bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Integrating Computer-Based Curricula in the Classroom: Lessons from a Blended Learning Intervention
Authors: Anglum J. Cameron , Desimone Laura M. , Hill Kirsten Lee 
Published: November 2021

Context This study analyzes the implementation of a blended learning middle school mathematics intervention in a large urban school district in the northeastern United States. Blended learning models integrate online instructional tools within traditional methods of classroom instruction. Focus of Study As their use increases in classrooms across the country, there remains much unknown about how teachers integrate blended learning strategies into their pedagogical practices and what factors, including school, teacher, and student attributes, facilitate or hinder these approaches. Our findings provide insight into how teachers integrate computer-based curricula in their classrooms, findings particularly instructive for under-resourced urban school districts. Research Design The study is designed as part of a within-teacher randomized controlled field trial, a design which enables direct comparisons of teacher practices between each of his or her two mathematics classrooms. To draw these comparisons, we utilize a range of detailed teacher survey data as well as rich teacher interview data. Conclusions We believe our findings about the choices teachers make in using software in the classroom and the barriers they face in doing so are applicable to the implementation of a wide variety of computer-based interventions in urban environments, whether they are part of curricular innovations, blended learning instructional strategies, or targeted academic interventions.
New Standards and Old Divides: Policy Attitudes About College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Students with Disabilities
Authors: Edgerton Adam K. , Fuchs Douglas , Fuchs Lynn S. 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA, 2004) requires that all students with disabilities (SWD) receive a free, appropriate public education designed to meet their unique needs to prepare them for post-school education and employment (American Psychological Association, 2018). In the past two decades, momentum has grown for a supplementary idea: that schools be held accountable for SWD achieving grade-level standards. Thus standards-based reform for SWD is often caught between ideals of standardization and principles of differentiation. Purpose and Research Questions The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which district administrators, principals, general educators, and special educators differ in their policy perceptions of the newest college- and career-readiness standards (CCRS) for SWD versus other learners. Our research questions were: To what extent do teachers of SWD report delivering similar or different instructional content compared to general education teachers? What types of instructional supports do teachers provide, what types of professional development do teachers receive, and how do these differ by teacher type? How do policy perceptions differ between teachers of SWD and general education teachers? How do district administrators, principals, and teachers differ in their policy perceptions of the CCRS as they relate to SWD? Research Design In three states (Texas, Ohio, and Kentucky), we surveyed a stratified sample of teachers, principals, and district administrators on the implementation of their state's standards and directed them to respond for SWD who participate in the regular accountability system. Conclusions/Recommendations Results indicate an environment where SWD continue to receive less grade-level content and, in Texas and Ohio, are served by personnel who do not believe that the standards are appropriate. Kentucky demonstrated greater consistencies between general education and SWD instruction and policy environments. Findings raise questions about whether CCRS are being implemented for all students.
Cross-Sector Collaboration to Support College and Career Readiness in an Urban School District
Authors: Malin Joel R. , Hackmann Donald G. , Scott Ian M. 
Published: November 2021

Background School reforms requiring collaborations spanning multiple sectors are increasing in prevalence, but extant research has primarily focused only upon cross-sector partnerships involving education and social services. College and career readiness (CCR) reforms, such as the one highlighted in this study, are also often intrinsically cross-sectoral in nature. It is necessary to understand how such complex collaborations are developed and maintained. Purpose: This study examined how cross-sector collaboration has shaped the development and implementation of district-wide high school career academies in a large urban school district. Research Design We applied case-study methodology to examine a mature cross-sector collaboration that guides and supports the district's career academy reforms. A meta-framework concerning cross-sector collaboration—developed by Bryson, Crosby, and Stone—supported our design, data collection, and analysis. Conclusions Findings disclose a complex system of structures and processes to support reform implementation and illuminate the role and nature of cross-sector collaborations. This study provides an initial step toward understanding the elements, processes, and leadership required to develop and sustain cross-sector CCR reforms. The findings hold relevance for practitioners (e.g., how to develop and strengthen such complex reforms), community partners, and researchers (e.g., theory-building regarding reform-supporting elements and their interactions).
Do Community College Students Benefit from Federal Work-Study Participation?
Authors: Yu Hongwei , Mckinney Lyle , Carales Vincent D. 
Published: November 2021

Background Prior studies suggest that Federal Work-Study (FWS) participation is positively associated with student learning, persistence, and academic achievement at four-year institutions. Limited research, however, has evaluated whether FWS participation improves academic success among students attending community colleges. Purpose and Research Questions The purpose of this study was to determine whether and how FWS participation impacted academic performance and enrollment outcomes among a racially/ethnically diverse sample of students attending a large, urban community college (UCC) system in Texas. There were two research questions: (1) What are the characteristics of students at UCC who participated in FWS, compared with their peers who did not participate? (2) After controlling for self-selection bias, are there significant differences in academic success (i.e., cumulative GPA; credential attainment and/or four-year transfer) among UCC students who did and did not participate in the FWS program? Research Design The longitudinal data set (fall 2010 through summer 2016) analyzed in this study was built using detailed student-level transcript data records. The full sample included 8,837 students who had filed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (a necessary step to receive FWS funding), but the primary focus was on the subsample of FWS participants (n = 260). Descriptive analysis was performed to compare the demographic and academic characteristics of FWS participants with nonparticipants. To assuage self-selection bias, propensity score matching (nearest neighbor matching algorithm) was used to match similar students who did and did not participate in FWS. We employed multiple regression and logistic regression techniques on the matched data to investigate whether FWS participation was associated with students’ academic outcomes. Results Relative to their non-FWS peers, FWS participants at this community college were more likely to be female, African American, 24 years of age or older, very low income, and academically underprepared. After successfully matching FWS participants with similar non-FWS participants, results indicated that FWS participation was associated with a higher cumulative GPA and significantly higher odds of credential completion and/or vertical transfer. Conclusions There are important equity implications in our findings; the results suggest that the FWS program can improve educational outcomes for student populations that are often marginalized and underserved by the higher education system. We describe several ways that the FWS program could be redesigned and expanded to better meet the needs of community college students.
Tensions Between Envisioned Aims and Enacted Practices in the Teaching of Muslim Young Adult Literature
Authors: Glenn Wendy J. , Ginsberg Ricki 
Published: November 2021

Context Research notes the repeated existence of a disconnect between teachers’ aims and practices, particularly when their work is done in communities with significant numbers of students who are minoritized by dominant societal norms. Simply wanting to do this work is not enough and can result in harm to students and the communities they inhabit. Research Question How does a teacher envision instructional aims and enact classroom practices as she infuses young adult literature with Muslim characters and content into her curriculum? Setting Freshman classroom in a diverse school community in the northeastern United States. Participant This study examines the thinking and teaching practices of one classroom teacher. It focuses on how the findings have resonance and transferability for other scholars who are studying the phenomenon and who seek to use the findings as a model to conduct related research. Practice During 10 weeks as a regular part of their English course experience, one class of freshman students read and discussed young adult novels that contain Islam-related content and a Muslim protagonist. The classroom teacher facilitated the sessions. At least one university researcher on the project attended one class session each week to observe and collect data. Research Design This qualitative study uses an inductive methodological approach to establish clear links between the raw data and research question in systematic and iterative ways. Data Collection Data sources from the 10-week instructional period included: four semi-structured participant interviews (one prior to the start of instruction, two during the instructional period, and one following instruction); 16 weekday reflections generated by the participant; and 10 weekly classroom observations conducted by the research team. Findings While the teacher had clear purposes for her instruction of the texts, her enacted practices did not always align with or result in the attainment of her goals. The teacher's aims of being a teacher expert conflicted with practices that rationalized a lack of the knowledge necessary to enact this role. And the teacher's aim of teaching for equity and justice clashed with her practices, which reflected a valuing of safety over conflict. Conclusions The study intimates the inadequacy of simply wanting to teach less familiar cultural content and argues that an anticipation of cognitive dissonance seems essential to determining culturally responsive aims that are strongly connected to enacted practices as teachers choose to bravely navigate unfamiliar territories.
College on the Margins: Higher Education Professionals’ Perspectives on Campus Basic Needs Insecurity
Authors: Broton Katharine M. , Miller Graham N. S. , Goldrick-Rab Sara 
Published: November 2021

Background A substantial share of undergraduates are basic needs insecure, meaning they lack consistent access to essential material goods like food and shelter. These material hardships are associated with poorer academic success, but we know very little about higher education professionals’ perspectives on the matter. Purpose This paper examines how higher education professionals perceive, understand, and support college students who experience basic needs insecurity. Research Design Using data from interviews with 59 professionals who work at eight broad-access public colleges and universities across five states, we employ an institutional logics perspective to understand how they draw on normative scripts, rationales, and schemas to guide their responses to campus basic needs insecurity. Findings Higher education professionals have considerable discretion when working with students who are basic needs insecure, and they draw on organizational, professional, and broader social spheres to guide their interactions. We identify three distinct logics—systemic, quiescent, and cautious—that are unique from one another on two dimensions: locus of control and individual response based on perceived locus of control. Conclusions The design and implementation of initiatives designed to support vulnerable students must consider the ways in which on-the-ground professionals understand students, their needs, and the sources of their challenges.
A Metric to Assess Brokerage Positions within Social Networking Sites
Authors: Rehm Martin , Cornelissen Frank , Notten Ad , Daly Alan J. 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context Teachers and educational professionals can draw on (informal) networks to foster their professional development. Moreover, a growing number of studies have shown that teachers use social networking sites (SNSs), such as Twitter, to keep up to date with the latest news on education and share resources with colleagues. Additionally, social capital can help to explain potential benefits of networking and has already been used to better understand professional development. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The aim of this study is to contribute to a better understanding of the informal networking of educators in SNSs. To achieve this goal, we first indicate how the concept of social capital can be used to assess communication flows within SNSs. Then, we consider social networking metrics and question whether they are as relevant in an online realm. Next, we argue for an adjusted brokerage index, namely the social brokerage index (SBI), which can help to shed light on how brokerage positions are shaped by different people within SNSs. Finally, we provide empirical data from six educational hashtag conversations on Twitter to test the relevance and applicability of the SBI. Research Design Using Twitter data from six (international) hashtag conversations between teachers and educational professionals, we apply social network analysis methods to assess the potential formation of social capital. In applying this method to the Twitter conversations in question, we first collected data on the Twitter users who contributed to the applicable hashtag conversation. Subsequently, we built directed unweighted one-mode networks based on mentions, and replies matrices. Second, we computed the in-degree, out-degree, and overall degree centrality metrics of all users (nodes) taking part in the applicable hashtag discussions. Additionally, we also determined users’ brokerage positions, which is another indicator for social capital formation within networks. Questioning the relevance of these metrics in the context of SNSs, we propose the SBI, which departs from previous work that has largely been framed by considerations around general account characteristics (follower/following ratio), general communication patterns (retweet/mention ratio), or in-degree metrics. Conclusions/Recommendations Based on our findings, we believe that our proposed SBI has added value to the analyses of network behavior beyond the scope of Twitter. More specifically, the SBI could help to understand what type of discussions draw what type of participants and thereby shed more light on how SNSs contribute to social capital formation among teachers and educational professionals.
Critical Geography in Preschool: Evidence of Early Childhood Civic Action and Ideas about Justice
Authors: Payne Katherina A. , Falkner Anna , Adair Jennifer Keys 
Published: November 2021

Background U.S. preschool children from Latinx immigrant and Black communities often experience schooling rooted in compliance and overdiscipline. In these contexts, schools do not recognize the rich lived experiences of Children of Color as suitable for civic learning. This article explores how, when schools value young Children of Color as capable and their work as important, classrooms become sites of children's daily embodied civic action. Purpose Our study sought to better understand how children conceptualize and enact their ideas about community and to document the kinds of civic action present in early childhood classrooms. Applying theoretical tools of critical geography, we specifically analyzed how children used space and materials to enact their vision of a just community. Participants Three classrooms—an inclusion classroom, a bilingual classroom, and an English-only general education classroom—located within a Head Start center in South Texas participated in this study. The campus is roughly 65% Latinx, 33% Black, and 2% White, serving 3-, 4-, and 5-year-old children. Research Design This study used a multisited, comparative ethnographic methodology. Multisited ethnography allows researchers to locate patterns and contextual differences that impact people's lived experiences. Initially, researchers conducted ethnographic observations through field notes, photographs, and short videos documenting children's action on behalf of or with the classroom community. Next, we used video-cued ethnographic methods, filming for three days in each classroom and editing the footage into a 20-minute film. We showed that film to teachers, families, and children in focus groups. Analysis occurred in multiple phases, during which we refined codes through individual, partner, participant, and team-level work. Findings Children used physical space and materials to assert community membership and to strengthen community ties. They adapted space and classroom materials to include other community members in shared activities. Finally, children advocated for space for their own purposes. Conclusions When teachers and administrators approach the classroom as a civic space where children representing racial, linguistic, and ability diversity can access embodied experiences with civic action, children can use their space to act on behalf of the community. Rather than offering lesson-based social-emotional learning, schools can reflect on how children might build a just, caring community through authentic embodied experiences that include having some control over space and materials. Doing so may allow a shift toward class environments that support shared endeavors and opportunities for children to care for community members.
Teacher Learning through Technology-Enhanced Curriculum Design Using Virtual Reality
Authors: Han Insook , Patterson Timothy 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context The rapid development of virtual reality (VR) technology increases expectations regarding the potentials of using VR in the classroom and requires teachers to engage in professional development. Although there are recent studies that explore how this new technology can facilitate learning in classroom settings, little research has explored what constraints and affordances emerge during VR curriculum design and implementation and how a teacher's knowledge and beliefs change during this process. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The purpose of this study is to explore one exemplary teacher's curriculum design processes and changes in knowledge, beliefs, and practices during the design and implementation of VR lessons in an elementary classroom. Population/Participants/Subjects The participant of this study is one teacher who works in a private elementary school in a metropolitan area of South Korea. The participant is an exemplary teacher with a unique combination of experience and training in pedagogy and technology. Research Design We used an intrinsic case study approach to collect and analyze data around the development of the participant's reflective practice, beliefs, and knowledge. Data Collection and Analysis During two iterations of design and implementation of VR lessons, we collected qualitative data in the form of the participant's written reflections, video recordings of his classroom teaching, field notes of observations, and follow-up interviews after each observation. Data were open-coded based on the interconnected model of teacher professional growth (IMTPG) and the framework of technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK). Findings/Results We observed changes occurring in the participant's TPACK, his beliefs about students, and his dispositions toward the use of VR. Most of the changes in the design phase appeared to inspire the participant's development of TPACK and ended with curriculum design using newly developed knowledge. The participant's enactment brought changes in instructional outcomes for both himself and his students, which then either altered his practice while teaching or changed/reinforced his knowledge and beliefs. Conclusions/Recommendations Our findings support a nonlinear, ongoing, and iterative approach to teacher change, as emphasized by the IMTPG. We add to this line of research by offering a detailed description of one teacher's learning process and development of TPACK. More important, this study focused on an exemplary teacher's design and implementation of VR and explored how certain barriers or enablers affected his design decisions by changing his knowledge, beliefs, and instructional practices. The findings of this intrinsic case study allow us to offer advice for teachers interested in integrating VR into their instruction.
Learning Opportunities about Teaching Mathematics: A Longitudinal Case Study of School Leaders’ Influence
Authors: Rigby Jessica G. , Andrews-Larson Christine , Chen I-Chien 
Published: November 2021

Background/Context When new, rigorous standards are adopted, teachers often need to learn new content and new ways of teaching while concurrently attending to accountability demands. Both formal and informal school structures potentially enable this new learning, and school leaders likely influence the nature of these structures. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study We examine teachers’ learning opportunities in one school by asking the following research questions: (1) What is the nature of changes in teachers’ formal learning opportunities, as seen by changes in teachers’ workgroup conversations about mathematics instruction? (2) In what ways do school leaders shape the nature of instructional conversations, and thus formal learning opportunities, in teacher workgroups? (3) What is the nature of changes in teachers’ informal opportunities to learn, as seen by shifts in informal advice networks? Research Design This is a longitudinal case study using mixed methods: qualitative analysis of audio-recorded teacher workgroup meetings and quantitative analysis of informal social networks. Data Collection and Analysis This analysis is a part of a larger eight-year longitudinal study, the Middle-school Mathematics and the Institutional Setting of Teaching (MIST). Data used in this analysis were collected over a three-year period in one middle school that was working to improve mathematics instruction by focusing on teaching mathematics conceptually and building procedural fluency. Data used in this analysis include audio-recorded teacher workgroup meetings, informal social network surveys, interview transcripts, and student-level standardized test scores. Findings/Results We found that formally, school leaders shifted teachers’ workgroup conversations away from instructional matters to those of standardized tests. Informally, teachers stopped going to each other for instructional advice. Triangulating interview data confirmed that over time, pressure that teachers felt to do well on the standardized tests shifted their attention away from a conceptual approach to instruction and toward an emphasis on test preparation. Conclusions/Recommendations Our findings suggest that school leaders must be involved in new learning about standards and instruction to appropriately support teachers’ learning opportunities.