bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
ACTIVITY THEORY PROPOSED BY A.N. LEONTIEV APPLIED TO SIGNIFY AND STRUCTURE PROBLEM-SOLVING EXPERIMENTAL ACTIVITY IN CHEMISTRY TEACHING
Authors: Núñez Isauro Beltrán , Ribeiro do Amaral Edenia Maria , Oliveira Marcus Vinícius de Faria , Pereira Luiz Fernando
Published: February 2022

Background. Traditional ways of developing practical work in chemistry classes mainly focus on providing narrow relations between theory and practice, following scripts without refl ections on meanings for proposed actions, among other features. To improve chemistry learning, we propose a new model based on Activity Th eory (AT), considering a Scheme for a Complete Orienting Basis of an Action (SCOBA) to guide experimental activities towards developing the students’ chemical thinking and creativity. Aims. To propose a model based on the Activity Th eory proposed by A.N. Leontiev to guide experimental activities directed to problem-solving situations and promote structured and creative learning in chemistry teaching and learning. Methods. A formative experiment involved 23 fi rst-year undergraduates (median age 19 years) in a General Chemistry discipline of a mechanical engineering course at a Cuban university. Th e formative experiment consisted of an initial diagnosis to guide the elaboration of models (SCOBA) to develop fi ve experimental activities during the classes. Data were collected from classroom observations focused on using the proposed model by the undergraduates and written text elaborated by them as they were executing actions in the experimental activities. Data analysis considered three levels of performance by the undergraduates, which suggested the quality of learning for them: correctly (I), partially (II), and incorrectly (III) supported by SCOBA. Results. We found an increasing percentage of undergraduates who correctly perform the experimental activity (EA) based on the established model for the activity (SCOBA), from EA2 to EA6. Considering that the SCOBA is elaborated to facilitate learning from the integral actions, this result suggests most undergraduates gradually reached a good appropriation of the chemistry contents related to the experimental activities (86.9% in Level I at EA6). Progressively, the undergraduates showed greater awareness, motivation, and independence for the experimental activities, improving productive social interactions, between pairs and with the instructor, during the classes. Conclusions. Th e fi ndings showed the potential of the organization of experimental activities based on the Activity Th eory as an innovative proposal for more effi cient teaching in professional training. Bringing together the problem-solving strategy as an experimental activity, developed under a basis of orientation for action, the students are given the possibility to engage consciously and creatively of solving problems, exploring, and deciding, being motivated protagonists of their learning.
Nigeria’s Democracy Promotion in Africa: Hard, Soft or Smart Power Stratagem?
Authors: Tella Oluwaseun
Published: February 2022

Democracy promotion is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s most important foreign policy objectives in Africa. Indeed, it has featured in the state’s foreign policy across successive administrations including military and civilian regimes. A fundamental question explored by this article is the dimension of power Nigeria deploys in its foreign policy objective of democracy promotion in Africa. Is it hard or soft, or a combination of the two (smart power)? Using three case studies – Sierra Leone, São Tomé and Príncipe and The Gambia – the article reveals that Nigeria has deployed all three dimensions of power. While this reflects the peculiar circumstances of these particular states in constitutional crisis, Nigeria’s domestic situation, including the type of political system (democratic or authoritarian) and the personality of the president at a given time, as well as trends in the global arena, are also germane. By its very nature, democracy promotion depends on a state’s soft power as the admirable domestic values of the soft power state attract other states to emulate its democratic practices. However, as the case study of Nigeria shows, a state can deploy soft, hard or smart power in its quest to promote democracy depending on the domestic circumstances of both the soft power and recipient states.
COVID-19 Ruptures And Disruptions on Grieving And Mourning Within an African Context: Lessons For Social Work Practice
Authors: Kgadima Phuti N. , Leburu Goitseone E.
Published: February 2022

Losing a significant other through death is a tragic experience worsened by the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). To curb this massive increase of deaths, the South African government introduced various rules to regulate the burial process. However, these COVID-19 regulations have caused major ruptures and disruptions on how bereaved families observe and practice cultural rites and customs following death within an African context. Consequently, many bereaved family members, particularly Black Africans, struggle with adhering to the regulations and funerals have been coined ‘ super spreaders’ of the virus. The concerns raised in this article are twofold, namely, the impact of the Covid-19 regulations on how Black Africans grieve and mourn, as well as the involvement of social workers in formulating regulations that ought to be adhered to. This article explores the fissures and bricolages brought about by COVID-19, ultimately suggesting possible ways of dealing the losses ascribed to the pandemic.
Educating Democrats or Autocrats? The Regime-Conditional Effect of Education on Support for Democracy
Authors: Österman Marcus , Robinson Darrel
Published: February 2022

Political science has long viewed education as an instrumental factor in developing support for democracy and beneficial for democratization. However, governments, both democratic and authoritarian, have substantial control over the curriculum and develop education institutions with the specific aim to instill in students the norms and values that underpin the regime. With this in mind, this study asks, does the effect of education vary by the political regime in which education was undertaken? We use a quasi-experimental approach exploiting European compulsory schooling reforms, implemented under both democratic and authoritarian regimes, to answer this question. We find that education has no effect on principle and functional support for democracy, but that education’s effect on satisfaction with democracy is conditional on regime type. For those educated under a democratic regime, education led to greater satisfaction with democracy, whereas those educated under an authoritarian regime became less satisfied with democracy.
The Historical Significance of Titicut Follies in Psychiatric Treatment: An Anti-Censorship Perspective
Authors: Durante Salvatore B.
Published: February 2022

Works of art and information judged as obscene can be censored or banned. This brief review evaluates the costs and benefits of censorship and the banning of artwork and information. In the history of psychology, Frederick Wiseman’s film Titicut Follies epitomizes the disadvantages of concealing art content. Despite protecting the privacy of patients, the ban of Titicut Follies delayed the reform of psychiatric treatment practices and hospitals. The decision to censor or ban artistic and scientific information can result in the loss of knowledge and potential improvements to social, political, and economic institution practices.
Sound absorption performance of a conch-imitating cavity structure
Authors: Xie Suchao , Yang Shichen , Yan Hongyu , Li Zhen
Published: February 2022

At present, in order to solve noise pollution, many experts are studying methods to improve the noise reduction performance of sound barriers and acoustic devices. However，the development of sound-absorbing structures under external noise environments with multiple frequencies has not made significant progress.To improve the sound absorption performance (SAP) and sound insulation performance (SIP) of structures, a novel cavity-imitating sound-absorbing structure model was established based on the multi-cavity resonance structure of conches. By performing experiments with an impedance tube and finite element simulation, the internal design of, and experimental results from a conch-imitating cavity structure (CICS) were analysed. In addition, a variety of structural parameters were investigated and the application of the sound absorber was analyzed. The analytical results showed that the CICS exhibits excellent SAP at low and intermediate frequencies. The peak frequency and sound absorption bandwidth can be changed and optimised by adjusting the structural parameters. The results show that the structure can effectively improve the sound absorption and insulation performance of the sound barrier to achieve the purpose of improving the acoustic performance, and proposes a new solution for the realisation of sound absorption and noise reduction in a multi-noise environment.
Automated Textile Circuit Generation using Machine Vision and Embroidery Technique
Authors: Ahn Jiseon , Kim Sungmin
Published: February 2022

An automated textile circuit generation method was developed using machine vision and embroidery technique. For this, an image acquisition device was designed to capture the physical layout image of electronic devices on the fabric. A series of image analysis algorithms were developed to calibrate the image and recognize the type, location, and orientation of each device from the image. Dedicated computer-aided design software was developed that can design a circuit and modify it according to the actual device layout on the fabric. It can also convert the circuit elements such as conductive path and insulation layer into data for a computerized embroidery machine. An example circuit consisting of seven electronic devices was designed and repeatedly produced to verify the developed method. The method has shown promising results.
MP-CRJ: Multi-parallel cycle reservoirs with jumps for industrial multivariate time series predictions
Authors: Li Hongguang , Zhao Wenjing , Shi Yilin , Li Jince
Published: February 2022

Nowadays, echo state networks (ESNs) with a variety of model structures are available for industrial process time series predictions. However, most existing ESNs employ a uniform timescale for data knowledge learning, which obviously ignores the influences of multivariate status at different timescales to the prediction target, usually leading to unsatisfactory model approximation performances. In response to this problem, this paper proposes a multi-parallel cycle reservoir with jumps (MP-CRJ) which is embedded with the feature knowledge of different timescales contained in the multivariate data. The MP-CRJ uses a more concise and superior circular jump reserve pool and a more memorable leaky integral neuron-filled parallel structure able to reduce the spatial complexity resulted from parallel ESNs and relatively improve the dynamic diversity of reserve pools. In addition, grey relational analysis algorithms are used to select relevant variables contributing to the prediction in filtering unnecessary data information. Applying to practical plant data for methanol productions, it shows that the MP-CRJ can help increase the prediction accuracy while maintain prediction speeds, as well as enjoy better adaptions to dynamics of complex industrial processes.
“Can I Pick More than One Project?” Case Studies of Five Teachers who Used Mi-Based Instructional Planning
Authors: Hickey M. Gail
Published: February 2022

Five middle grades teachers developed and implemented Mi-based units of instruction. Participants experienced varying levels of collegial support for Mi-based instruction, found students both embraced and avoided learning choices, noted importance of students’ realizing their own personal learning strength(s), and reported motivation for continued MI use in instructional planning.
Short- and Long-Term Differences in Instructional Effectiveness between Intensive and Semester-Length Courses
Authors: Seamon Marc
Published: February 2022

A broad literature base on the instructional effectiveness of intensive and semester-length courses often fails to find significant differences between the formats. Of those studies that do find differences, most suggest that intensive courses are superior. However, many of the studies are theoretically or methodologically flawed, and none examined crucial, long-term differences. This examination of student characteristics and instructional effectiveness in one matched pair of educational psychology classes found that, initially, students in the intensive version of the course performed significantly better than students in the semester-length course on posttests of content and questions tapping higher-order learning. The two groups of students did not differ significantly in their affinity for learning (need for cognition), age or GPA, suggesting the superior performance was the result of the intensive course format and not any pre-existing student characteristics. However, follow-up research duplicating the original study with the same participants three years later failed to find any significant difference between the two formats, suggesting that the initial superiority of the intensive format will fade if not maintained.
High-Stakes Accountability in Urban Elementary Schools: Challenging or Reproducing Inequality?1
Authors: Diamond John B. , Spillane James P.
Published: February 2022

In this article, the authors use data from interviews and observations in four urban elementary schools—two high-performing and two probation schools—to examine how schools respond to high-stakes accountability policies. The authors show that school responses to high-stakes accountability depend on the schools’ accountability status. In probation schools, responses focus narrowly on complying with policy demands, focusing on improving the performance of certain students, within benchmark grades, and in certain subject areas. In contrast, higher performing schools emphasize enhancing the performance of all students regardless of grade level and across all subject areas. Given the concentration of poor students and students of color in the lowest performing schools, the authors conclude that issues of educational equity need to be given greater consideration in the implementation of high stakes accountability policies.
Building a Scientific Community: The Need for Replication
Authors: Schneider Barbara
Published: February 2022

This article argues for the importance of replication and data sharing in educational research. Relying on standards set in other disciplines, such as sociology, the article discusses how professional associations can help to create norms and incentives for data sharing and data archiving. The author discusses the importance of data sharing across disciplines and points out how qualitative and quantitative data are currently being shared across a range of investigators. Data sharing is essential to replication and creates a vehicle through which researchers can build upon their designs, create and revise measures, and study different populations for purposes of developing new theories. The sharing of information about studies, including the actual data upon which findings are based, allows researchers to verify, extend, and generalize findings.
Self-Regulated Learning and Internet Searching
Authors: Rogers Donna , Swan Karen
Published: February 2022

As the Internet becomes a resource in the classroom, students must learn to glean maximally from that information using skills that enhance their understandings. Students engage in activities involved with Internet searching to the degree that they are skilled and motivated. This article reports on a research study that demonstrates that the model of self-regulated learning developed by Corno and Mandinach relative to traditional classroom activities can be applied to Internet searching behaviors. The study also found that not all Internet searchers are equal; thus, the article suggests that students need to be helped to become better at it, and the article also suggests ways this might be accomplished, which are linked to the findings and research on self-regulated learning in general. In particular, it gives curricular and instructional recommendations for accomplishing and supporting student learning in both Internet searches and regulation of their own searching behaviors.
Examining Features of Tasks and Their Potential to Promote Self-Regulated Learning
Authors: Perry Nancy , Phillips Lynda , Dowler Judy
Published: February 2022

The term “self-regulated” is used to describe learners who have highly effective learning and work habits. They are successful in and beyond school. This investigation examines whether and how teachers, who are masters at supporting young students’ development of self-regulated learning (SRL), can mentor student teachers to design tasks and develop practices that promote elementary school students’ SRL. Nineteen student teachers were paired with 19 mentor teachers in a cohort that emphasized SRL theory and practice. In general, student teachers remained with the same mentors throughout their teacher education program and were supported by faculty associates and researchers who also had expertise in promoting SRL. Researchers observed mentor and student teachers teaching, videotaped professional seminars, and collected samples of student teachers’ reflections, lesson plans and unit plans. Data indicate some student teachers designed tasks and implemented practices that promote SRL and that mentors’ practices accounted for 20% of the variance observed in the student teachers’ practices. Finally, the complexity of the tasks that mentors and student teachers designed was strongly predictive of opportunities for students to develop and engage in SRL.
Putting Volition to Work in Education
Authors: Winne Philip H.
Published: February 2022

Playing the role of constructive critic of articles in this special issue, I adopt the term self-reliance to refer to work habits, work styles, volition, and self-regulated learning. Starting with the belief that developing self-reliance is an important goal of education, I examine key issues that influence the likelihood of reaching this goal. I assume first that learners are agents. This human quality ubiquitously affects theorizing, researching, and teaching. I examine the nature of this influence in relation to three issues: How learners experiment to develop self-reliance, conditions that influence how learners express and extend self-reliance, and considerations about how to advance theory and practice in the service of enhancing self-reliance.
Accountability, California Style: Counting or Accounting?
Authors: Russell Michael , Higgins Jennifer , Raczek Anastasia
Published: February 2022

Across the nation and at nearly all levels of our educational system, efforts to hold schools accountable for student learning dominate strategies for improving the quality of education. At both the national and state level, student testing stands at the center of educational accountability programs, such that schools are effectively held accountability for increases in student test scores. This working definition of accountability contrasts sharply with the formal definition of accountability in which those discharged with duties are expected to provide an account—that is, a description and an explanation—of their duties and conduct and to assist in determining whether said conduct was responsible. This article focuses specifically on the accountability system introduced in California in 1999 and identifies several shortcomings of test-based accountability systems. These shortcomings fall into two broad categories: unrealistic expectations established by the system and failure to identify why schools succeed or fail to meet test-based goals. Based on shortcomings identified in California, as well as limitations of test-based accountability itself, several recommendations for an improved accountability system are offered. Chief among these recommendations is that notions of accountability be expanded such that accountability becomes a two-way process in which all levels from the classroom up to the state should be asked to account for their practices and the impact those practices have on students and their learning.
Scientific Research in a Democratic Culture: Or What's a Social Science For?
Authors: Willinsky John
Published: February 2022

In attempting to guide both researchers and the federal government in the development of a stronger scientific culture for education research, the National Research Council report, Scientific Research in Education, falls short in its conception of research dissemination. Rather than considering the potential of new publishing technologies to ensure much wider circulation and impact for education research as integral to both its scientific quality and public responsibilities, the report presents a highly circumscribed view of publishing, in terms of disclosing it to professional scrutiny and critique. While this scrutiny and critique are indeed necessary, they are not sufficient if education research is going to play the increased public role demanded of it in the No Children Left Behind Act of 2001. This article builds on the report's reference to education research's parallels with medical research to demonstrate how greater public access to this research has contributed to the democratic quality of people's lives, while arguing that the education research community would do well to explore open access publishing models as one means of extending the desired scientific culture represented by education research.
Professional Development of Secondary EFL Teachers: Lessons from China
Authors: Hu Guangwei
Published: February 2022

Since China initiated its modernization program in the late 1970s, professional development of secondary teachers of English as a foreign language (EFL) has been given much prominence because of the perceived important role that English can play in the modernization drive. This article provides a critical overview of secondary EFL teacher education in China with the intent of offering useful lessons to foreign language teacher education in other parts of the world. The critique is made within a framework that draws on theoretical and empirical research on teacher education in four areas: (a) the knowledge base for teaching, (b) pedagogical effectiveness in fostering knowledge acquisition and intellectual qualities that support continuing professional development, (c) professional development in the community of practice, and (d) the coherence of professional development work. Through the analytical lenses provided by the framework, the article scrutinizes two curriculums for secondary EFL teacher preparation programs and the instructional practices prevalent in these programs. It also examines secondary EFL teachers’ continuing professional development in the workplace and through formally organized in-service programs. Based on the critical examination, suggestions are made for addressing identified problems and improving the effectiveness and relevance of the EFL teacher education system.
What Do Associate Teachers Do Anyway? A Comparison of Theoretical Conceptualizations in the Literature and Observed Practices in the Field
Authors: Sanders Marion , Dowson Martin , Sinclair Catherine
Published: February 2022

The degree of convergence (or divergence) between what associate teachers are said to do in the practicum literature and what they actually do during practicum formed the focus of the present research. This focus is important, in part, because divergence between the literature and actual practice may inhibit the ability of the literature to contribute to the enhancement of supervisory practices. The present research uses case study methodology to investigate associate (supervising) teachers’ perceptions of their multiple roles during practicum. Four associate teachers and their preservice teaching students were observed for a total of 87 hr and interviewed for 4 hr. Results of the study indicated that the roles pursued by associate teachers (e.g., Planner, Evaluator, Modeler, Counselor), while not completely divergent from roles described in the literature, are nevertheless sufficiently divergent from these descriptions to indicate that modifications to the literature may be warranted. This applies to both the degree to which associate teachers pursued particular roles and the structure of these roles themselves. The research also found that coordinating multiple roles was a challenging experience for associate teachers and implied the need for more substantial support for associate teachers if they are to successfully coordinate these multiple roles.
The Pain Outweighs the Gain: Why Teachers Don't Want to Become Principals
Authors: Howley Aimee , Andrianaivo Solange , Perry Jessica
Published: February 2022

U.S. schools are facing a crisis of leadership because many school districts are finding it increasingly difficult to recruit new principals. Whereas teachers represent the group from which the largest number of new principals is likely to be drawn, fewer and fewer of them now seem willing to seek administrative positions. Understanding their perspectives provides an important basis for addressing critical shortages. Using survey data from a large Ohio sample, the present study examined the views of teachers with regard to what are commonly perceived as incentives and disincentives associated with the principalship. It also explored the characteristics of teachers that make them more and less receptive to the idea of seeking leadership positions. Results showed that, in general, teachers view the disincentives associated with the principalship as more potent than the incentives. Variables that were significantly associated with the view that the principalship was “worth it” (i.e., that the incentives outweighed the disincentives) included gender (i.e., maleness), administrative licensure, and the tendency to value the practice whereby school leaders groom teachers for leadership positions.
Getting it the Second Time Around: Student Classroom Experience in Chicago's Summer Bridge Program
Authors: Stone Susan I. , Engel Mimi , Roderick Jenny Nagaoka Melissa
Published: February 2022

Increased use of high-stakes testing has been accompanied by an expansion of summer school programming. Few investigations focus on student experience within these programs. Using multiple methods, we examined how low-performing students attending the Chicago Public Schools’ Summer Bridge program perceived their summer learning environments. Students reported substantial increases in academic press and personalism between the school year and summer. Qualitative analysis revealed that over half of the students characterized their experience as substantively better in the summer than in the school year. They particularly focused on exposure to new content, increased attention from teachers, and an improved classroom climate that helped in the mastery of material.
A Different Approach to Teaching Multiculturalism: Pragmatism as a Pedagogy and Problem-Solving Tool
Authors: Henry Sue Ellen
Published: February 2022

This article explores the moral imperative for teaching multiculturalism from a classically pragmatic point of view. Through an examination of the principles of classical pragmatism, embodied in the work of John Dewey, this analysis suggests that approaching multiculturalism from a pragmatic perspective lends a necessary moral foundation for the work of the multicultural educational reform movement. Critique of the conventional race-based approach reveals several durable dichotomies that can serve to distinguish Students of Color from White students in unproductive ways. I suggest that conceiving of the multiculturalism classroom's primary purpose as a developmental tool for individual students diminishes its potential as a location to sponsor a moral community that fosters a sense of the collective and of mutual multicultural problem solving.
Getting My Education: Teen Mothers’ Experiences in School before and after Motherhood
Authors: Zachry Elizabeth M.
Published: February 2022

In this study, I have examined how teenagers who become pregnant experience school and how their beliefs about school are affected by their pregnancy and motherhood. Using a grounded theory approach, the perspectives of 9 young mothers in a teen parents’ program were analyzed to determine how these women reflected on their educational experience both before and after their pregnancy and on how having a child may have affected their self-understanding, particularly in relation to their schooling. The overarching theme that arose from participants’ responses was that having a child substantially influenced their perspectives of both their schooling and their future. Although each stated that her pregnancy initially led her to drop out of school, the participants argued that having a child increased their interest in their education and pushed them to see how education would help them provide a better future for their children, increase their employment opportunities, and help them get off public assistance. In contrast to previous research, which has argued that teen motherhood puts women at a greater risk for school difficulties, this study reveals that motherhood may also be a factor in helping women reevaluate their perspective of school and school's importance for their lives.
It's Not Enough to Get through the Open Door: Inequalities by Social Background in Transfer from Community Colleges to Four-Year Colleges
Authors: Dougherty Kevin J. , Kienzl Gregory S.
Published: February 2022

The growing policy interest in community colleges as gateways to the baccalaureate degree naturally raises the question of how equitably transfer opportunities are distributed by student background and what factors may explain background differences that might be found. We analyze two nationally representative data sets to examine how the likelihood of transfer is affected by social background, precollege academic characteristics, external demands at college entrance, and experiences during college. We find that high-SES students have significantly higher transfer rates, in part because of advantages in precollege academic preparation and educational aspirations. Older college entrants are much less likely to transfer than students entering college right out of high school, and a significant portion of this age gap is more often due to having children, lower educational aspirations, and a vocational major, and being enrolled part time. Though women and nonwhites differ from men and whites in transfer rates, these differences are not statistically significant. But there is an important caveat: blacks tend to have higher educational aspirations than whites of the same socioeconomic background. When we control for educational aspirations, thus removing this black aspirational advantage, the black-white gap in transfer rates widens considerably, becoming statistically significant in one of our samples but not the other.
Performing Curriculum: Building Ethos through Narratives in Pedagogical Discourse
Authors: Juzwik Mary M.
Published: February 2022

This study examines the problem of how teachers establish desirable positions of authority in their classrooms. The interpretive analysis draws on insights from narrative theory in order to consider the following question: How does one teacher establish authority in her classroom through the means of narrative performance? I articulate a rhetorical framework for exploring this question, particularly elaborating the notion of ethos, defined as the rhetorical invention of one's identity for persuasive purposes. I also establish a performance perspective to the study of narrative in teaching. In analysis, I have systematically examined one artful teacher's corpus of narrative performances in a 6-week Holocaust unit. This article overviews the occurrence of narrative events throughout the unit, characterizes the frame space of narrative discourse in the classroom, elaborates the variance in emerging ethos through narrative performances, and identifies and interprets the different types of narrative events in the class. I find that narratives serve as a hybrid frame space, allowing this teacher to establish a dynamically negotiated, yet nonetheless authoritative, ethos that emerged in response to the content material and to students.
An Empirical Exploration of the Who, What, and how of School Care
Authors: Schussler Deborah L. , Collins Angelo
Published: February 2022

This study examines how care exists in one alternative high school for students at risk of dropping out. Specifically, this article empirically explores who is involved in caring relationships at the school, what those relationships look like, and how the organization of the school affects the existence of care. Data were collected during the 2000–2001 school year and included observations, faculty interviews, and in-depth interviews with 16 students. From these data, a construct of care was created that includes five caring relationships, pervasive elements that exist throughout these relationships, and specific structural and ideological aspects that enable the existence of care. Suggestions for how schools can organize to create caring communities and directions for further research are also discussed.
Contemplative Studies: Prospects for a New Field
Authors: Roth Harold D.
Published: February 2022

We have reached a moment in history when it is time to reenvision certain basic aspects of the existing models of teaching and research in higher education in order to foster a deeper knowledge of the nature of our existence as human beings in a world that is intricately interrelated on many levels. This article suggests that one way to accomplish this is to develop a new field of academic endeavor that takes account of the emerging scientific work on the neurological foundations of the concentrated and relaxed states of mind attained by meditation and by a variety of other human endeavors, and applies them directly to our lives. It is important that we do not study them only as objects divorced from our own experience, but bring our own subjectivities directly into the equation. The field I am proposing, “contemplative studies,” would bridge the humanities, the sciences, and the creative arts in an effort to identify the varieties of contemplative experiences, to find meaningful scientific explanations for them, to cultivate firsthand knowledge of them, and to critically assess their nature and significance.
Admitted to College, Restricted from Work: A Conflict for Young Iranian Women
Authors: Shavarini Mitra K.
Published: February 2022

This article examines the phenomenon of young Iranian women who are encouraged to pursue higher education but who are deterred from entering the labor market. It identifies the factors that college women themselves recognize as motivating or inhibiting their participation in these two public realms. The research reported suggests that the impediment to women in Iranian society not entering the work force is not Islam per se, but broader sociocultural elements. These findings reflect one of the most significant challenges faced by countries with significant Muslim populations: the transformation of gender roles through higher education.
Building Consensus: Future Directions for Research on English Language Learners at Risk for Learning Difficulties
Authors: Lesaux Nonie K.
Published: February 2022

The growing population of English language learners (ELLs) in U.S. schools and the low academic achievement of many of these learners have been the subject of much debate. A significant related issue is determining the sources of ELLs’ difficulty, namely, understanding the distinction between learning disabilities (LD) and learning difficulties due primarily to contextual factors and second-language learning. This article addresses the future directions for research in this area, with an emphasis on the need to build consensus through converging lines of evidence. Issues of sample definition, study design, and methods are discussed; also emphasized in the article is that in order to answer questions about the sources of difficulty for ELLs who are struggling, an understanding of the trajectories and experiences of those not experiencing difficulties is needed. Throughout the article, parallels are drawn between this emerging field of research and the LD research conducted with monolingual English speakers. An example of a study for which the design, analyses, and dissemination relates to many of the issues raised in the article is presented.
“There's Still Not Justice”: Youth Civic Identity Development amid Distinct School and Community Contexts
Authors: Rubin Beth C.
Published: February 2022

Qualitative research describing and theorizing about the emerging civic identities of diverse youth is scarce. This study provides a textured view of how civic identity is constructed and negotiated by racially and socioeconomically diverse adolescents, based on interviews and in-class discussions conducted with students in four public secondary schools. Youth living in distinct contexts come to school-based civic education with varied understandings—shaped by disparate daily experiences—of what it means to be an American citizen and a participant in the civic life of a democracy. This investigator's examination of diverse adolescents’ discussions of their in-school and out-of-school civic experiences suggests a “typology” of civic identity that runs counter to prevalent views of the civic engagement of urban, minority youth. The study illustrates sharp disparities in daily civic experiences of youth from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, and suggests that schools can either hinder or encourage development of engaged, action-oriented civic identities among students from various contexts.
“And That's Just how it Starts”: Teaching Mathematics and Developing Student Agency
Authors: Gutstein Eric (Rico)
Published: February 2022

This article reports on a two-year qualitative, practitioner-research study of teaching and learning for social justice. The site was my middle-school mathematics classroom in a Chicago public school in a Latino/a community. A major pedagogical goal was to create conditions for students to develop agency, a sense of themselves as subjects in the world. My research suggests that students learned mathematics and began to develop sociopolitical awareness and see themselves as possible actors in society through using mathematics to understand social injustices. This research contributes to our understanding of how to create opportunities for students to develop agency in K-12 mathematics classrooms, and may also contribute to our knowledge of developing agency in any subject area.
Opportunities Lost: Local Translations of Advocacy Policy Conversations
Authors: Ares Nancy , Buendía Edward
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

Policy documents such as Title I of the No Child Left Behind Act [NCLB] (2001) direct schools and school systems to funnel resources to students based on their socioeconomic and linguistic status, as well as according to performance on standardized measures of achievement. Such conversations in the US about serving “at risk” students are powerful influences in schools’ efforts to advocate for the academic and social success of their increasingly diverse student populations. In this sense, advocacy involves organizing curricula, programs, and resources to support the learning and development of students whose academic performance is perceived as threatened.

Focus of Study

An important question that must be addressed is, “To what degree are school reform initiatives able to articulate a vision of advocacy without lapsing into historical narratives of racial division and individualism, the results of which are continued differential achievement and unequal treatment of students based on socioeconomic, cultural, and linguistic markers?” It is equally important to understand how advocacy policies are translated at the school level. The advocacy policy of the reform we examine serves as an example of a vision grounded in an individually focused, colorblind policy, and the translation process as an example of how colorblindness precludes true reform focused on equity. Thus, this work adds to literature in both educational policy and in implementation of reform.

Research Design

Analyses of policy and enactment of policy in a whole-district school reform effort examined educators’ translation of national and local policy discourses. We pinpoint why the crafting and translation of advocacy policy came out the way it did, and how it could have been different. We connect policy and practice by identifying points of translation where true reform focused on equity might have been undertaken.

Conclusions/Recommendations

District staff, principals, and teachers first translated the district office's advocacy policy by hybridizing institutional, historical discourses of the individual with discourses of racial difference, and then these same teachers and principals translated their interpretation at the level of their own school setting by hybridizing race-based advocacy with assimilationist ideologies of the purpose of school. We argue for expansion of such individually focused notions of advocacy to capture the fact that students experience schooling differentially based on their membership in social class, ethnic/racial, cultural, and/or linguistic groups. Implications of individually focused, colorblind advocacy policies for the success of this reform in particular and school reform in general are explored.
A Theoretical and Empirical Investigation of Teacher Collaboration for School Improvement and Student Achievement in Public Elementary Schools
Authors: Goddard Yvonne L. , Goddard Roger D. , Tschannen-Moran Megan
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

A review of the literature demonstrates that schools are frequently called upon to improve by developing high levels of teacher collaboration. At the same time, there is a paucity of research investigating the extent to which teachers’ collaborative school improvement practices are related to student achievement.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to review the literature and empirically test the relationship between a theoretically driven measure of teacher collaboration for school improvement and student achievement.

Setting

The data for this study were drawn from students and teachers in a large urban school district located in the midwestern United States.

Population

The population for this study came from the elementary schools in one large midwestern school district. Survey data were drawn from a sample of 47 elementary schools with 452 teachers and 2,536 fourth-grade students.

Research Design

Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was the primary analytic method. Survey data were collected approximately 2 months before students took the mandatory state assessments, which provided the scale scores that served as dependent variables in this research. HLM accounted for the nested nature of the data (students nested in schools). This was a naturalistic study that employed secondary data analysis. There was no intervention, treatment, or randomization. Naturally occurring differences in teachers’ levels of collaboration were measured, and statistical controls for school social context were employed. At the student level, the study employed controls for children's social and academic backgrounds.

Data Collection and Analysis

Data were obtained from teachers and students in the sampled schools. Teacher data were obtained via a survey assessing teacher collaboration. Student data were obtained from the central administrative office of the school district for all students who attended sampled schools during the year in which we surveyed teachers.

Results

Results of HLM analyses indicate that fourth-grade students have higher achievement in mathematics and reading when they attend schools characterized by higher levels of teacher collaboration for school improvement.

Conclusions

The authors suggest that the results provide preliminary support for efforts to improve student achievement by providing teachers with opportunities to collaborate on issues related to curriculum, instruction, and professional development. The authors also discuss the need for more research on the effects of different types of collaborative practices using more representative samples.
Making Sense of School Sanctioning Policies in Urban High Schools
Authors: Anagnostopoulos Dorothea , Rutledge Stacey A.
Published: February 2022

Background/Context

School sanctioning policies that allow for external intervention into and closure of low-performing schools have become central components of the current educational accountability movement. Recent studies indicate that these policies compel principals and teachers to alter school and classroom practices in ways that target resources toward efforts to improve schoolwide test scores.

Focus of Study

The present study extends this research by examining whether and how school sanctioning policies compel principals and teachers in urban high schools to address the failure that students experience in academic courses and on standardized tests.

Research Design

Using qualitative case study methods, we followed principals and teachers in two urban high schools placed under district sanctions as they sought to make sense of and respond to both their schools’ failure, as measured by standardized test scores, and high rates of academic course failure. The study employs a cultural sociological perspective to trace the explanations of school and course failure that the principals and teachers constructed as they interpreted the sanctioning policy, and to document the extent to which these interpretations became entrenched in school and classroom practices.

Findings

Analyses of interview and observation data indicate that faculty in both schools enacted numerous changes in response to district sanctions. Whether these changes become institutionalized as part of school or classroom practice depended on the principals’ and teachers’ abilities to mobilize schemas, material resources, and legitimacy. The changes that sanctioning prompted, however, had little impact on faculty efforts to address course failure. Course failure remained bound to a moral causality that located its cause in students’ moral deficiencies and that justified the attenuation of the schools’ responsibility for it.

Conclusions

The study's findings highlight the limits of school sanctioning policies to improve schooling for students in urban high schools and raise fundamental questions about to whom and for what such policies ultimately hold schools accountable.