FROM RECALLTO RESOLVE: SUPPORTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE PRESERVICE TEACHERS IN A LANGUAGE ARTS METHODS COURSE

The need for culturally responsive teachers in an increasingly diverse educational system is paramount. The purpose of this study was to investigate preservice teachers’ developing understandings of culturally responsive pedagogy in a language arts methods class over the course of one semester. The study also sought to explore the relationship between preservice teachers’ cultural background and their receptiveness to culturally responsive pedagogy. Using the Critical Matrix of Literacy Domination as a guiding framework, this case study employed the use of innovative classroom practices designed to promote culturally relevant pedagogy within undergraduate literacy classes for preservice teachers. Data analysis revealed four major findings: 1. The Role of Cultural Background, 2. Personal Connections and the Desire to Help Others, 3. Understandings about Culturally Responsive Teaching, and 4. Clinical Experiences. Participants in the study progressed through three distinct stages-Recall, Reflect, and Resolve- related to the acquisition of culturally responsive pedagogical practice. There was also a suggestion within the data of the need for a fourth stage, React. These findings suggest a relationship between cultural background and receptiveness to culturally responsive teaching; a call for ongoing support and professional development regarding culturally responsive pedagogy for preservice teachers; and a need for diverse field experiences. Additionally, strong connections between the developmental stages coined, The Three R’s, and corresponding levels within the revised Bloom’s Taxonomy promote the existence of a developmental process involved in the procurement of culturally responsive pedagogy

Perceived Genetic Knowledge of Pre-licensure Nursing Students

The purpose of this study was to assess the knowledge base of nursing students regarding the topic of genetics and how this may change as a student progresses through the nursing program. A 70 item multiple-choice and dichotomous survey was given to freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior nursing students at a university school of nursing in the eastern part of the United States. Two hundred and seventy five pre-licensure nursing students, 255 females and 18 males, comprised the sample. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed and the results concluded that there was a significant difference among the freshman, sophomore, juniors, and seniors in regards to having at least a 'minimal' knowledge or better of medical genetic terminology and conditions. Seniors reported a higher number of terms which they had at least a 'minimal' knowledge level or better than freshman or sophomores. Also the juniors reported a higher number of terms which they had at least a 'minimal' knowledge level or better than sophomore

Leadership behaviors that build or destroy trust: a narrative study

The focus of this qualitative study was to examine how faculty members at three community colleges in North Carolina made meaning of concept of trust and to explore the leadership behaviors or actions that were perceived to build or destroy feelings of trust. More understanding about the nature of trust within higher education and the roles played by leaders in shaping trust within their organizations is needed, especially now as colleges are experiencing large numbers of retirements in key leadership roles. Trust is the cornerstone of a healthy, positive, productive organizational climate. Without trust between leaders and those whom they lead, organizational progress is slowed, even simple processes can become politicized and approached with caution. Risk-taking, the birthplace of innovation, is reduced, and collaboration is rendered difficult. Within a low trust environment, change is often approached with fear, not curiosity or hope. The actions or behaviors of leaders set the tone for trust within an organization. This narrative study explored faculty perceptions of trust and the leadership behaviors that build or destroy trust as expressed through participants' personal experience stories. Elements within and among stories were analyzed for patterns, which were later clustered into the following categories: ethics, valuing others, communication, competence, and consistency

Black students “at promise” for high school graduation: a Black scholar identity scale

Between 2010 and 2015, Black students’ high school graduation rates rose from 67 to 75 percent (Garunay, 2016). These are notable gains; however, the national average is 83 percent, constituting an educational gap. Moreover, research indicates that Black students dropout at higher rates in ninth and tenth grade compared to students from other racial or ethnic groups (Kim, Chang, Singh, & Allen, 2015). Researchers have only partially explained graduation disparities due to narrow or deficit-perspectives (Ladson-Billings, 2007), emphasis on isolated variables rather than interrelationships (Pharris-Ciurej, 2012), the omission of variables unique to Black students’ schooling experiences (e.g., Noguera, 2003b), and limited exploration into how school context influences Black students’ perceptions of schooling or themselves and their academic and attainment outcomes (e.g., Nasir, 2012). Aligned with these recommendations and critiques, the dissertation researcher has proposed a Social Cognitive Career Theory (SCCT)-Based Model of Black High School Students’ Graduation Promise. The model hypothesizes that Black students’ perceptions of the school context (i.e., racial school climate), relative to their racial identity, has implications for students’ beliefs about themselves (i.e., Black Scholar Identity), their capabilities (i.e., high school completion self-efficacy), and perceived outcomes (i.e., high school completion outcome expectations). Moreover, the hypothesized model postulates how those variables and associations impact students’ “graduation promise,” conversely dropout risk. The first step in testing this model and the purpose of this dissertation study was to create and assess the psychometrics of the Black Scholar Identity (BSI) scale (Gray, 2016). In the dissertation study, the researcher assessed the construct validity and reliability of the BSI (Gray) using factor analyses and the factor rho coefficient equation, respectively. The dissertation researcher conducted Pearson’s product moment correlations to assess the convergent, divergent, and external criterion validity. Confirmatory factor analyses findings suggested marginal fit and provided preliminary support for the structural validity of the second-order, 25-indicator BSI (Gray, 2016) revised model. The BSI-Revised scale (Brunson) has seven factors: Academic Goal Orientation, Academic Pride-School, Academic Prioritizing, Black Student Resilience, Academic Pride-Personal/Familial, Internal Locus of Control, and Scholar Self-Efficacy. Study findings suggested that the factors were appropriately reliable. There was also preliminary evidence for the convergent, divergent, and external criterion validity of the BSI-Revised scale (Brunson) and subscales. The dissertation researcher found a positive association between the BSI-Revised scale (Brunson) and a subscale measure of school engagement and a negative association with a subscale measure of anxiety. Moreover, parents of Black high school students with higher average scholar identity scores reported higher average grades and a higher GPA for their students. The findings have implications for future dropout research and practical implications for how school counselors and educators promote Black students’ academic success

The speculative mode: intersections of literature and the new science in Restoration England

Within the field of Restoration and eighteenth-century studies, critics have investigated the relationship between literature and science for almost a century. Even among specialists, however, there has been insufficient enquiry into epistemological tensions between categories for what now might be called “pre-science” and what was then known as “natural philosophy.” Even less attention has been paid to the relation between natural philosophy and the category of speculation, in which speculation is understood scientifically and literarily. I explore how what I define as speculative writing about natural philosophy assisted in publicizing and spreading new epistemologies during the Restoration and early eighteenth century. In analyzing speculative writing, I investigate the cultural reception of natural philosophy, tracing responses to such changes. I argue that the speculative mode emphasizes a more integrated vision of knowledge formation at that time, a vision that is now divided by the categories of art and science. Emphasizing the contemporary reactions to these various models of knowledge, my methods require a deeply historical approach. To focus this approach, I consider writings in the Restoration that respond to the formation and practices of the early Royal Society: its institutional presence and public mission made it an especially attractive target of speculative writing that would challenge the Society’s official promotion of the experimental method and rejection of the speculative method. I take as evidence both literary and nonliterary documents, representative of a range of genres: these include dictionaries printed at the end of the seventeenth and the beginning of the eighteenth century, Thomas Sprat’s The History of the Royal Society and Abraham Cowley’s opening ode, Francis Bacon’s New Atlantis and Margaret Cavendish’s Observations upon Experimental Philosophy and Blazing World, as well as Thomas Shadwell’s The Virtuoso and Aphra Behn’s The Emperor of the Moon. My argument considers the mixed and conflicting strands that informed the broader category of natural philosophy and recognizes the many ways in which the texts concerned with natural philosophy are by no means easily separated into so-called scientific or literary ones. I conclude the study by looking forward, linking the beginnings of the speculative mode in the Restoration period to a popular eighteenth-century text – Jonathan Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels. I end with a call to understand the cultural moment of the Restoration better by joining together works of science and art as both valid and necessary avenues toward knowledge and literary history

Assistant principals’ preparation for culturally responsive leadership in diverse schools

The purpose of this study is to take a deeper look at the duties, responsibilities, experiences, and staff development of the assistant principals to determine if they are prepared to lead as principals in diverse schools. The role of the assistant principal is essential and it can help to enhance and enrich the school and community. This study sought to determine whether or not assistant principals’ current roles, duties, responsibilities, experiences, and staff development are helpful for preparation towards them becoming culturally responsive leaders who are able to lead diverse schools. Being a culturally responsive leader is critical because of the increase in diversity within schools. This study represents a close examination intended to help us understand how vital the assistant principal position is and how it can be used as a stepping stone to an individual becoming a more effective and successful principal in a diverse school. Currently, very little research has been conducted regarding being an assistant principal. The majority of the existing research on being an assistant principal targets their roles and duties within schools, while another aspect of the research examines whether or not assistant principals are prepared to be principals. This study looks further into the roles, duties, and experiences of assistant principals and their preparation toward culturally responsive leadership. To help examine this topic further, the methodology I used was a basic qualitative study. I conducted this study in a single district to determine if and how they prepare their assistant principals to be principals in diverse schools. This qualitative study considers data gathered through interviews. There were twelve participants included in this study. The data collected in this study identified key points/themes reflecting the work of assistant principals and their preparation to be culturally responsive leaders who lead diverse schools. My findings were unlike what I had anticipated before conducting the study. With regard to whether assistant principals felt they were prepared to be culturally responsive leaders who lead diverse schools, I expected to find that assistant principals felt that the preparation of assistant principals does not include sufficient development in culturally responsive leadership in order to lead successfully in a diverse school. During my research, I did find that the study’s participants felt like they did not receive enough formal preparation such as university coursework and professional development regarding culturally responsive leadership, but the assistant principals in the study still felt like they were culturally responsive leaders who would be successful leading a diverse school. Even though they had a lack of formal preparation toward culturally responsive leadership, they felt that being a culturally responsive leader was embedded in what they do; therefore, leading them to say they are culturally responsive leaders. This implies that culturally responsive leadership cannot be taught, which goes against established research findings. Research suggests, and the participants agreed, that more development is needed in this area. Culturally responsive leaders are intentional and thoughtful in their planning approach toward building a culturally responsive school environment. The participants neither shared examples, nor did the data reveal ways in which they acted with intentionality toward being a culturally responsive leader within their school. Considering the existing scholarship, this study is important because currently very little research examines the duties, responsibilities, experiences, and staff development of the assistant principals toward becoming culturally responsive leaders or leading in diverse schools. This research has the potential to lend valuable insight into how districts and school leadership preparation programs can better prepare assistant principals to be successful and highly effective culturally responsive leaders when they choose to become principals in diverse school communities

Army nurse officer retention : a qualitative examination of forces influencing the career longevity of army nurses

"Having fewer nursing personnel to treat patients contributes to increased patient morbidity and mortality and decreased quality care. The U.S. Army faces challenges in its nurse recruitment. Thus, retention of qualified nursing staff is imperative for the Army Nurse Corps (ANC) to provide nursing care to soldiers, retirees, and families worldwide. A stratified, purposive, non-probability sample of 6 officers was interviewed to identify and describe forces affecting retention. Influential forces are numerous and complex. The factors contributing to ANC officer retention were segregated into two global categories: personal desire and emotional investment. Personal desire included intent, career investment, need fulfillment, and benefits, while emotional investment consisted of satisfaction, challenge, and comfort. The life events contributing to ANC officer retention were also segregated into two global categories: organizational environment and personal situation. Organizational environment included education, leadership, and work environment, while personal situation consisted of familial factors, need fulfillment, and comfort. The opinions or assertions contained herein are the private views of the author and are not to be construed as official or as reflecting the views of the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense."--Abstract from author supplied metadata

Early Activation of Peripheral Monocytes with Hallmarks of M1 and M2 Monocytic Cells in Excessive Alcohol Drinkers: A Pilot Study

Excessive drinking can lead to the development of immune dysfunction. Our aim is to investigate the effect of alcohol on immune activation from circulating peripheral blood monocytes in excessive drinkers (EDs). Twenty-two EDs and healthy controls were enrolled. Time line follow-back was used to quantify the amount of alcohol consumed in the past 30 days before enrollment. Peripheral blood-derived CD14+ monocytes were isolated for gene expression analyses. Serum interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10 and lipopolysaccharides (LPS) were also measured. We found that serum LPS concentrations were significantly higher in EDs compared with controls (P<0.05). While no differences in the levels of circulating IL-6 and IL-10 were observed, the relative levels of gene transcripts (RQ) for Il6 (an M1-polarizing cytokine) and Il10 (an M2-polarizing cytokine) were significantly higher in peripheral blood-derived monocytes from EDs compared with controls (Il6: P<0.01. Il10: P<0.05). EDs exhibit early immune activation of peripheral blood monocyte mRNA transcripts, notably Il6 and Il10. Future studies are needed to explore the clinical implications of our findings and determine whether the levels of Il6 and Il10 mRNA expression can be used to identify those with excessive drinking and to monitor for alcohol abstinence

Redefining the American Dream through American Children’s Fantasy Literature: A Comparative Study of Taran Wanderer and A Wizard of Earthsea

Because scholars typically study children’s fantasy literature with an international focus, the themes pertaining to a particular culture, such as the American Dream, often become distorted or ignored. When examining the children’s fantasy literature by American authors, key elements of the American Dream and its cultural implications become evident such as the desire for class mobility and self-improvement. However, under those implications is another set of subversive elements that call attention to the potential problems with the American Dream: struggles with identity, gender, race, and education that may inhibit the class mobility the Dream appears to promise. By conducting a comparative study of two children’s fantasy novels published in the 1960s, I explore how the subversive elements of two novels, Lloyd Alexander’s Taran Wanderer and Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea, come to light as they challenge the idea that one’s social class depends upon identity, gender, race, and education and instead present the alternative idea that one can achieve social mobility despite the limitations placed by society. Application of the Marxist theory to these two novels reveals the weaknesses they expose in the American Dream, but the two authors offer a redefinition of this myth that values community over individual gain, promoting the idea that the American Dream is an individual achieving social mobility while also using that new social mobility to benefit the community as a whole

Mindfulness in physical education : an innovative pedagogical approach

Many adolescents in the United States experience stress from daily attendance at and outside school with family and peer interactions beyond their current abilities to cope. One accessible coping strategy, mindfulness, is increasingly known as a source of well-being and stress reduction; however, little is known about its uses in high school physical education (PE). An integrated approach values the physical education curriculum while exploring mindfulness strategies that claim to reduce negative emotions and support students’ ability to cope with daily stressors. This study aimed to explore mindfulness strategies’ role in adolescent well-being in secondary physical education. Data were collected from six students, 14-18 years old, from one urban high school after learning mindfulness during their PE class. An abbreviated Mindful Schools curriculum was delivered in one 30-minute lesson each week for a total of six weeks. Qualitative data collection was based on open-ended interviews, journals, observations, daily check-ins, and a final semi-structured interview. The data analysis process identified three themes: (1) emotional and self-awareness, (2) breath awareness, and (3) learned strategies for future use. Students learned strategies that equipped them with ways to manage conflicts and emotions that resulted in stress reduction. Mindfulness practices for daily living helped students lessen the burden of stressors while increasing their well-being. These practices provided ways for students to take charge of their emotions when conflicts arose and be more present for positive experiences. Additional studies exploring mindfulness-based curricula should be investigated in-depth in different contexts