Education Commons^™

Reading Primary Scientific Literature: Approaches For Teaching Students In The Undergraduate Stem Classroom, Lara K. Goudsouzian, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Teaching undergraduate students to read primary scientific literature (PSL) is cited as an important goal for many science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) classes, given a range of cognitive and affective benefits for students who read PSL. Consequently, there are a number of approaches and curricular interventions published in the STEM education literature on how to teach students to read PSL. These approaches vary widely in their instructional methods, target student demographic, required class time, and level of assessment demonstrating the method's efficacy. In this Essay, we conduct a systematic search to compile these approaches in an easily accessible …

Diversity As A Collective Action: A Strategy For Success, Essraa Nawar, Kevin Ross

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

The Leatherby Libraries at Chapman University values and understands the importance of diversity, and to demonstrate that value, works diligently on creating collections, programming, and services that emphasize this value in myriad ways. Library staff, librarians, and administrators are committed to seeking opportunities to diversify its services for students, faculty, and researchers in order to create a just and equitable environment conducive to teaching and learning through the provision of inclusive physical and virtual spaces where users from diverse backgrounds and experiences are welcome, safe, and valued. Our goal is to reduce obstacles to accessing diverse research resources, services, learning, …

Reimagining The Leatherby Libraries: A Futuristic Look, Kevin Ross, Essraa Nawar

Library Presentations, Posters, and Audiovisual Materials

The Academic Library of the Future offers a vibrant library, a center of academic discovery, an intellectual hub, a place where state-of- the-art and cutting-edge technology, collaboration, and social connection will serve both a current and future diverse population of students, faculty, and researchers.

The Leatherby Libraries has three goals: 1) Empowering student success, 2) Supporting campus research initiatives, and 3) Supporting Chapman University to become the best possible R2 level institution. Within these three goals, there are three value propositions including: 1) personalized service through targeted services, 2) seamless access through physical and digital resources, and 3) opportunities for …

Consistency And Change: Districts’ Efforts To Engage Stakeholders Over Time, Michelle Hall, Julie Marsh, Eupha Jeanne Daramola

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Background:

Research Design:

Research Questions:

Critical Race Theory: An Empirical Investigation Of Its Benefits, Saba Lily Modaressi, Desiree A. Crevecoeur-Macphail

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Within the last decade, discussions regarding the implementation of critical race theory in education have gained significant controversy among educators and politicians. Although empirical research on critical race theory is limited, conservative states continue to place bans on the teaching of critical race theory (CRT) in K-12 schools (Carter, 2021). The purpose of this study was to build empirical research on CRT, specifically examining whether a course utilizing a critical race curriculum is effective in reducing negative stereotype beliefs and improving attitudes toward critical race theory. Nineteen undergraduate students who were enrolled in the course, IES 102: The Social Construct …

Why Education Matters: Understanding Islamophobia In The United States, Cintya Felix

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Since 9/11, there has been a significant increase in anti-Muslim racism which can be linked to misinformation, misconception, and stereotypes reinforced by a lack of an educational upbringing. In this paper, I examine the extent to which an individual's education level in the United States contributes to Islamophobia. Using an original data set of responses to the questions in the Chapman University Survey of American Fears (CSAF), I find a moderately strong relationship between the highest level of school an individual has completed or the highest degree they have received, and the degree to which they are afraid of Muslims. …

High School Quality Is Associated With Cognition 58 Years Later, Dominika Seblova, Chloe Eng, Justina F. Avila-Rieger, Jordan D. Dworkin, Kelly Peters, Susan Lapham, Laura B. Zahodne, Benjamin Chapman, Carol A. Prescott, Tara L. Gruenewald, Thalida Em. Arpawong, Margaret Gatz, Rich J. Jones, Maria M. Glymour, Jennifer J. Manly

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

We leveraged a unique school-based longitudinal cohort—the Project Talent Aging Study—to examine whether attending higher quality schools is associated with cognitive performance among older adults in the United States (mean age = 74.8). Participants (n = 2,289) completed telephone neurocognitive testing. Six indicators of high school quality, reported by principals at the time of schooling, were predictors of respondents’ cognitive function 58 years later. To account for school-clustering, multilevel linear and logistic models were applied. We found that attending schools with a higher number of teachers with graduate training was the clearest predictor of later-life cognition, and school quality mattered …

Adolescent Use And Co-Use Of Tobacco And Cannabis In California: The Roles Of Local Policy And Density Of Tobacco, Vape, And Cannabis Retailers Around Schools, Georgiana Bostean, Anton M. Palma, Alison A. Padon, Erik Linstead, Joni Ricks-Oddie, Jason A. Douglas, Jennifer B. Unger

Sociology Faculty Articles and Research

Adolescent tobacco use (particularly vaping) and co-use of cannabis and tobacco have increased, leading some jurisdictions to implement policies intended to reduce youth access to these products; however, their impacts remain unclear. We examine associations between local policy, density of tobacco, vape, and cannabis retailers around schools, and adolescent use and co-use of tobacco/vape and cannabis.

We combined 2018 statewide California (US) data on: (a) jurisdiction-level policies related to tobacco and cannabis retail environments, (b) jurisdiction-level sociodemographic composition, (c) retailer locations (tobacco, vape, and cannabis shops), and (d) survey data on 534,176 middle and high school students (California Healthy Kids …

1st Place Contest Entry: Understanding The Filipino/A/X American Experience In Higher Education, Myra Dayrit

Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize

This is Myra Dayrit's submission for the 2023 Kevin and Tam Ross Undergraduate Research Prize, which won first place. It contains their essay on using library resources, their bibliography, and a summary of their research project on the Filipino/a/x American experience in higher education.

Myra is a second-year student at Chapman University, majoring in Integrated Educational Studies. Their faculty mentor is Dr. Stephany Cuevas.

Are Deficit Perspectives Thriving In Trauma-Informed Schools? A Historical And Anti-Racist Reflection, Cora Palma, Annmary S. Abdou, Scot Danforth, Amy Jane Griffiths

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Mental health research concerning adverse childhood experiences and neurocognitive trauma has prompted many school districts to pursue the development of trauma-informed schools that attend specifically to the emotional and instructional needs of affected students. Researchers and practitioners are fast proliferating trauma-informed professional practices. Given research findings indicating disproportionate impacts of trauma on students of color and those living in poverty, in this article, we examine the risks of trauma-informed educational programs reanimating cultural deficit theories from the 1960s about marginalized students and families. Educators are challenged to thoughtfully fortify trauma-informed schooling by increasing awareness of deficit perspectives and incorporating critical …

Trigger Warnings And A Pedagogy Of Trust, Morgan Read-Davidson

English Faculty Articles and Research

"As the director of both the creative writing and rhetoric and composition programs at Chapman University, a mid-sized private university serving 150+ majors as well as 1000+ general education students, it has now become a common and expected occurrence to have both students and contingent faculty come to my office expressing anxiety over course content. While the larger conversation about difficult content and trigger warnings is not new, the sudden need for urgently scheduled meetings with me did not begin until the COVID-19 Pandemic and our move to remote instruction. This seems to coincide with the increase of online and …

Connecting Higher Education To Workplace Activities And Earnings, Hung Chau, Sarah H. Bana, Baptiste Bouvier, Morgan R. Frank

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

Higher education is a source of skill acquisition for many middle- and high-skilled jobs. But what specific skills do universities impart on students to prepare them for desirable careers? In this study, we analyze a large novel corpora of over one million syllabi from over eight hundred bachelors’ granting US educational institutions to connect material taught in higher education to the detailed work activities in the US economy as reported by the US Department of Labor. First, we show how differences in taught skills both within and between college majors correspond to earnings differences of recent graduates. Further, we use …

Nature, Nurture, And The Meaning Of Educational Attainment: Differences By Sex And Socioeconomic Status, Thalida Em Arpawong, Margaret Gatz, Catalina Zavala, Tara L. Gruenewald, Ellen E. Walters, Carol A. Prescott

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Estimated heritability of educational attainment (EA) varies widely, from 23% to 80%, with growing evidence suggesting the degree to which genetic variation contributes to individual differences in EA is highly dependent upon situational factors. We aimed to decompose EA into influences attributable to genetic propensity and to environmental context and their interplay, while considering influences of rearing household economic status (HES) and sex. We use the Project Talent Twin and Sibling Study, drawn from the population-representative cohort of high school students assessed in 1960 and followed through 2014, to ages 68−72. Data from 3552 twins and siblings from 1741 families …

Insight From Biology Program Learning Outcomes: Implications For Teaching, Learning, And Assessment, Noelle Clark, Jeremy L. Hsu

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Learning goals and objectives are a key part of instruction, informing curricular design, assessment, and learning. These goals and objectives are also applied at the programmatic level, with program learning outcomes (PLOs) providing insight into the skills that undergraduate biology programs intend for their students to master. PLOs are mandated by all major higher education accreditation agencies and play integral roles in programmatic assessment. Despite their importance, however, there have not been any prior attempts to characterize PLOs across undergraduate biology programs in the United States. Our study reveals that many programs may not be using PLOs to communicate learning …

Still A Private Universe? Community College Students’ Understanding Of Evolution, Meredith A. Dorner, Philip Sadler, Brian Alters

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Background

Measuring what students know and retain about evolution is essential to improving our understanding of how students learn evolution. The literature shows that college students appear to have a poor understanding of evolution, answering questions on various instruments correctly only about half of the time. There is little research regarding evolution understanding among community college students and so this study examines if those students who are enrolled in life science classes, who are assessed using questions based on grade eight standards, show a better understanding of evolutionary principles than younger students and if there are differences in knowledge based …

Review: Unwell Writing Centers: Searching For Wellness In Neoliberal Educational Institutions And Beyond, Aurora Matzke

English Faculty Articles and Research

“Unwell Writing Centers: Searching for Wellness in Neoliberal Educational Institutions and Beyond” blends narrative, mixed methods research, and rhetorical analysis to make a case for the possibilities inherent in homegrown wellness practices that are “communal, political, and rooted in defiance of white supremacy.”

Increasing Collaboration And Knowledge In School Communities To Enhance Outcomes For Autistic Students, Amy Jane Griffiths, Diana Baker, John Brady, Kelly Kennedy, Anaiza Valladolid, Rachel Wiegand, Raquel Delgado

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Purpose

This paper describes a case study of a developmental program evaluation on the Autism Community Toolkit, a collaborative skills training program for parents and school professionals. The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of the training on participants’ knowledge, competence and perceived collaboration; and potential improvements to the training program.

Design/methodology/approach

The program included multiple training sessions for families and school professionals, designed to educate participants on autism, evidence-based interventions and to increase home-school communication and collaboration. Data collection methods included pre- and post-measures and feedback forms.

Findings

Results indicated that the training program was beneficial …

Avoiding Shame: Filipino-American’S Motivations For Higher Education, Myra Dayrit

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Filipinos are often referred to as the “forgotten Asians” or “Latinos of Asia” due to the centuries of colonization in the Philippines. This deficit discourse often minimizes the experiences of Filipino Americans, especially in higher education settings. Filipinos typically are lumped into the greater myth of the Asian model minority, allowing for little research specific to Filipino Americans' experiences. The Filipino American experiences differ from those of other Asian Americans due to their complex history with the United States. Thus, the lack of research in this underrepresented population, especially in higher education, is significant because access to a college degree …

Pushing Boundaries: Peter Mclaren On The Importance Of Critical Pedagogy Inside And Outside The Classroom, Peter Mclaren

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Peter McLaren is Distinguished Professor in Critical Studies and Co-Director and International Ambassador for Global Ethics and Social Justice of the Paulo Freire Democratic Project at Chapman University in the USA. Regarded as one of the leading architects of critical pedagogy, McLaren re-envisions the philosophy of Freire in the context of contemporary issues, including the struggle of the LGBTQ community, racism, and economic inequalities. Research Outreach spoke with McLaren about how critical pedagogy evolved and what he imagines its future to be.

Implementing Diversity Training Targeting Faculty Microaggressions And Inclusion: Practical Insights And Initial Findings, Ellen Ernst Kossek, Patrice M. Buzzanell, Brittany J. Wright, Cassondra Batz-Barbarich, Amy C. Moors, Charlene Sullivan, Klod Kokini, Andrew S. Hirsh, Kayla Maxey, Ankita Nikalje

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Despite the importance of faculty diversity training for advancing an inclusive society, little research examines whether participation improves inclusion perceptions and belongingness. Integrating training and diversity education literature concepts, this study examines the effectiveness of training targeting microaggressions in six STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) oriented departments at a research-intensive university. Reactions data collected at the end of face-to-face training suggested that participation generally increased inclusion understanding. Self-assessments on inclusion concepts collected from 45% of participants before and three weeks after training suggest participation increases perceptions of the importance of inclusion, microaggression allyship awareness, inclusive behaviors, and organizational identification. Compared …

Gendered Impact Of Caregiving Responsibilities On Tenure Track Faculty Parents’ Professional Lives, Amy C. Moors, Abigail J. Stewart, Janet E. Malley

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Navigating a career while raising a family can be challenging, especially for women in academia. In this study, we examine the ways in which professional life interruptions due to child caregiving (e.g., opportunities not offered, professional travel curtailed) affect pre- and post-tenure faculty members’ career satisfaction and retention. We also examine whether sharing caregiving responsibilities with a partner affected faculty members’ (particularly women’s) career outcomes. In a sample of 753 tenure track faculty parents employed at a large research-intensive university, results showed that as the number of professional life interruptions due to caregiving increased, faculty members experienced less career satisfaction …

Exploring Physiology Instructors’ Use Of Core Concepts: Pedagogical Factors That Influence Choice Of Course Topics, Jeremy L. Hsu, Patricia A. Halpin

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

The physiology core concepts are designed to guide instructors in undergraduate physiology courses. However, although past work has characterized the alignment of physiology programs with the core concepts, it is unclear to what extent these core concepts have influenced instructors’ pedagogical decisions or how represented these core concepts are across physiology courses. We surveyed undergraduate physiology instructors to determine their familiarity with the core concepts, the impact of the core concepts on their teaching, as well as the alignment of their courses with these core concepts. Instructors report predominantly relying on textbooks and past syllabi of their courses as resources …

Student Motivations And Barriers Toward Online And In-Person Office Hours In Stem Courses, Jeremy L. Hsu, Melissa Rowland-Goldsmith, Elaine Benaksas Schwartz

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Office hours are one of the most common support mechanisms found in courses. Despite the prevalence of office hours in life sciences classes, there has been little investigation of how science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) students perceive office hours, particularly at non–research intensive universities or other institutions where a majority of students attend office hours. We surveyed more than 500 students, representing most life sciences majors at a comprehensive university, to investigate their motivations and barriers for attending office hours. We then compared instructors’ perceptions to students’ conceptions of office hours. We identified key themes in student and instructor …

Characterizing First-Year Biology Majors’ Motivations And Perceptions Of The Discipline, Jeremy L. Hsu, Lauren Dudley

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Understanding why students choose to major in biology provides important insight into the motivations of biology majors. It is similarly important to investigate how biology majors perceive the discipline, including associated activities, such as independent research, which can influence students’ interests in the field and likelihood to persist in science, engineering, technology, and math. However, there has been little work done examining biology student motivations and perceptions, particularly at non-research-intensive universities or after the COVID-19 pandemic started. To address this gap, we surveyed the first-year cohort of biology majors at a private, comprehensive university. We found that students largely reported …

Lesbian, Gay, And Bisexual Students Experiencing Homelessness And Substance Use In The School Context: A Statewide Study, Hadass Moore, Kris De Pedro

Education Faculty Articles and Research

PURPOSE

This study explored differences between lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB)-housed and homeless students regarding substance use patterns on and off school grounds and the unique contribution of homelessness to substance use in school.

METHODS

Data were from the 2013-2015 California Healthy Kids Survey, a statewide survey of school protective factors and risk behaviors. A representative sample of 9th- and 11th-grade students (N = 20,337) was used. Comparisons between housed (n = 19,456) and homeless (doubled up: n = 715; acute homeless: n = 166) LGB students were conducted. We used chi-square tests to compare rates of lifetime, past-30-day, and …

Examining California’S Title 22 Community Care Licensing Regulations: The Impact On Inclusive Preschool Settings, Aja Mckee, Audri Sandoval Gomez, Sardis Susana Rodriguez, Janice Myck-Wayne, Scott Turner, Markus Trujillo

Education Faculty Articles and Research

Access to general education preschool in California has varied for children with disabilities. One reason for the disparity of educational placement is the preschool regulations outlined in California Department of Education’s Title 22: Community Care Licensing guidelines. These regulations, particularly in preschool, support or hinder preschool inclusion. Examining the preschool section of Title 22 through document analysis resulted in identifying three major themes that embrace or deter inclusive practices: (a) language (i.e., supportive language, antiquated language, and ambiguous language); (b) training, experience, and education; and (c) staff-student ratio. California’s educational leaders should consider these results to provide opportunities for preschool …

Educators’ Perceptions Of Middle Level Education In A State Without A Middle Level Teacher Credential, Ben Seipel, Rong-Ji Chen, Erika B. Daniels, Acacia M. Warren, Roxanne Greitz Miller

Education Faculty Articles and Research

The Association for Middle Level Education (AMLE) presents a framework of middle level education and defines five essential attributes and 18 characteristics of successful middle schools (Bishop & Harrison, 2021). Young adolescents’ unique cognitive, moral, socio-emotional, and identity development is at the center of this framework. Several empirical studies suggest that middle school teachers with specialized preparation performed better in many key areas than their counterparts with elementary or secondary licensure (Mertens et al., 2005; Ochanji et al., 2016). Despite researchers’ calls for specialized preparation of middle grades teachers. California does not offer a middle level teacher credential. The purpose …

Virtual Expeditions Facilitated By Open Source Solutions Broaden Student Participation In Natural History Research, Richelle L. Tanner, Talia Y. Moore

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

From its genesis in the Victorian era as an activity for the elite to today's emphasis on “Big Data” and continuous monitoring, natural history has a prominent role in scientific discoveries for many fields. However, participation in field expeditions is limited by funding, space, accessibility, and safety constraints. Others have detailed the active exclusion of minoritized groups from field expeditions and harm/discrimination faced by the few who do participate, but we provide one solution to broaden opportunities for participation in natural history: Virtual Expeditions. Virtual Expeditions are broadly defined as open source, web-facilitated research activities designed to analyze bulk-collected digital …

Revolutionary Critical Pedagogy And Critical Global Citizenship Education: A Conversation With Peter Mclaren, Peter Mclaren, Emiliano Bosio

Education Faculty Articles and Research

This article presents a remarkable conversation on revolutionary critical pedagogy and critical global citizenship education between Peter McLaren, one of the leading scholars of contemporary critical pedagogy, and Emiliano Bosio, guest editor of Citizenship Teaching & Learning. McLaren’s copious work as a distinguished professor in critical studies at the Donna Ford Attallah College of Educational Studies (Chapman University), as co-director and international ambassador for Global Ethics and Social Justice (Paulo Freire Democratic Project), as co-founder of the Instituto McLaren de Pedagogía Crítica, Ensenada, and as Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) offers insights, perspectives, concerns …

Managing The Career Effects Of Discrimination And Motherhood: The Role Of Collegial Support For A Caregiving Policy At A Research-Intensive U.S. University, Amy C. Moors, Abigail J. Stewart, Janet E. Malley

Psychology Faculty Articles and Research

Implementing and encouraging use of policies aimed at creating an equitable higher education workplace for women academics can be challenging. Often, policy usage may be avoided due to stigma or fear of being seen as not committed to one’s workplace, especially for expectant mothers. In the present study, we examined how collegial support for using a tenure clock extension policy affects pre-tenure women’s career outcomes. Among pre-tenure women academics at a large research-intensive institution in the United States (N = 63) who took advantage of the tenure clock extension policy, perceptions of collegial support for using this policy were …