Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education Commons^™

Cura Personalis As Institutional Practice, Julia Bninski Ph.D., Jennifer R. Wozniak Boyle Ph.D.

Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal

Founded by Loyola University Chicago in 2015, Arrupe College is a two-year program that continues the Jesuit tradition of offering a rigorous liberal arts education to a diverse population, many of whom are the first in their families to pursue higher education. Using an innovative model that ensures affordability while providing care for the whole person—intellectually, morally, and spiritually—Arrupe prepares its graduates to continue on to a bachelor’s program or move into meaningful employment. From the beginning, cura personalis has been a priority at this new institution. In this article, drawing on their experience as faculty members ...

Negating Amy Gutmann: Deliberative Democracy, Business Influence, And Segmentation Strategies In Education, Brian Ford

Democracy and Education

The task of creating a public will is daunting in any political system, but a democracy dedicated to the principles of participation and public deliberation faces specific challenges, including overcoming organized opposition that may not accept democratic tenets. In the sphere of education (and social reproduction more generally), business-influenced movements to reform public education question many of the established goals and norms of democratic education and thus may be the vanguard of such opposition. In order to interpret and explore these movements, this article enlists Amy Gutmann's work as a heuristic device. In so doing, it looks at the ...

Supporting The Arts As Disciplines Of Learning. A Book Review Of The Role Of The Arts In Learning: Cultivating Landscapes Of Democracy, Karen Mcgarry

Democracy and Education

Learning through and in partnership with the arts has the potential to expand experiences beyond what can be measured on any standardized test assessment. The arts may offer sites of reflexive contemplation and engagement, extending learning outward, away from disciplinary silos and toward transdisciplinary action learning—a heuristic device enabling multiple modes or processes of multitextual knowing and becoming. In The Role of the Arts in Learning: Cultivating Landscapes of Democracy, the editors nurture a space of consideration toward democratic learning. By harnessing the historical and pragmatic theories and philosophies of John Dewey and Maxine Greene, in concert with additional ...

Critical Democratic Education And Lgbtq+-Inclusive Curriculum. A Book Review Of Critical Democratic Education And Lgbtq-Inclusive Curriculum: Opportunities And Constraints, Matthew A. Thomas-Reid

Democracy and Education

With the aim of promoting the democratic education values of inclusion equity and social justice using a queer theoretical framework to identify and deconstruct normalizing forces, author Camicia sets the reader up for a deep analysis of educational practice, policy, and curriculum using Utah and California as concrete illustrations of democratic inclusive curriculum. Camicia's book ends with an epilogue “discussing a rationale for using auto-ethnography within curriculum in order to increase inclusion," which opens up excellent possibilities for future research.

Mindfulness And Retention: A Potential Solution To The Lack Of Persistence Of Community College Students, Sandra Parsons

Mindfulness Studies Theses

Retention of community college students has many obstacles and unknowns. Students leave school and abandon their dreams of a college education for various reasons, such as lack of financial support, family support, and campus support. Efforts to research and develop retention practices and theories have been pursued for more than fifty years. Researchers and higher education institutions believe that incorporating such practices as first-year programs, learning communities, and tutoring will help in their retention efforts. While some of these practices have improved college student persistence, their efficacy has not been demonstrated for all students, specifically for those who attend community ...

Where In The World Is The Black Educator? Teacher Shortage As Manufactured Crisis, Matthew D. Davis

Race and Pedagogy Journal: Teaching and Learning for Justice

This exploration of “teacher shortage as manufactured crisis” uses five narratives from the archives that have arisen from one Midwestern (but still, decidedly, Border South) urban center: the St. Louis, Missouri, region. These narratives are an attempt to tap into Sankofa while looking toward a more just and equitable future

Proactive Prosocial Strategies Employed By First-Grade Teachers, Lisa M. Skiadas

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Primary students begin their school careers with widely varied skill sets in the areas of social and emotional competence, executive function, and self-regulation. However, many schools, like the one in this study, do not include social and emotional learning (SEL) in their curricula or tiered intervention frameworks. Students who struggle with basic classroom functions and behaviors do not receive the maximum benefit from academic instruction. Conversely, high levels of social and emotional competence have been linked to future academic success, financial and job security and better physical and mental health.

This investigation sought to identify proactive strategies used by three ...

Inequality In Ethnic Representation In Secondary-School Literature Textbooks And National Examination In Vietnam, Anh Nguyen

Honors Projects

This essay studies the dynamic between ethnic minorities and majority in the Vietnamese education system. By examining the appearance and representation of ethnic minorities in national literature curriculum, textbooks, and examinations, the analysis reflects the government's perspectives regarding the “appropriate” portrait of ethnic minorities' heritage and relationship with the majority. The study finds that Vietnamese education framework and content comply with the national construct of a Vietnamese identity across ethnicities. The state determines educational materials and selectively permits only aesthetic, politically benign, and Kinh-like narratives of ethnic minorities’ cultures, many written and/or chosen by Kinh authority rather than ...

Loose Coupling In Curriculum Reforms: Rural Teachers´ Perceptions Of Peace Education In Post-Conflict Colombia, Pedro Pineda, Markus D. Meier

Peace and Conflict Studies

Previous research has shown how peace education (PE) mutates according to socio-political and curricular/didactic traditions, but we still need to know how PE disseminates at the school level. We surveyed teachers from 12 rural schools of the violent Amazon region of Colombia where a national Law made PE mandatory in schools and universities. Teachers working on schools affected by the armed conflict have high expectations about PE. Respondents identified PE with 21 didactic elements: (a) Approaches: values education, citizenship education, critical pedagogy; (b) Pedagogical principles: diversity and pluralism. (c) Learning processes: peaceful conflict resolution, promotion of a “life project ...

My Family, Their History: Using Exploratory Inquiry & Pragmatic Methods To Learn History, Lowellen Sucgang

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

History education is at a crossroads. The availability of information at our fingertips has the potential to change how the non-historian sees history and the other social sciences. This capstone researched ways the non-historian can utilize the changing face of history education by implementing the pragmatic methods of John Dewey’s education philosophy called instrumentalism. Principal issues discussed include the pros and cons of out-of-classroom history education, utilization of exploratory inquiry for research and the usefulness of primary sources for a historiography. To apply instrumentalism ideals and methods, I created a historiography about my ancestors and how their lives intertwined ...

How Does Disproportionality In Discipline Manifest In Rural Schools In Southeast Arkansas?, Julie Workman

Theses and Dissertations

African American students are disciplined in schools at disproportionately higher rates than White students. This trend was first reported in 1975 in a report by the Children’s Defense Fund and since that time, has been highly studied. However, most research has been conducted in urban or suburban schools, with less known about disproportionate discipline in rural schools. This study utilized an explanatory sequential mixed methods approach to explore disproportionate discipline between African American and White students in five rural schools located in Southeast Arkansas. The research questions were as follows: (1) How is discipline disproportionality perceived in specific rural ...

Evidence-Based Social-Emotional Learning And Its Influence On Teachers’ Perception Of Student Behavior: An Analysis Of Ruler And The Anchors Of Emotional Intelligence, Brent B. Harrington

Theses and Dissertations

This study was designed to assess the extent by which an evidence-based Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) program influenced teachers’ perception of students’ behavior in a small and diverse PK – 8 school district in Westchester County, NY. Specifically, the researcher evaluated the Anchors of Emotional Intelligence and the RULER framework to determine its impact on school climate as viewed from the perspective of staff in the district. Prior to commencing the study, the researcher recognized the negative staff narrative around student behavior in the district as a significant problem of practice that was observable, actionable and high leverage.

This mixed-methods study utilized ...

Mindfulness And Testing: An Exploration Of The Benefits Of Mindfulness Based Cognitive Meditation Practice On Test Anxiety, Anastasia Quirk

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Capstones

Test anxiety is a growing concern for students as it can negatively impact student performance. Mindfulness is a practice of focused breathing meditation intended to increase awareness of oneself and the present moment and decrease anxiety. With the recent increase in mindfulness practices in schools, this research examines the potential impact of mindfulness-based cognitive practice on anxiety levels, test anxiety, and standardized test scores through the use of the ACT standardized placement test, the TAI-G, a self-administered Test Anxiety Inventory, and the Biodot, a device measuring physiological indications of anxiety. Using analysis of variance and paired samples t-tests, a significant ...

Emotional Intelligence: An Essential Ingredient For Principals To Successfully Implement The Big Picture Learning 10 Distinguishers, Amos Nugent Iii

Dissertations

Purpose. The purpose of this mixed methods descriptive case study was to explore and describe the importance of self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, and relationship management EI characteristics as perceived by principals when implementing the 10 learning distinguishers of Big Picture Learning (BPL) schools’ conceptual framework in order to support the academic success of ninth- to 12th-grade students attending BPL alternative education schools in the Southwestern United States.

Methodology. This mixed methods research design used qualitative and quantitative data to analyze the research questions regarding the importance of EI characteristics when supporting student academic success according to alternative education principals. The ...

Propelling Schools Forward: Five Initiatives To Improve American Public Education, James E. Schul

Essays in Education

American public education has long been a pivotal institution for shaping our society. With that said, it is paramount that American public education shapes our society in a progressive and forward manner. This article proposes five initiatives that have promise to propel American public education in such a progressive manner. These initiatives include replacing high stakes testing with a comprehensive accountability program; empowering teachers to develop the macro-curriculum; increase social services; include exceptional learners in the general curriculum; and take civic education seriously. The nature of these initiatives is explained in detail.

Community-Based Learning: Face-To-Face Tandem Language Exchanges As A Complementary Course Component For Acquisition Of Spanish, Andrew Healey

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Conceptual, in-class communication activities are the most common oral practice foreign language educators provide for L2 learners with the absence of native speakers. In most L2 classrooms in the U.S., Spanish-speaking practice transpires among learners who share the same native language and culture. For this reason, ACTFL encourages language educators to connect with local communities and those abroad to create intercultural interactions that can provide crucial avenues for achieving proficiency benchmarks and shaping globally minded citizens. To provide intercultural language-learning experiences for 16 undergraduate learners enrolled in my Spanish III course, I created a collaboration with a local ESL ...

Teacher Perception: Secondary Level Skill Development Support For Students With Specific Learning Disabilities, Philip L. Specht

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Defining the special education framework and teacher roles continue to be a challenge as schools face the differentiated needs of 21st-century learners. Delineating the functions and duties of special education teachers (SETs) at the secondary level provides a unique challenge, which is addressed by a midsized suburban high school developing the Inclusive Consultation Model (ICM). This innovative instructional model is school-wide and multi-disciplinary, impacting both special education and academic teachers. Through weekly consultation, the SET supports the content teacher in contributing instructional methods to meet the varied student needs in class. Outside of class, SETs justify the value of their ...

The Potential Impact Of Online Learning On Economically Disadvantaged Students, Anthony M. Tartaglia

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Opportunity gaps have consistently been prevalent in the United States’ education system and that continues today. The struggle to provide economically disadvantaged students the equity necessary to ensure opportunities exist, similar to those present for students of economic advantage, remains a pervasive dilemma for which there are few solutions. As technology continually changes the global marketplace, it is doing the same to education. Educators have an enormous impact on the lives of their students, both in and out of the classroom and through their instruction, there are techniques available to ensure that students remain engaged. One such method is by ...

The Relationship Between Academic Advising And Student Motivation On The Persistence Of Freshman Exploratory Studies Students, Marlene N. Fares

Education Doctorate Dissertations

Academic advising is associated with increased student retention and academic success. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to investigate a relationship with the student-advisor relationship and locus of control as an essential variable to understand Exploratory Studies students’ success. This study investigated the influence of the advising relationship with Exploratory Studies students and their locus of control as it impacts their overall retention and persistence. Based on Kutztown University (KU) institutional data sources, over 9 percent of freshmen Exploratory Studies students fail at least one course in their first semester at KU. In addition to satisfaction with advising and ...

The Rise And Fall Of South Carolina College, Robert D. Cathcart Iii

Senior Theses

Through a thorough examination of the underpinnings of Classical education, as well as the history of South Carolina College, it is clear that the classical system is superior to the later University system imposed upon the College during the Reconstruction period. Classical education began in the Greek philosophic schools, such as the Academy and the Lyceum, and was intended to enrich the soul of its students, as well as to equip them for leadership in the future. But the most important aspect of this education was its universality. It is highly ironic that the original concept of the University began ...