Education Commons^™

The Experience Of Multilingual Doctoral Students Related To Academic Success: A Descriptive Qualitative Study, Deborah Lewis, Amy Bakke, Amber Cook, Julie James, Carol Griffiths

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

When multilingual students face the challenge of writing a doctoral capstone or dissertation, delays in academic progress may occur. The aim of this study was to identify writing challenges multilingual doctoral students face and provide recommendations regarding learner-centered resources to support timely academic success, as literature regarding multilingual students and language diversity in the doctoral environment is limited. A qualitative descriptive design was used for this study, and six multilingual DNP and PhD alumni participated. Data were collected using semi-structured audio interviews and analyzed using iterative content analysis. The findings support the need for community and culture to support language …

Online Assessment In Large Undergraduate Courses During Covid-19 Emergency Response Teaching, Kate Maloney Williams, Alice E. Donlan

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The transition to online instruction during the COVID-19 pandemic was unprecedented and forced many universities to quickly embrace online distance learning. This context created new challenges, particularly around assessment strategies. Empirical research has demonstrated that formative assessment fosters more active learning in online classrooms. However, formative assessment strategies are not always adapted well to online platforms based on the nature of the subject matter and the size of the class. This qualitative case study sought to understand instructors’ experiences and strategies for conducting assessment remotely, specifically for large-size undergraduate courses. The investigation relied on data from semi-structured interviews with University …

Redefining “Lgbtq+ Interculture” In Academia, Samantha Winterberg, Michelle Mccraney

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Members of the LGBTQ+ community often face discrimination, harassment, and exclusion in academic settings, which can negatively impact their academic and personal success. Studies have shown that LGBTQ+ students are more likely to experience negative mental health conditions, drop out of school, and struggle to find employment after graduation. Cultural humility fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion, which is critical to ensuring an equitable educational experience for all students, particularly those from marginalized communities. Intercultural understanding is essential to develop cultural humility so that attitudes reflect empathy and tolerance of differences, including sexual or gender orientation variances or ambiguity. Understanding how …

In Search Of Belonging Online: Achieving Equity Through Transformative Professional Development, Michelle Pacansky-Brock, Michael Smedshammer, Kimberly Vincent-Layton

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Abstract

Online classes hold the potential to expand college access to Black, Latino/a/x, Indigenous, and other students of color who must be supported to diversify the STEM workforce. Research shows that fostering belonging is key to the academic success of students from minoritized groups. However, online classes often lack interpersonal interactions and are often left out of research about the positive impacts of belonging. This paper summarizes an equity-focused STEM grant project that produced an openly-shared online professional development program, the Humanizing Online STEM Academy. Through the Academy, STEM faculty are introduced to a model of humanized online teaching that …

Faculty And Student Online Mentoring Preferences, Lee Stadtlander, Arfe Ozcan, Latoya Johnson, Briana Nicholson, Narjis Hyder

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Isolation of online doctoral students intensifies when they transition from coursework to the dissertation/capstone phase, limiting them to interacting with their mentors. A three-round modified Delphi study was conducted to examine mentoring preferences of online doctoral students and faculty. The first round provided qualitative data regarding the preferred mentoring practices for faculty and alumni. Round 1 qualitative data were organized into Likert questions and used in the second round, which resulted in data about frequency of mentoring practices for the same participants from Round 1. The third round provided data about importance of each preference rated by faculty and current …

Strategies For Creating Inclusive Learning Environments Through A Social Justice Lens, Beverly Araujo Dawson, Whitney Kilgore, Renee M. Rawcliffe

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Culturally situated and cross-cultural approaches to instructional design and research have become increasingly important in higher education, particularly in online learning environments. As higher education becomes increasingly racially and ethnically diverse, learning environments must be structured and facilitated to meet the learning needs of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of color) students. Based on the Community of Inquiry (CoI) and culturally inclusive pedagogy, this paper provides an overview of inclusive teaching practices and the necessity to take a holistic approach to online teaching with BIPOC students. This paper provides an overview of key instructional design elements to achieve equity-minded instructional design.

Reflections On Inclusive Teaching, Michelle Pacansky-Brock

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The COVID-era has left a lasting impression on each of us. How are college educators applying the full complexity of these experiences to their work to make teaching and learning in all modalities more welcoming, meaningful, and fulfilling for everyone? This reflection opens a conversation about inclusive teaching and invites you to be part of it.

Positive Leadership Theory For Online Dissertation Mentoring, Lee Stadtlander

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

A number of theoretical models have been suggested for how to mentor doctoral students. However, they tend to rely on hierarchical and authoritarian relationships between the faculty and students. Such models tend to create dependency and fear of the faculty, resulting in a reluctance in coming to the mentor for guidance. Such models do not tend to work well with online adult doctoral students with jobs and families. This paper proposes a model of positive leadership for online doctoral mentors, where mentors are accessible and create an environment where success is assumed and social support is provided by both the …

Examining Student Mentorship Experiences In An Online Doctoral Program, Kelly M. Torres, Lord Giddie, Aubrey Statti

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

As more students elect to complete their doctoral studies online, faculty need to identify and implement mentorship approaches that are conducive to student understanding of the dissertation process. Faculty to mentee relationships are a prominent aspect of student retention and success in doctoral programs. Due to advances in technology, dissertation chairs have access to tools that allow for real-time feedback and support. Therefore, this study examined student dissertation and faculty mentorship experiences. Participants expressed satisfaction in their doctoral studies and dissertation process. However, students shared challenges associated with balancing multiple commitments, feeling lower levels of writing self-confidence, and understanding the …

Education Licensure Candidates During The Time Of Covid-19: University Supervisors’ Reflections About The Forgotten Few, Andrea M. Wilson, Cheryl Burleigh

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Education at K–12 through university levels has faced extraordinary upheaval in the time of COVID-19. As universities and K–12 school systems struggled independently to adapt to rapidly changing demands, teacher and administrator licensure candidates were confronted with unprecedented challenges in both worlds simultaneously. The licensure candidates were the forgotten few, stuck between higher education and K–12 education, while struggling to keep up with the demands of their personal lives and professional futures. With limited guidance from their universities and school systems, licensure candidates turned to their university field placement supervisors for direction. In response, supervisors became adaptive leaders and flexible …

Virtual Faculty Strategies For Supporting Motivation Of Online Doctoral Students, Crissie M. Jameson, Kelly Torres, Shereeza Mohammed

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our study focused on online faculty members and their perceptions of the strategies and activities they use to promote progress for and motivation in their online graduate students, particularly at the dissertation/doctoral study phase of the program. Results show high-achieving faculty members vary their strategies according to each students’ needs. High-achieving faculty members reach out to students often, offer encouragement throughout the process, and establish realistic goals.

An Evaluation Of Local Mentor Support In Ae E-Teacher Educational Technology Integration Online Teacher Training Course, Yasemin Yelbay Yilmaz, Seher Balbay

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This study addressed a different approach to online language teacher training programs. The researchers investigated the pros and cons of having local mentor support for an online course titled Using Technology in the English Language Classroom provided by the AE E-Teacher Program. The course was offered to preservice teachers from 24 different universities across Turkey. The study collected data through a pre- and post-online survey and individual semistructured interviews. The results revealed that while local mentoring as a supplement to the main course content contributed to teacher candidates’ emotional and professional attachment to their profession by helping them relate theory …

Community As A Sustaining Force: Strategies For Online Scholarly Support, Bonnie Mullinix, Alison Binger, Michael Lees

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This paper discusses the ways that community connections serve to sustain and support scholarly growth, retention, and success, particularly in longer-term online contexts. These strategies are seen through the reflective experience of a faculty mentor and two recent graduates who co-developed community support strategies that help doctoral students stay motivated, connected, and succeed over many years of what might otherwise be a long, individual, and lonely journey—particularly when undertaken online. A matrix of strategies, apps, and online tools emerged from this process and is offered for consideration.

Learning Model Based On Democratic Life, Şeyma Şahin, Abdurrahman Kılıç

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Our research aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the democracy and human rights course taught with a “Learning Model Based on Democratic Life.” The study was conducted with an action research design. The research study group, determined using purposeful sampling, consisted of 10 students taking a Democracy and Human Rights course at a state university in Turkey. Data were collected using “Process Evaluation Forms” and “Student Letters.” Content analysis was used in the analysis of the data. We concluded that the students thought the Learning Model Based on Democratic Life supported their participation, was efficient and interesting, contributed to the …

Evaluation Of A Teaching Assistant Program In Online Education, Shelley N. Armstrong, Kirsten Lupinski, Michelle M. Burcin, Kimberly Kato, Marsha Kaufman

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Online student success is determined by several factors, including learning effectiveness, access (academic, technical, and administrative support), faculty satisfaction, and student satisfaction. These factors are part of the Online Learning Consortium’s Pillars of Quality Online Education, which were established to ensure all students are provided a quality education, with high levels of student engagement, instructor feedback and interaction, and experiential learning opportunities. Using Teaching Assistants (TAs) in the virtual classroom is not a traditional practice for most online institutions, but is a strategy that can have a positive impact on these factors. This exploratory research study discusses a TA program …

A Comparative Investigation Of Assessment Practices In Distance And Online Learning Undergraduate Mathematics In Nigeria, Comfort O. Reju, Loyiso C. Jita

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

We investigate and compare assessment practices in two (dual- and single-mode) institutions in Nigeria. A mixed-methods approach was employed. Descriptive statistics and narration were carried out for the purpose of determining what the assessment practices were and how they may be related to the students learning of undergraduate mathematics in distance and online education. Results show that there are similarities and variations in assessment practices that shaped open and distance learning practices in these universities. This suggests a need for careful review of assessment practices aimed at improving students’ engagement and learning for outstanding undergraduate mathematics learning experiences.

Fostering Motivation When Virtually Mentoring Online Doctoral Students, Crissie Jameson, Kelly Torres

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Online learning in higher education has become commonplace as more working adults and nontraditional aged students return to pursue advanced degrees. Graduate education, specifically, has grown in recent years (Allen & Seaman, 2014), including doctoral degrees. Pursuing a doctoral degree requires writing a culminating paper (e.g., dissertation, doctoral study, capstone study). Writing and conducting such a study requires support and mentorship from faculty of the program. Establishing a positive relationship in which the student feels supported by the mentor is crucial to encourage dialogue and motivation throughout the process. In this case study, online doctoral students’ perceptions of autonomy, competence, …

A World Apart: How Distance Education Can Effectively Reach Around The Globe, Joseph J. Frantiska Jr.

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Distance education has revolutionized the field of education by giving faculty the ability to reach students anywhere on Earth. In many cases, the distances between faculty and students can be rather large with associated opportunities and challenges. An obvious challenge is the need for timely communications between faculty and students as well as among the students themselves. This can be compounded if the nature of the course requires widely dispersed students to work together as a group with the transfer of documents and frequent communications driven by deadlines as well as the desire to produce a complete document that adheres …

Exceptional Senior Student Affairs Administrators’ Leadership: Strategies And Competencies For Success, Joshua W. Bass

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

No abstract provided.