Assessing the Validity of The Communalism Scale Using Cultural Groups

Communalism has become a very important variable for research investigation recently because the field of cultural psychology has been searching for new models to foster a clear understanding of culture or for ways to improve current models. This study investigated the validity of using The Communalism Scale to assess the communal (group focus rather than individual focus) aspect of culture in specific ethnic groups. Until now, the scale was used only with African Americans; however, the current study assessed the validity of the scale with several cultural groups. Results from previous studies have demonstrated clear internal consistency for The Communalism Scale; however, there appeared to be a need for further validation of the scale. Research hypotheses included predictions about The Communalism Scale with regards to specific ethnic groups and geographical location of these groups. This study found that the communalism construct was endorsed by several ethnic groups, including Asian/Pacific Islander, African American, European American, and multiracial ethnic populations. Results also indicated significant differences between ethnic groups and some of these differences were noted regardless of geographical location. Understanding the value of using The Communalism Scale with cultural groups adds to the current cultural model and has the ability to influence the effectiveness of measuring communalistic aspects of culture

A Study of Teacher and Administrator Perceptions of the Impact of Feedback on Teacher Instructional Practices in Reading

Effective reading instruction is paramount to the success of students in school and well into adulthood. Students that read below grade in third grade are more likely to drop out of high school and earn less income as adults. Teacher effectiveness is critical in helping to close these ongoing gaps with regards to reading. Teacher quality is very important to student achievement and as a result, teacher evaluation processes have become essential in determining and retaining quality teachers. Additionally, teachers’ and administrator’s perceptions of evaluations, particularly, perceptions of administrative feedback given and the impact it has on changing instructional practices, is important because teachers have a direct impact on student achievement and are one of the single most important factors in student performance. This study utilized a pragmatic paradigm for program evaluation as the theoretical framework to identify K-5 teachers’ and administrators’ perceptions of the impact of administrators’ feedback on teacher instructional practices in reading in a rural school district in Virginia. Focus groups and semistructured interviews were used to collect data from teachers and administrators regarding their perceptions of feedback and the impact on instructional practices in reading. Transcript and thematic analysis were used to analyze the data collected through the focus group and interviews that were conducted in this case study

The consequences for children of incarcerated parents.

There have been many controversies within the United States regarding the criminal justice system. One of the most common notions is the lack of support we give to the victims of crime. Generally, we associate the term “victim” with individuals who are directly harmed by the crime; however, we rarely consider the families of incarcerated offenders as victims (Light and Campbell 306). According to the U.S. Department of Justice, over fifty percent of state and federal inmates have at least one child under eighteen years of age (Glaze and Maruschak 1). This paper will focus on the effects incarceration can have on the families of the incarcerated individual, specifically the children. The effects of parental incarceration will be examined along with the effectiveness of existing strategies and programs designed to reduce the effects of parental incarceration. Lastly, a proposed pilot program, based on existing literature on this topic, will be examined as a means to minimize the consequences of parental incarceration on children

Diverse Women Faculty Experiences Using Identity and Relational Concepts to teach Cultural Competence

[EN] This article reviews and engages a qualitative section of Williams’ 2017 research study that aimed to explore faculty experiences using relational teaching concepts when delivering cultural competence content. Multiple experiences were common to respondents from the results obtained at completion of the survey. Implications for social work education, faculty mentorship and support are discussed. It was concluded that there is an express need for early intervention on behalf of doctoral students being mentored for junior faculty teaching appointments, the use of identity is a healthy and connecting touchstone in social work education classrooms and ongoing work is needed to further engage the work of deconstructing privilege by using professional and personal identities to connect students to content for effective knowledge transfer. Keywords: Social Work; Diversity; Relational-Cultural Theory; Cultural Competence; Relational Teaching.http://ocs.editorial.upv.es/index.php/HEAD/HEAD18Williams, L. (2018). Diverse Women Faculty Experiences Using Identity and Relational Concepts to teach Cultural Competence. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 1505-1510. https://doi.org/10.4995/HEAD18.2018.8238OCS1505151

Financial abuse of elders

The proposed research study explored the extent and nature of financial abuse crimes amongst elders in San Bernardino County. This study utilized a descriptive research method. This study identified characteristics of victims and perpetrators, contributing factors associated with financial abuse, the degree of trauma an elder will experience depending on the type of financial crime committed. This study will provide an overview of the different types of financial abuse cases reported and determine if there is a significant difference and/or similarities of these types of crimes committed against male and female elderly in San Bernardino County

Social Norms And College Dating Violence Among Gay Bisexual Transgender And Queer (gbtq) Students

There is minimal research on Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (GBTQ) dating violence on college campuses. This qualitative study was facilitated using focus groups that included students that identified as being GBTQ at the University of Central Florida (UCF). The focus group questions were open ended in a discussion format. Participants were recruited from student organizations like the Gay Lesbian Bisexual Student Union (GLBSU) and Knight Allies on campus. There were a total of 10 students that participated in 2 different focus group sessions. Student\u27s attitudes, thoughts and opinions about dating violence on college campuses in GBTQ relationships were collected. Additionally, participants provided their own definitions of the term dating violence. The students were most comfortable discussing dating violence among heterosexual couples, but did provide their thoughts about this issue in the GBTQ community. The results show that students had differing ideas on what constitutes a dating relationship, and behaviors that are positive and acceptable in GBTQ relationships, but are not considered socially acceptable. One example of this was public displays of affection. In addition, students identified negative behaviors in violent relationships that seem to follow some of the common themes that were found in the current literature. Participants were not aware of current efforts at UCF to address college campus dating violence from a prevention standpoint, but were familiar with intervention services offered on campus. They provided ideas on social messages that would be effective on campus to raise awareness about dating violence in the GBTQ community

Primary Care Social Work Practice with Older Adult Veterans During the Covid-19 Pandemic: An Application of Ecological Systems Theory

In March 2020, The state of New York became the American epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic with the most vulnerable of populations including older adults being affected.  As a result of the Government shut-down to slow the spread of Covid-19, many primary care social workers, including this writer pivoted to remote telework detail on short notice. While utilizing an ecological systems theoretical framework, this article will explore how primary care social workers in the Veterans Health Administration worked through the Covid-19 pandemic to effectively provide social work services and case management to older adult Veterans

Exploring the Relationship between Professional Development and Student Achievement

Abstract The purpose of this research was to explore the relationship between professional development and student achievement by addressing three major standards of professional learning: content, process, and context. This study included 276 teachers from 28 middle schools. Data from this study was gathered using the Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) survey instrument designed by the Southwest Educational Development Laboratory (SEDL) and publicly available achievement data from the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP), a criterion-referenced achievement test. The Standards Assessment Inventory (SAI) was used to examine teachers\u27 perceptions of professional development at the school level.The overall purpose of this study was to collect, analyze, and use existing data to answer the following research question: Based on the National Staff Development Council (NSDC) professional learning standards, is there a positive correlation between teachers\u27 perception of professional development at a school-based level and student achievement?The following sub-questions guided this research: (1) Is there a relationship between the context of school-level professional development based on the NSDC standards and student achievement in mathematics and reading/language, as measured by TCAP scores? (2) Is there a relationship between the process of school-level professional development based on the NSDC standards and student achievement in mathematics and reading/language, as measured by TCAP scores? (3) Is there a relationship between the content of school-level professional development based on the NSDC standards and student achievement in mathematics and reading/language, as measured by TCAP scores?Data for this research was analyzed using statistical computational methods. The results from the data analysis determined that there were several positive significant relationships between the National Staff Development Council standards of professional learning and student achievement

Expression and regulation of c-myb in B-lymphocyte development

B lymphocytes are continually produced in bone marrow from pluripotential hematopoietic stem cells. Lymphopoiesis is characterized by a series of highly regulated genotypic and phenotypic changes resulting in immunocompetent effector cells which express cell surface immunoglobulin. Our laboratory has focused on defining extracellular signals regulating lymphoid progenitor cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation. These studies have demonstrated that pro-B cell survival, proliferation, and differentiation are regulated by interactions with fibroblastic stromal cells in the hematopoietic microenvironment. However, specific molecular mechanisms by which stromal cells regulate B lymphoid development are largely unknown. In an attempt to better understand molecular mechanisms regulating maturation in this lineage, we developed a panel of pro-B cell clones from 14-day murine fetal liver. These pro-B cell clones remain dependent on stromal cells for survival, do not form tumors, and reconstitute B lymphocytes in severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice. In vitro, pro-B cell clones continuously proliferate and do not differentiate. We noted that pro B cell lines were characterized by expression of high levels of the oncogene c-myb. Although several laboratories have proposed a role for c-myb in regulation of hematopoiesis, virtually nothing is known about the function of c-myb in normal B lineage cells. To investigate the role of c-myb in the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of B lineage cells, we utilized a stromal cell dependent pro-B cell line that expresses mRNA and protein for c-myb. Experiments utilizing RT-PCR and Western blot analysis reveal that c-myb is regulated in pro-B cells by stromal cells, specifically by stromal cell adhesion contacts. Both DMSO and antisense oligonucleotides were used to downregulate c-myb protein to determine the role this intracellular regulator plays in B lymphocyte development. Our investigations revealed that downregulation of c-myb did not affect pro-B cell survival but did interrupt both pro-B cell proliferation and differentiation. In vivo investigations in mice carrying homozygous mutations of the c-myb gene indicate that lymphopoiesis is severely diminished in embryonic knockout animals. These data suggest a central role for c-myb in proliferation and differentiation of developing B lymphocytes