Law Learning in Action: An Action Learning Project to Evaluate Processes and Outcomes of using Law E-learning Objects in Social Work Education

This document reports on a research project funded by the Social Care Institute for Excellence to evaluate the processes and outcomes (for social work students and educators) of using a suite of e-learning objects within law teaching on social work degree programmes. The e-learning objects in question were published by SCIE in 2007, and those involved in their development were keen to explore how they were being used, and what their impact might be. The research, which started in 2008 and reached completion in 2010, has tracked a group of educators in 6 universities as they have engaged in a process of collaborative capacity building, through participation in a learning set designed to support their own engagement with e-learning and to develop skills in evaluating their outcomes for students. A full list of the SCIE law e-learning objects and their associated learning outcomes is given at Appendix 1

Attitudes & Orientation of Criminals Toward Crime & Law Enforcement

The purpose of this study was twofold, first to focus on and to measure quantitatively three groups of adult prisoners\u27 attitudes and orientations toward crime and law enforcement. Secondly, the study was to determine the relationship between background characteristics of prisoners and the attitudinal variables. The analysis included data concerning the relationship of eight separate background factors - (age, marital status, church membership, education, school drop-out reason, occupation, place of residence, and criminal record) - to the crime and law enforcement variables

Teaching Multicultural Psychology as a Cultural Competence Intervention: An Empirical Evaluation of Course Components

Previous research has shown that a semester-long multicultural psychology course can effectively increase students’ cultural competence-related attitudes when students complete the class in-person and online. Cultural competence refers to the knowledge, awareness, and skills required to appreciate, recognize, and effectively work with members of other cultural groups. This dissertation examined several components of a multicultural psychology course: ethical grading, skill development, and intergroup contact. The first paper discussed techniques used to minimize grading bias and examined whether cultural competence shifts impacted grading. Students’ cultural competence scores did not relate to or predict their grades in the course, which supported the notion instructors can grade fairly and objectively regardless of students’ attitudes and values. The second paper highlighted the importance of social justice competence in addition to cultural competence, as well as the importance of targeting skill development in addition to knowledge and awareness. This study investigated the impact of adding a skills-focused Difficult Dialogues group assignment to the course on students’ shifts in cultural competence-related attitudes and social justice orientation and also discussed of implementation considerations for instructors. Results suggested that the Difficult Dialogues project had a particular impact on improving students’ social justice behavioral intentions. The third paper focused on the impact of intergroup contact with diverse others. The multicultural psychology course typically requires direct contact by attending at least three cultural events every semester. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this requirement was shifted to indirect contact activities. This study examined differential shifts on students’ cultural competence-related attitudes in sections where students were required to engage in direct intergroup contact versus students who were allowed to engage in indirect intergroup contact due to taking the course during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results suggest that indirect contact contributed to positive shifts in cultural competence equally as well as direct intergroup contact. These studies advance the evidence-based teaching of multicultural psychology by empirically examining specific course components. The manuscripts provide useful information for educators, administrators, advocates, and policymakers about the impact of multicultural education, the efficacy of cultural competence training, and feasibility of ethical implementation in the classroom

Reducing inequalities in school exclusion: learning from good practice

The research reported here was commissioned by the Office of the Children’s Commissioner’s to inform the second year of their on-going School Exclusions Inquiry. The first year of the inquiry culminated in the publication of the report They Never Give Up On You which included an analysis of recent national data on recorded exclusions from school that provided stark evidence of inequality for particular groups. Concerns about the disproportionate impact of school exclusion on specific groups of young people are not new and there have previously been attempts at policy level to reduce inequalities. However, the relationship between exclusion and other educational and social processes is complex and these inequalities persist. The over-arching objective of the research was therefore to identify characteristics of good practice in addressing inequalities in school exclusions, with particular attention to the following factors: Free School Meals; gender; ethnicity; and Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Bridging the Gap: Including Cultural Science in Post-Secondary Education to Enhance Learning Within Sciences for Native and Non-Native Students

Until seven years ago, there were few mechanisms in place within theWabanaki communities to keep Native students connected from middle school through college if an interest was sparked in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields. On average, less than 50 percent of Native Students graduate from high school. The past six years, the Wabanaki Youth in Science program (WaYS) has become a bridge for students to learn more at the secondary level about STEM fields. The next phase in the academic journey to aid student learning is to develop a model educational program that will increase Native youth learning in post-secondary education. Research has attributed some of this learning challenges to a lack of inclusion, an educational framework developed by predominately White institutions, and the influence of the dominant ideology. Utilizing qualitative and quantitative methods, this study charted the value, or not, that inclusion of cultural science (CS) enhanced learning for Native and non-Native youth to increase learning within academics and future careers. It is important to understand the short -term research followed the changes in beliefs for Native and non-Native students as it revolved around the relationship of cultural science to western science within a specific course. Can the addition of CS into western academics, not as an add on, but as an integrated component have a significant impact on non-Native youth? Linked into this, many federal organizations require collaboration with Indigenous working groups. Can non-Native youth familiar with and understanding the cultural relevance to the environmental issue lead to a better decision-making process? This research looks at mechanisms to create the paradigm shift to benefit Native and non-Native students as it relates to inclusive ideology of learning directed at environmental sciences in college. Keywords: Native American, cultural science, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, postsecondary college, STEM, WaY