-19 & Mathematics Achievement: A Casual-Comparative Study

Learning loss due to COVID-19 and the digital divide will have dire consequences for low-income students. This study used the Faucet Theory (Alexander et al., 2001) as a theoretical framework to determine the extent that the COVID-19 learning environment impacted the Southern Public Schools District’s African American, low-income, and high-income high school students’ proficiency level based on the Algebra I section of the 2020-2021 Louisiana Education Assessment Program (LEAP) assessment. The researcher used archival data from the LEAP, a causal-comparative research design, and a one-way ANOVA to test the hypotheses and answer the research question. The results of the one-way ANOVA indicated that the pre-COVID-19 learning environment had no impact on African American, high-income, and low-income high school students’ average percentages at the mastery and basic proficiency levels, but it had a moderately negative impact on students’ average percentages at the approaching basic (p = .038) and unsatisfactory (p = .021) proficiency levels. The COVID-19 learning environment had no impact on African American, high-income, and low-income high school students’ average percentages at the advanced and basic proficiency levels, but it had a strong negative impact on African American, high-income, and low-income high school students’ average percentages at the mastery (p = .006), approaching basic (p =.007), and unsatisfactory (p = .008) proficiency levels. This study will give additional insights into COVID-19’s impact on the student achievement of a populace most susceptible to learning loss, high school students in a high- poverty school district. It will add to the current knowledge base on high-poverty school districts, distance education, learning loss, the digital divide, and student achievement in mathematics. The results showed that the COVID-19 learning environment widened the achievement gap between high and low income students and increased learning loss for students from specific backgrounds—African-American students and students in low-income households. This study is important because the researcher found that regardless of race or socioeconomic status, a blended teaching methodology of problem solving, individualized tutoring, game-based interaction, and computer assisted practice could significantly increase learning gains in mathematics, especially in cognitive areas. In fact, a blended learning environment could benefit low-performing students more than high-performing students

A Sacrifice For Their Country And A Commitment To Their Community: A Phenomenological Study Of Veterans Transitioning From Soldier To Student

The purpose of this study was to explore the challenges and lived experiences of former military men and women as they transitioned from military assignments to students in institutions of higher learning. This study focused on identifying gaps in support services that hindered the needs of former military men and women enrolled in higher education institutions. According to a study by the U. S. Department of Veterans Affairs (2021), former military men and women encountered common challenges during re-adjustments, such as employment, maintaining healthy relationships, and pursuing educational endeavors. Using a descriptive phenomenological research design, the research study gathered information from individuals who have lived, witnessed, and joined a branch of the United States military. The research study revealed six themes that emerged from participants\u27 responses. (1) the Registration Process; (2) Understanding G.I. Bill Benefits; (3) the Environment; (4) Veteran Advisor; (5) Veteran Specific Services; and (6) Retention. The responses indicated consistency in the themes identified as challenges encountered by former military men and women who transitioned from the military