Life is a journey

Reflective essay focusing on both a discussion of personal identity issues with ninth grade students and the (delayed) impact that a student contribution can have on philosophy teachers

City Kids: Transforming Racial Baggage

This is a book review of City Kids: Transforming Racial Baggage (2016) by Maria Kromidas

Traditional Narratives of Higher Education: Cultural tensions and ethical considerations in adult learning

This reflective article is inspired by excerpts of the author’s personal journal. The author experienced 12 years of higher learning in both public and private institutions of higher education. She often reflects on her higher education experiences as a first-generation, working-class, multiracial, woman, and the first in her family to speak English as a first language. During her academic journey, she found it challenging to integrate her cultural background with traditional narratives based on Eurocentric values in higher education culture. Her lived experience inspires the promotion of a more holistic approach to teaching and learning, raising awareness of cultural differences that may impact learning goals, including the mental health and academic success of all adult learners. The purposes of this reflective article are to: (a) Illustrate the landscape of United States higher education; (b) Review perspectives of lifespan theory, principles, and research to identify sources of cultural conflict during adulthood; (c) Explain a contemplative approach to higher education; and (d) Introduce contemplative practice to support meaningful forms of adult learning via mindfulness, self-compassion, and active listening strategies

Spirituality in College Students’ Lives: Translating Research into Practice

Review of Spirituality in College Students’ Lives: Translating Research into Practice, by Alyssa Bryant Rockenbach and Matthew J. Mayhew (Eds.

Construction of a Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study

Some scholars have formed a more expansive view of knowledge that moves beyond the cognitive notion of intellect. For example, emotional intelligence theory posits that human intelligence encompasses both cognitive and emotional competencies, providing a framework for a relatively new concept known as contemplative practice. The purposes of this study were: (a) to develop a self-report measure, the Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education (SCOPE), and (b) to explore issues of validity and reliability related to the SCOPE. An extensive review of the literature, reference to personal experiences, and consultation with an expert panel were used to generate scale items. The participants were 253 educator preparation graduate students. An orthogonal exploratory factor analysis resulted in a seven-factor scale that accounted for 54.48% of the variance, although four factors evidenced low reliability1. The 27-item full-scale SCOPE exhibited good internal reliability (α = .857) and test-retest reliability (r = .879). Future exploration is recommended regarding content and construct validation as to whether contemplative practice is best viewed as a single- or multiple-factor construct

Construction of a Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study

Some scholars have formed a more expansive view of knowledge that moves beyond the cognitive notion of intellect. For example, emotional intelligence theory posits that human intelligence encompasses both cognitive and emotional competencies, providing a framework for a relatively new concept known as contemplative practice. The purposes of this study were: (a) to develop a self-report measure, the Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education (SCOPE), and (b) to explore issues of validity and reliability related to the SCOPE. An extensive review of the literature, reference to personal experiences, and consultation with an expert panel were used to generate scale items. The participants were 253 educator preparation graduate students. An orthogonal exploratory factor analysis resulted in a seven-factor scale that accounted for 54.48% of the variance, although four factors evidenced low reliability. The 27-item full-scale SCOPE exhibited good internal reliability (α= .857) and test-retest reliability (r = .879). Future exploration is recommended regarding content and construct validation as to whether contemplative practice is best viewed as a single- or multiple-factor construct

Construction of a Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education: An Exploratory Study

Some scholars have formed a more expansive view of knowledge that moves beyond the cognitive notion of intellect. For example, emotional intelligence theory posits that human intelligence encompasses both cognitive and emotional competencies, providing a framework for a relatively new concept known as contemplative practice. The purposes of this study were: (a) to develop a self-report measure, the Scale of Contemplative Practice in Higher Education (SCOPE), and (b) to explore issues of validity and reliability related to the SCOPE. An extensive review of the literature, reference to personal experiences, and consultation with an expert panel were used to generate scale items. The participants were 253 educator preparation graduate students. An orthogonal exploratory factor analysis resulted in a seven-factor scale that accounted for 54.48% of the variance, although four factors evidenced low reliability. The 27-item full-scale SCOPE exhibited good internal reliability (α= .857) and test-retest reliability (r = .879). Future exploration is recommended regarding content and construct validation as to whether contemplative practice is best viewed as a single- or multiple-factor construct

Cross-Cultural Validation of a Measure of Contemplativity with a Chinese College Sample

The purpose of this article is to present the results of an exploratory cross-cultural validation study of a measure of contemplativity with a Chinese sample. The Scale of Contemplative Practices in Education (SCOPE) was administered to 144 Chinese college students. The results of an exploratory factor analysis accounted for 68% of the variance with a five factor structure, although high correlations among the factors indicate that a single factor may be the best current quantitative measure of contemplativity. Internal consistency estimates were strong for the full scale (.95) and adequate for the factors (.66 to .90). Higher scores on the SCOPE were found to be significantly correlated with lower academic stress (r = -.253) but not GPA (r = .094). The results are discussed in relation to comparisons found between Chinese and United States students and the potential importance of further examining contemplativity with quantitative measures