Establishing a culture of academic optimism in response to changing student demographics within a Missouri elementary school

Dissertation supervisor: Dr. Barbara Martin.Includes vita.This qualitative case study was created to study the established and embedded culture of one elementary school experiencing changes in student demographics. The identification of cultural components effective in closing the academic achievement gap among students living in poverty and their more affluent peers was the basis for the research. Therefore, focus groups, interviews, and document analysis sought to uncover certified faculty and classified staff's perceptions related to organizational culture. The conceptual framework for this study is academic optimism, which falls under the broader theory of positive psychology (Hoy & Tarter, 2011; Peterson, Park, & Sweeney, 2008; Seligman & Csikszentmihalyi, 2000). The three constructs of academic optimism were extracted during the research, which included academic emphasis, collective efficacy, and faculty trust in parents and students (Hoy & Tarter, 2011; Hoy, Tarter, & Woolfolk, 2006). Additionally, the elementary's application of Professional Learning Communities led research participants to apply an understanding of academic optimism when interpreting their experiences within the organization. The triangulation of three data sources, focus groups, interviews, and document analysis, uncovered themes related to organizational culture as determined by the artifacts, beliefs and values, and assumptions uncovered during analysis (Schein, 2010). Moreover, data analysis revealed components of the culture conducive to that of academic optimism, while also pinpointing elements in need of support.Includes bibliographical references (pages 141-147)

Short research paper : academic optimism and organizational citizenship behaviour amongst secondary school teachers

Academic optimism and organizational citizenship behaviour amongst secondary school teacherspeer-reviewe

Восприятие студентами изучения английского языка и их мотивация

Motivating students to learn has always been relevant in EFL classroom environment. Many scientists try to develop essential principles of raising their students’ motivation for learning through: academic optimism (McGuigan & Hoy, 2006), motivation and language identity study (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2009; Anya, 2011), learning in a research environment (Zamorski, 2002); creating multilingual environments, active participation and academic engagement for learners (Higgins, 2017); challenging tasks (Reeves, 2009); clear instructions and feedback (Hattie & Timperley, 2007)

Восприятие студентами изучения английского языка и их мотивация

Motivating students to learn has always been relevant in EFL classroom environment. Many scientists try to develop essential principles of raising their students’ motivation for learning through: academic optimism (McGuigan & Hoy, 2006), motivation and language identity study (Dörnyei & Ushioda, 2009; Anya, 2011), learning in a research environment (Zamorski, 2002); creating multilingual environments, active participation and academic engagement for learners (Higgins, 2017); challenging tasks (Reeves, 2009); clear instructions and feedback (Hattie & Timperley, 2007)

Challenges and Opportunities in After-School Programs: Lessons for Policymakers and Funders

School-based after-school programs are increasingly becoming the solution policymakers suggest for many youth problems: unsupervised time, poor academic achievement, gang participation, violence and drug use. As federal spending increases, policymakers, funders and the public must balance their optimism about the programs' potential with the realities of what they might ultimately achieve. As this report describes, locating these programs in schools brings many benefits, but as the experience of at least one broad-based initiative is demonstrating, it also brings challenges that should be taken into consideration as programs are planned and funded

Underlying construct of empathy, optimism, and burnout in medical students.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to explore the underlying construct of measures of empathy, optimism, and burnout in medical students. METHODS: Three instruments for measuring empathy (Jefferson Scale of Empathy, JSE); Optimism (the Life Orientation Test-Revised, LOT-R); and burnout (the Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI, which includes three scales of Emotional Exhaustion, Depersonalization, and Personal Accomplishment) were administered to 265 third-year students at Sidney Kimmel (formerly Jefferson) Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Data were subjected to factor analysis to examine relationships among measures of empathy, optimism, and burnout in a multivariate statistical model. RESULTS: Factor analysis (principal component with oblique rotation) resulted in two underlying constructs, each with an eigenvalue greater than one. The first factor involved positive personality attributes (factor coefficients greater than .58 for measures of empathy, optimism, and personal accomplishment). The second factor involved negative personality attributes (factor coefficients greater than .78 for measures of emotional exhaustion, and depersonalization). CONCLUSIONS: Results confirmed that an association exists between empathy in the context of patient care and personality characteristics that are conducive to relationship building, and considered to be positive personality attributes, as opposed to personality characteristics that are considered as negative personality attributes that are detrimental to interpersonal relationships. Implications for the professional development of physicians-in-training and in-practice are discussed

More Than Just a Number? The Impact of Age and Generational Affiliation on Christian Academic Librarians’ Beliefs About the Future of Librarianship and Higher Education

This article investigates the relationship between academic librarians’ demographic characteristics and their beliefs about the future of academic librarianship and higher education. The researcher administered a survey to a group of academic librarians at Christian colleges and universities, with the intent of identifying possible correlations between particular demographic characteristics, such as age and generational affiliation, and four pre-established belief constructs. Statistical analysis of the survey results revealed that no significant differences exist between age groups, generational groups, experience levels, geographic locations, or type of institution with regard to Christian academic librarians’ beliefs about the future of academia and academic libraries

Health behavior during periods of stressful uncertainty: associations with emotions, cognitions, and expectation management.

Objective: The present study examined how cognitions and emotions characteristic of awaiting uncertain news influenced healthy (diet/exercise) and unhealthy (alcohol use) behaviors in three samples of people awaiting important news.Design: Study 1 examined voting-eligible citizens during the month prior to learning the results of the 2016 U.S. presidential election. Study 2 examined the experience of law graduates across four months while they awaited the results of their bar exam (i.e., the licensing exam they need to pass to practice law). Study 3 examined current or recent PhD students searching for a job on the academic job market.Results: Though the findings were somewhat mixed across studies, they generally suggest a relationship between positive emotions and health-promoting behaviors and between worry and alcohol use, with less consistent relationships between outcome expectations and health behaviors.Conclusion: Taken together, these results offer a promising set of initial findings to understand health behavior in the context of awaiting uncertain news and provide a foundation for future investigations on the topic

Beyond Afro-pessimism and -optimism? A critical discourse analysis of the representation of Africa by alternative news media

Regarding the representation of Africa in western media, academic criticism often refers to the presence of Afro-pessimistic discourses, and more recently to a seemingly emerging Afro-optimistic discourse. However, Scott (2015, 1) points out that a systematic study of Africa’s representation is still missing as most research only includes mainstream media, news genres and formats and thus forms ‘an insufficient basis for reaching any firm, generalisable conclusions’. To address this, we explore the representation of Africa in MO* Magazine, a Belgian alternative news magazine that focuses on the Global South, including an extensive coverage of Africa. Applying Critical Discourse Analysis, we examined all articles covering Africa in 2015 and 2016 in addition to in-depth interviews with editorial staff. The study investigates how MO* constructs its alternative identity in the context of African news coverage. We argue that a mere empirical focus on features and narratives generally attributed to mainstream media, such as the presence of Afro-pessimistic and -optimistic discourses, is not sufficient to reach conclusions about the alternative identity of a magazine. The alternative value of MO* is reflected in the overall focus on the Global South and its key issues, the geographic diversity, editorial approach, and context-richness of the articles