Leadership Excellence through Advancement and Determination program: A qualitative case study

Alaska Native leadership development programs are often used to prepare participants and to enhance their leadership potential. The cultural appropriateness of developing Alaska Native leaders through the Western-structured LEAD program was the focal point of this study. Understanding how the LEAD participants adapted to Native and Western environments after gaining new leadership knowledge and skills can be used to identify curriculum and activities that best prepared Alaska Natives for leadership positions. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences and perceptions of Alaska Natives who have attended ANTHC’s Western-structured LEAD program between 2005 and 2011 in Anchorage, Alaska. The data analysis revealed six themes that emerged from this qualitative case study: (a) activities helped the participants apply new knowledge and skills, (b) observations generated understanding of leadership, (c) activities built confidence and increased self-awareness, (d) experiences increased cross-cultural awareness, (e) mentoring experiences influenced positive changes, and (f) feedback-generated recommendations for future LEAD programs. Some of the conclusions derived from the study suggest that indigenous peoples can benefit from leadership development programs designed with the dominant society’s cultural practices and concepts as long as the curriculum integrates indigenous values and ways of knowing. Blending both cultures provided the real life opportunities for Alaska Natives to recognize the important contributions Alaska Native and Western leaders were making to improve the Native community. The implications of this study support the need for Native leadership programs to integrate cross-cultural leader awareness, indigenous ways of leading, and ways of knowing into curriculum

The Impact of Sense of Belonging Interventions on Social Integration at a Small, Private Institution

Higher education institutions continue to struggle with encouraging retention for first-year students. Prior research has shown that establishing social integration during the first-year of college is a crucial component of a successful transition and has a positive influence on student persistence and academic success (Astin, 1993; Chapman & Pascarella, 1983; Tinto, 1993). Social integration has historically been defined in terms of peer connections and involvement (Tinto, 1993); however, recent research has explored the importance of sense of belonging as an important psychosocial component in the transition to college (Strayhorn, 2012a). Sense of belonging focuses on feelings of fit, perceptions of social support, and feeling as though one matters to the community. The current study sought to explore the conceptual framework in which sense of belonging was included as a component of social integration. Moreover, this study explored whether institutional action could influence first-year students’ overall social integration through a focus on peer connections, involvement, and sense of belonging. This quasi-experimental, quantitative study analyzed the influence of a campus intervention focused on social integration, called the Belonging Reinforcement Intervention (BRI). The BRI program was delivered to first-year students at a small, private institution during the first three weeks of their collegiate experience. The Belonging Reinforcement Intervention included researched components related to social belonging and normalizing students’ not feeling an immediate sense of fit (Walton & Cohen, 2011a), reinforcing institutional commitment and belonging through communications (Hausmann et al., 2007), and research focused on peer mentoring as a way to encourage campus involvements (Peck, 2011). The study used a national instrument, the Mapworks Transition Survey, to determine if this intervention could influence the various components of social integration. The findings from the study support a comprehensive view of social integration that includes sense of belonging. The findings further indicate that students who participated in the BRI program showed statistically significant increases in peer connections, involvement, and the current study’s social integration scale which included sense of belonging. Furthermore, the findings suggest that the BRI program was particularly beneficial for Hispanic students with their intent to become involved and for female students for their overall social integration. The results of this study have implications for future institutional interventions and developing lasting programs that will help first-year students to succeed and persist in their college experience. The conclusions presented suggest that a broader definition of social integration can allow institutions and researchers to better understand and support the challenges students face during the transition to college

What Motivates Students to Learn? Applications for All Classroom Levels

The Deans for Impact (DFI) (2015) report posed the question "What motivates students to learn?". This article examines strategies and interventions for each of the four cognitive principles presented in the report.  Within this paper, applications of the cognitive principles will be discussed at the elementary, secondary and postsecondary levels.  The techniques recommended in reference to belief about intelligence include collective goal writing, focus on ability to overcome setbacks, and reinforcing a growth mindset.  Techniques for self-determined motivation reviewed include Project Based Learning, creating academic competition, and the use of letter grades in college courses.  As teachers encourage students’ ability to monitor their own learning, this article reviews Socratic Seminar techniques, Question Answer Relationships, and reflective writing methods as possible strategies.  Finally, this article includes interventions to reinforce belonging and acceptance through Writer’s Workshops, the wise feedback technique, and creating social-norming related to struggles with fitting in

What Motivates Students to Learn? Exploring the Research on Motivation

The Deans for Impact Report (2015) posed the question "What motivates students to learn?". This article provides a more thorough exploration of the literature related to the cognitive principles of motivation outlined in this report.  Specifically, the authors examine literature related to the impact of motivation on student learning, including learning interventions and strategies.  This review of literature also adds to The Deans for Impact Report (2015) with research indicating the critical influence of extrinsic motivation on learning