A Narrative Review of Student Evaluations of Teaching in Decolonial Praxis: Implications for Occupational Therapy Higher Education

Student evaluations of teaching (SETs) are the primary source for evaluating teaching effectiveness and are used for deciding tenure and promotion. However, as efforts to engage in a decolonial critique of higher education amplify, the use of SETs in teaching and learning requires scrutiny. A narrative review was used to address the research question of SET biases in decolonial praxis and what insights may be useful for OT decolonial praxis. We identify and describe two content areas: (a) SET biases and (b) recommendations for alternatives promoting OT decolonial praxis. A total of 92 articles were sourced from five databases. Of the 92 articles, 44 met the inclusion criteria: peer-reviewed across disciplines, written in English, research conducted in the US, and published between 2011–2021. SETs scores are affected by factors beyond the influence of the instructor. Twenty-nine factors contributing to SETs biases were grouped into three main categories: SETs biases against instructors, other biases from students, and SETs biases in processes. Alternative methodological approaches are highlighted that may mitigate the identified biases for application in decolonial praxis in OT higher education

Mechanisms of Biases and Cultural Literacy in International Language Education: One Such Story to Carry

Despite equity and inclusion initiatives, the English based colonial model has permeated the kindergarten to college systems, teaching/learning, theories and methods, the perception of second language acquisition, multiculturalism, and language education (Knowles et al., 2015; Macedo, 2019; Phillips & Abbot, 2011; Battiste, 2013). Additionally, cognitive neuroscientific discoveries of the complexity of language learning, emotional intelligence, and cultural literacy systematically failed to reach educators. Few studies have focused on what factors impact on cultural biases of foreign language learners, or what factors in learning facilitate the dismantling of durable biases. What are the hidden agendas for teaching and learning foreign languages? For Japanese study abroad and language programs, what aspects of the target culture do learners emphasize while de-emphasizing or omitting others? How are implicit biases from white-English coloniality in the K to college systems influencing foreign language education in the U.S.? What elements in learning foster long-term critical cultural literacy? This qualitative study attempts to understand the complexity of implicit biases towards the target culture through first and second-year Japanese language learners who were enrolled at a large college in the metropolitan area of the Northwest region of the United States. The study included three similarly constructed online surveys on cultural literacy and in-depth interviews with the volunteers of these populations. They were administered between the summer of 2020 and the winter of 2021. Concepts from Critical Race Theory (Delgado & Stefancic, 2012), Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979), and Emotional Intelligence (Goleman, 2011) were used for literature and study analyses

Autonomy, participation, and learning in Argentine schools - findings andtheir implications for decentralization

According to a theoretical model, school autonomy and parental participation in schools, can increase student learning through separate channels. Greater school autonomy increases the rent that can be distributed among stakeholders in the school, while institutions for parental participation (such as school board) empower parents to command a larger share of this surplus - for example, through student learning. Using a rich cross-sectional data set from Argentine schools (sixth and seventh grades), the authors find that autonomy, and participation raise student test scores for a given level of inputs, in a multiplicative way, consistent with the model. Autonomy has a direct effect on learning (but not for very low levels of participation), while participation affects learning only through the mediation of the effect of autonomy. The results are robust to a variety of robustness checks, and for sub-samples of children from poor households, children of uneducated mothers, schools with low mean family wealth, and public schools. It is possible that autonomy, and participation are endogenously determined, and that this biases the results - the data available do not allow this to be ruled out with certainty. Plausible predicators of autonomy, and participation are also plausible predicators of test scores, and they fail tests for the over-identifying restrictions. Heuristically argued, however, the potential for correlation with unobserved variables may be limited: the data set is rich in observed variables, and autonomy and participation show very low correlation with observed variables. Subject to these caveats, the results may be relevant to decentralization in two ways. First, as decentralization moves responsibility from the central, toward the provincial or local government, the results should be directly relevant if the decentralization increases autonomy, and participation in schools. Second, if the results are interpreted as representing a more general effect of moving decision-making toward users, and the local community, the results are relevant even if little happens to autonomy, and participation in schools. More important, perhaps, the authors illustrate empirically the importance of knowing who is empowered when higher levels of government loosen control.Politics and Government,Teaching and Learning,Primary Education,Decentralization,Economic Theory&Research,Teaching and Learning,Primary Education,Politics and Government,ICT Policy and Strategies,Health Monitoring&Evaluation

Learning analytics experience among academics in Australia and Malaysia: A comparison

Several studies have been conducted to evaluate the experience and involvement of academics in learning analytics (LA) due to its potential for improving teaching and learning. However, findings often reflect an educational culture which is indicative of the institutional or national context where the study has occurred, resulting in bias regarding LA perspectives. Therefore, this study seeks to compare and contrast the experiences of LA among academics in Australia and Malaysia, with intentions to learn from each other's experience. Areas of comparison were: (1) academics' involvement in LA activities; (2) academics' responses to the institutional capacity in supporting LA; and 3) academics' concerns about the ethical issues surrounding LA. A survey of 353 Australian and 224 Malaysian academics revealed similarities and differences. It is evident from these results that the context and infrastructure for LA are at different stages of development in both countries. Nevertheless, the results provide an interesting reflection on academics' needs, institutional understanding, policies, and educational cultural biases in applying LA in teaching and learning in higher education institutions

Bias in the classroom: secondary choral educators' constructions of gender

In this study, I examined constructions of gender held by high school choral directors through four qualitative case studies, to see what, if any, gender biases were held by the directors and how, if at all, these biases affected their classroom behavior. The participants included two men and two women, each in different stages of their teaching careers, ranging from three years to over 30 years and nearing retirement. I conducted interviews to gather information about each director’s background and experience. I then observed each director working with a mixed ensemble and a single-sex ensemble. After directors had an opportunity to review transcripts from interviews and observations, I conducted exit interviews. The data revealed several themes around power, male dominance, and gendered language. I found that all of the directors displayed forms of gendered language and stereotypical masculinity in interactions with their choirs. For example, the directors felt they needed to connect with boys in their program through the use of sports analogies. One director in particular displayed blatant male-dominant attitudes in his treatment of his women’s choir, and all directors faced challenges of recruitment due to the effects that school scheduling structures had on their programs. Analysis of the data suggested that choral directors’ constructions of gender, whether conscious or unconscious, influenced decisions regarding repertoire, teaching strategies, and language used in the rehearsal room. If teachers have a better understanding of the ways their own constructions of gender may affect student learning, they will be better equipped to modify their teaching to promote a more affirming learning environment