Education Commons^™

21st Century Skills Required In Eswatini's Higher Agricultural Education Curriculum, Zanele Muntu Gule Ms, Edwards A. Alademerin Prof, Marietta P. Dlamini Prof

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The skills gap between agricultural education graduates from the University of Eswatini (UNESWA) and what employers are searching for is growing. Literature informs that this is mostly owing to the world's rapid changes, with ICT serving as the primary change engine, necessitating new sets of abilities from graduates as well as up-to-date teaching and evaluation methodologies in higher education institutions. These demands prompted the researchers to first establish the set of 21^st century skills that UNESWA graduates must acquire in order to thrive and participate fully in today's market. The study's purpose, therefore, was to develop a set of …

Perceptions Of Inspire: Training For Idaho Alternatively Certified Cte Teachers, Scott Straub, John Cannon, Carol Billing

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

This study aimed to assess the level of preparedness of alternatively licensed teachers who completed the Idaho CTE InSpIRE Educate program. A survey was distributed to 67 program completers, and the data were analyzed using statistical tools. The research found that participants believed InSpIRE provided adequate training to meet the Idaho requirements for new CTE teachers, indicating a perception of preparedness and self-efficacy. Higher self-efficacy was associated with participation in the program. However, the study also revealed room for improvement in the training, aligning with previous research that emphasized the unique needs of CTE teachers. Further research was recommended to …

Shaping Supervised Agricultural Experiences In Rural American Schools: Support, Supervision, And Culture, Eric D. Rubenstein, Andrew Thoron, Taylor D. Bird

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Over the years, examination of barriers to the development and implementation of Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) programs has gained traction. This has led the profession to investigate the relevance of SAE. In the conducted studies, the profession continually notes that SAE remains a foundational component and perhaps the only distinguishing difference between school-based agriscience education (SBAE) and other Career and Technical Education programs or specialty courses that tie in a student leadership organization. While collecting evidence of perceived barriers of SAE implementation is important, at some point the question must be asked: What is right with student SAE programs in …

Career And Technical Education Teachers’ Perceptions Of Instructional Feedback From Supervisors, Brooke L. Thiel, Justin V. Benna, Breanna Pastir, Nikki Fideldy-Doll

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The purpose of this study was to examine Career and Technical Education (CTE) teachers’ perceptions of feedback from supervisors. All CTE teachers in North Dakota were surveyed during early 2023. A series of one-way ANOVAs and t-tests were run to compare the differences in teachers’ perceptions based upon reported professional characteristics. The results of the study indicate that, even though CTE is different from other content areas, CTE teachers still prefer pedagogical feedback over content-specific feedback. Unless, however, the supervising principal was a former CTE teacher, then the feedback related to their lived experience seemed to be valued by …

Purposeful Stem Integration In School-Based Agricultural Education Programs, Christopher J. Eck, Kristopher Rankin Iii, J. Shane Robinson

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The emphasis for STEM integration in school-based agricultural education (SBAE) classrooms is imperative, resulting in a need for teacher educators to generate a positive view on the integration. Specifically, SBAE teacher aspirants need to be prepared to deliver relevant agricultural curriculum grounded in STEM. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the content knowledge and interest in STEM-related careers for secondary students enrolled in SBAE programs in Oklahoma. Pre-service SBAE teachers from Oklahoma State University were charged with delivering a sustainable bioenergy unit of instruction to their students. This study resulted in a statistically significant improvement in students’ STEM …

Encouraging Exercise In Pregnancy Through A Video Education Tool: A Pilot Study, Danielle Lewis, Sahana Kukan, Sabrina Kolker

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology

Topics in Exercise Science and Kinesiology Volume 4: Issue 1, Article 17, 2023. Evidence-based guidelines recommend physical activity during pregnancy, however, most pregnant individuals fail to achieve the minimum recommended amount of physical activity. Uncertainty about the safety of physical activity is a common reason why pregnant individuals do not participate in regular physical activity. The purpose of this study was to develop an evidence-based educational video and evaluate its effectiveness at improving pregnant individuals’ attitudes regarding the safety of physical activity during pregnancy. Pregnant individuals attending their first prenatal appointment from an urban academic interprofessional teaching unit in Toronto, …

Can Subaltern, Multilingual And Multidialectical Bodies Feel? An Aspirational Call For Undoing The Coloniality Of Affects In English Learning And Teaching, Jihea Maddamsetti

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

When Spivak (1988/2010) provocatively raised the question “Can the subaltern speak?” and concluded that they cannot, she did not mean that the subaltern literally or physically cannot speak. She meant that Western/Eurocentric/White ways of knowing and languaging produce colonial, epistemic violence that silences subaltern bodies.

In this conceptual paper, I pose a related question: “Can subaltern, multilingual and multidialectical bodies feel?” Little attention has been paid to understanding the affect of multilingual and multidialectical students during English Learning and Teaching (ELT) . As a teacher educator/researcher positioned within ELT in the white settler context of the U.S., I reach a …

Not All Doctoral Journeys Are Paved With Gold, Derek E. Fialkiewicz

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

This article is a reflection on the journey through the process of my doctoral studies. Published dissertations or research articles are very neat and tidy with no mention of any adversity or struggle. Hence why many doctoral students feel stressed, anxiety, or like quitting when obstacles or roadblocks are encountered. My doctoral program took much longer than anticipated, and my resulting dissertation veered far from my original proposal. What began as a mixed-methods study with a possible 1,400 surveys and 20 interview participants was morphed into a qualitative case study with one participant. There were many contributing factors, most uncontrollable …

Detect Misconceptions, Construct Competence-Aligned Pedagogical Practices, And Use Instructional Strategies That Decenter Speech As A Means To Include Autistic Students, Chelsea P. Tracy-Bronson, Sara Scribner

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

In this practice-based article, we use data and research to establish the need to examine inclusive-oriented pedagogical strategies to support autistic individuals. We believe that educators who use critical reflection can detect many of the common misconceptions about autism, learn how to re-frame these understandings, and consider different ways to support these students within inclusive classrooms. This article provides innovative pedagogical approaches for competence-aligned instruction, cultivating a web of communication access, bolstering social interaction, and supporting changes in the environment and with sensory experiences. We also describe ways to de-center speech to create a classroom that values dynamic engagement, divergent …

Uplifting The Cultural And Ethical Desires Of A Student Of Color: An Intercultural Phenomenological Exploration Of Marginalized Desires In Teacher Education, Younkyung Hong

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

In this study, I engage in the intercultural phenomenological analysis of discovering and naming marginalized and undervalued desires in a teacher education space. Based on Deleuze and Guattari’s (1987) conceptualization of desire, I challenge the understanding of desire as an absence or lack. I chose to focus on an Asian American female student’s story that has the power and potential to provoke awareness and prompt further examination and discussion about the complex realities of preservice teachers’ learning practices. This study highlights the value of adjusting the understanding of “what is manifested” in a phenomenological study to “what is not manifested?” …

Pathways To Credentials: Does The Timing Of Earning An Industry Certification In High School Influence Postsecondary Educational Outcomes?, Elizabeth Glennie, Erich Lauff, Roger Studley, Ben Dalton

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

Earning industry certifications helps people prepare for jobs in a range of careers. Doing so in secondary school may help students prepare for college as well. Using administrative data on two cohorts of first-time 9^th graders in Florida, we examined whether earning a certification was associated with postsecondary enrollment and degree attainment and whether the timing of the certification influenced that relationship. Earning a certification in high school prepared students for success in both 2-year and 4-year colleges. However, the patterns of certifications and college enrollment and degree attainment differed based on when students earned the certification. For early …

Why Teach? Exploring The Motivations And Expectations Of First-Year, Alternatively Certified Agriscience Teachers, Sarah E. Larose, Blake C. Colclasure, Anna J. Warner, Debra M. Barry, Edward W. Osborne

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

School-Based agricultural education increasingly depends upon alternatively certified (AC) teachers to teach agriculture across the United States. Understanding why these individuals become teachers is an important step to better recruit and retain educators who do not complete traditional preparation programs. The purpose of our study was to explore the backgrounds, motivations, and expectations of AC agriscience teachers joining the profession. Our study was guided by the social cognitive career theory and utilized a qualitative phenomenological approach. We interviewed seven AC agriscience teachers in Florida during their first-year teaching to explore their journey into teaching agricultural education. Six major themes were …

Using Self-Efficacy Theory To Design Arduino Instruction For Novices: A Replication Study, Donald M. Johnson, Michael Pate, Christopher M. Estepp, George Wardlow

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

A replication study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of an instructional treatment based on self-efficacy theory when used with novice Arduino microcontroller users. Students (n = 32) in an introductory university agricultural systems technology course participated in a lesson on Arduino microcontrollers, circuit breadboarding, and Arduino programming which included four hands-on practice tasks, designed to provide students with positive mastery, vicarious and social persuasion experiences. Next, students completed a laboratory activity and were provided additional opportunities for mastery, vicarious, and social persuasion experiences. The one-group pretest-posttest design indicated the instructional treatment had significant (p < .001) and large effects in increasing students’ interest in Arduino, breadboarding self-efficacy, programming self-efficacy, and Arduino knowledge. These findings were consistent with the original study and provided additional evidence for self-efficacy theory as an effective model for developing instruction for novice Arduino users. Students’ written comments provided additional insight concerning the instructional treatment.

Investigating Students’ Career-Readiness In The Agricultural Sciences: A Phenomenological Case Study, Jean A. Parrella, Holli R. Leggette, Theresa P. Murphrey, Christi Esquivel, Anna Bates

Journal of Research in Technical Careers

The agricultural industry lacks qualified workers, suggesting students may not participate in opportunities that effectively develop their employability skills. We used a phenomenological case study approach to investigate Texas A&M University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students’ career-readiness and factors influencing career-readiness. We conducted interviews with 19 juniors and seniors. Open coding procedures revealed five emergent themes—Career Advice-Seeking Behavior,Employability Skills Development, Network Establishment, Relevant Experiences, and Personal Growth. Findings indicate that students do not take advantage of University resources to help them with career preparation. Findings also revealed a lack of employability skills development, especially relating to …

Evolving Scientific Vocabulary And Language In Middle School Classrooms: Babbling And Gargling On The Way To Scientific Understanding, Merryn Cole, Thomas Ryan, Jennifer Wilhelm

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

While scientific vocabulary is important, it can often become problematic for students. Sometimes, those words can become a barrier to participation or act as a gatekeeper to success in the science classroom. Under the Next Generation Science Standards, middle school students are expected to model Earth-Moon-Sun motions to explain Moon phases, eclipses, and seasons (NGSS Lead States, 2013). Using a phenomenography lens, we investigated the ways in which students seeing the Moon in nature and related classroom experiences translate into a mental model of lunar phases and how vocabulary is used to communicate these models. Eighth-grade students from three urban …

“Why You Always So Political?”: A Counterstory About Educational-Environmental Racism At A Predominantly White University, Martín Alberto Gonzalez

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Using critical race counterstorytelling, I tell a story about the experiences of Mexican/Mexican American/Xicanx (MMAX) undergraduate students at private, historically and predominantly white university in the Northeast. Drawing on in-depth interviews, participant observations, pláticas, document analyses, and literature on race and space and racism in higher education, I argue that the racially hostile campus environment experienced by MMAX students at their respective university manifests itself as a form of educational-environmental racism. Through narrated dialogue, Aurora (a composite character) and I delve into a critical conversation about how educational-environmental racism is experienced by MMAX students through a racialized landscape in the …

When Diversity Isn't The Point: Mirrors, Windows, And Sliding Glass Doors In The Classroom, Kaitlin M. Jackson

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

This article seeks to provide tangible action steps for both preservice and current teachers toward cultural competence through the intentional use of diverse and inclusive children's literature. The article describes the implications of representation of various identities and the intersection of those identities in textbooks for children belonging to all marginalized identities as well as those in groups aligning with societal defaults, including race, culture, language, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and disability.

"Between Too Much & Not Enough," A Meta-Analysis Of The 1619 Project, Nathan Pipes

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

When the New York Times released the 1619 Project in August 2019 it was met with enthusiasm and critical review. The outcome of the public debate, as of now, is mixed. Research is also mixed. Education findings suggests the project has the power to heal. Case study evidence indicates culturally centered approaches positively impact academic outcomes and mental health of historically oppressed peoples. By emphasizing and affirming African American experiences 1619 has potential to narrow the achievement gap and disrupt rising suicide rates. However, philosophy and psychology warn against overemphasizing culture. Excessive affirmation can cause groupthink. Continual praise aggrandizes the …

Instruction, Identity, And Inclusivity: What Can Teacher Preparation Programs Learn From Gay Male Teachers In The South, Joseph R. Jones

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

Abstract: In this article, the author discusses a qualitative research study that examined southern gay male teachers’ beliefs about the intersectionality of sexuality, gender identity, and pedagogy in secondary classrooms. For this discussion, three important themes emerged from the data analysis: instruction, identity, and inclusivity. The study utilized individual unstructured interviews, unstructured focus group interviews, classroom observations with field notes, and a research journal. The findings offer suggestions for teacher preparation programs to consider when preparing teacher candidates for the profession.

Co-Realizing Covid Co-Teaching Concerns: Recognizing Present Challenges To Student Equity In Remote Instruction, Matt Albert, Chyllis Scott

Taboo: The Journal of Culture and Education

When the COVID-19 pandemic began to affect in-person schooling, teachers around the world expressed a balance of optimism for new possibilities in instruction along with trepidation at the challenges which lay ahead. Shortly after March 2020 and into the 2021 school year, remote instruction became the norm for several educators. As the pandemic persisted, the optimism teachers first exhibited began to wane considerably as several challenges to student access arose. These issues (e.g., Internet connectivity, crowded living spaces becoming workspaces, children and adults simultaneously working at home, etc.) pose significant threats to equity in education, and they ironically become troublesome …

Associated Factors With Colorectal Cancer (Crc) Screening Awareness In The Black Belt Region Of Alabama: A Comparison Among Three Types Of Crc Screening, Hee Yun Lee, Yan Luo, Chiahung Chou, Mi Hwa Lee, Marion Bennett

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Objective: The present study aims to assess the levels of awareness of three types of CRC screening tests (FIT or FBOT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy) among African Americans living in the Black Belt area, and examine the factors associated with awareness of CRC screening tests among this population.

Methods: The current study utilized a survey research design. Univariate analysis was used to assess the awareness of three types of colorectal cancer screening: FIT or FOBT, sigmoidoscopy, and colonoscopy. Three sets of logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine the factors associated with the awareness level of each of the three colorectal …