Education Commons^™

School Social Workers And Extracurricular Activities: The Unanswered Questions About Potential Role Conflict, Jeffrey Mccabe, Hannah Hagan

International Journal of School Social Work

Abstract

School social workers respond to students’ mental health needs from an education training perspective that defines set professional role boundaries in service provision that may differ from the multiple roles teachers have with students. One of those perspectives is a recognition of what may happen if a boundary crossing was to occur in a dual relationship with a client. Teachers are encouraged to take on a secondary role with students by coaching athletics or advising a club. Taking on dual roles with students has led to both increased job satisfaction and concerns regarding burnout for teachers. There is an …

Mental Health Problems Among Elementary School Students Mandated To E-Learning: A Covid-19 Rapid Review Caveat, Renée M. D'Amore, Angelina N. Halpern, Lauren R. Reed, Kevin M. Gorey

International Journal of School Social Work

Extended lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic mandated millions of students worldwide to e-learning and by default made many of their parents proxy homeschool teachers. Preliminary anecdotal, journalistic and qualitative evidence suggested that elementary school children and their parents were probably most vulnerable to this stressor and most likely to experience mental health problems because of it. We responded with a rapid review of 15 online surveys to estimate the magnitude of such risks and their predictors between 2020 and 2021. The pooled relative risk of mental health problems among school children and their parents was substantial (RR = 1.97). Moreover, …

Social Work Educators’ Perceptions Of School Social Work Leadership – What Are The Characteristics That Make A Leader?, Christine Vyshedsky

International Journal of School Social Work

Social workers in school settings are uniquely poised to propose and implement proactive solutions to climate stressors, but they may not capitalize on this opportunity to lead. This study explored the perceptions of Masters’ level social work educators, who set the tone and expectations for school social workers through curricula, towards the inclusion of leadership-related skills within school social work curriculum. A survey of educator administrators (n = 75) at Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) accredited institutions examined leadership as defined through a combination of two proposed definitions for social work leadership, delineated by Holosko, 2009 and Hopson & …

Moving Beyond Trauma: Activating Resilience To Support Our Most Vulnerable Youth, Joanne Malloy, Sara Manisco Chapo, Kathryn Francoeur

International Journal of School Social Work

It is well-documented that exposure to toxic stress in childhood can contribute to impaired social, emotional, behavioral, and neuro-biological development that often results in learning difficulties, poor emotional regulation, an inability to develop healthy relationships, and impaired problem-solving skills. Further, youth who grow up in unsafe environments or are subjected to structural inequality are faced with challenges over which they have no control. Using a positive, future-oriented, and trauma-responsive perspective while intentionally building resilience can effectively engage and support youth to overcome feelings of hopelessness and achieve positive outcomes. This paper includes a qualitative study of protective factors as identified …

Dimensions Of Hope And The School Environment: Results From A School-Wide Needs Assessment At An Urban High School, James P. Canfield, Wendy L. Wilson, Lauren Shute, Amy N. King, Kennesha J. Smith, Dana Harley

International Journal of School Social Work

Objectives: Various aspects of hope can play a major role in how students from urban locales perceive their school environment. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between various dimensions of hope and the school environment as perceived by adolescents at an urban high school. Methods: Data from a school-wide needs assessment measuring urban adolescents’ perceived hope and perceptions of the school environment were analyzed. Results: The analysis from regression models indicate that the dimensions of hope variables can be predicted by perceptions of the school environment. Conclusion: Overall, the urban adolescent hope …

Ready, Set, Communicate: Measuring Usability Of Instructional Modules Designed To Improve Communications Skills Of Students Studying Agricultural Sciences, Theresa Pesl Murphrey, Audra W. Richburg, Holli R. Leggette, Shannon L. Norris-Parish, Jean A. Parrella

Journal of Applied Communications

Well-developed communications skills are essential to a proficient agricultural workforce. Online instruction via reusable learning modules (RLMs) is one way agricultural science faculty can provide their students with expert communications skills training. Although RLMs have many benefits, their value degrades rapidly if the learner cannot access or use the technology efficiently. Therefore, online instruction must be tested to ensure usability. The purpose of our study was to assess the usability of RLMs developed to bolster the communications skills of students studying in the agricultural sciences and provide guidance for future curricula and online instruction development. We used quantitative and qualitative …

A Wedge Issue For The 21st Century: The Conditional Effect Of Party Identification For Predicting Feelings Towards Immigrants And Refugees In A Higher Ed Setting, Nicholas Bauroth, Kjersten Nelson

Online Journal of Rural Research & Policy

The issue of immigration played an important role in recent U.S. elections. How did the salience of immigration and refugees in the 2016, 2018, and 2020 elections play out amongst young voters? Did increased opportunities to interact with immigrants and refugees affect respondents’ feelings towards these groups, as social contact theory might predict? The analyses here focus on a sample of college students, given that the higher education experience presents conditions for social contact theory to play out. We find that party identification is a key piece of the puzzle – measures of social contact theory operate differently for Democratic …

Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (And What To Do Instead), Lori M. Costello

Journal of Applied Communications

Book review of Ungrading: Why Rating Students Undermines Learning (and What to Do Instead), edited by Susan D. Blum with a foreword by Alfie Kohn

Manuscript Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

The Intersection Of Gender, Media, And Policy: A Qualitative Analysis On Thai Newspaper Coverage Of Women In Agriculture, Morgan A. Richardson Gilley, Richie Roberts, J. Joey Blackburn, Kristin Stair

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Women empowerment and gender equality have been found to be statistically significant and positive predictors of global agricultural development. Therefore, reducing gender disparities can encourage economic progress and growth in developing nations. As such, determining effective ways to stimulate social progress and women’s empowerment has emerged as a critical need. One strategy used to raise the public’s consciousness about gendered issues in Thailand has been through mass media. In response, this study aimed to (1) determine to what extent Thailand’s newspaper coverage focused on topics related to women and the agricultural industry; and (2) describe how women in agriculture …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). Its purpose is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

Farmer-Centered Pesticide Risk Reduction Education In Senegal: A Novel, Participatory Approach, Mary L. Halbleib, Berit Dinsdale

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

As pest pressures continue to intensify across Sub-Saharan Africa, many smallholder farmers are increasing their use of pesticides, including highly hazardous options, to meet the market demands for high-quality fresh produce. Many of these farmers, however, have not had access to pesticide risk reduction training or have participated in programs that have not enabled them to protect themselves and their families. Given the risks posed by dried and invisible though still toxic pesticide residues, new forms of information and realistic learning strategies are required. This study combined the innovative Adaptive Learner-Centered Education (ALCE) approach with the Farmer Field School (FFS) …

A Cross-Platform Exploratory Study Of International And Domestic Scholar Post Engagement On Social Media, Allison R. Byrd, Catherine E. Sanders, Alexa Lamm

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Social media use varies globally across cultures, even within extension services. Recognition of the contributions of international scholars at the universities where they serve also varies. Social media use in international scholars’ countries of origin may differ from that of their institution’s country, affecting social media engagement with a university’s posts featuring international scholars. Using the conceptual framework of audience segmentation, this study explored the differences in social media audience engagement between research themes and international and domestic scholars on Instagram and Twitter. Using a causal-comparative design, this study created Instagram and Twitter posts highlighting peer-reviewed research conducted by both …

A Phenomenological Pre- And Post-Reflective Comparison Of Graduate Student Intercultural Competence From Agricultural Service-Learning Experiences, Kim E. Dooley, Catherine E. Sanders, Leslie Edgar

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to determine growth in intercultural competence after graduate students participated in an international service learning (ISL) experience. One method for developing intercultural competence is service learning, where students apply learning in real-world settings through a cycle of action and reflection. This study used an interpretative phenomenological analysis related to the lived experience of eight graduate students who participated in two intensive ISL projects in Timor-Leste or Guatemala. Results included the student point of view (emic) narrative as an ethnographic crafted profile for each participant to demonstrate the process of intercultural competence development across individual …

Going The Distance: Examining The Impact Of A Long-Term International Fellowship, Meikah Dado, Jessica R. Spence, Jack Elliot

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

AgriCorps, an American organization, created a fellowship program to connect agricultural professionals to school-based agricultural education in developing countries. Previous scholars researched the impacts of international experiences on learners, usually through the lens of short-term study abroad. This study seeks to examine the impact of long-term international fellowship experiences in education and provide recommendations for future like-programs by analyzing the experiences of previous AgriCorps fellows. Fellows lived and taught school-based agricultural education in a community in Ghana or Liberia. Eighteen previous AgriCorps fellows participated in a semi-structured interview through a virtual meeting platform. The interviews were used to collect data …

The Relationship Between Academic Supplies And Academic Performance, Malissa Harris, Celia Suarez, Rylei Jaramillo, Ebony Hall, Felicia L. Murray

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences

Many students attending college lack the resources for academic supplies to help them achieve academic success. This study was informed by Walberg’s Theory of Educational Productivity and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to aid in the understanding of how access to academic supplies affects academic achievement as well as graduation and retention rates. This research focused on the access to academic supplies and a student’s academic performance. The research was a mixed methods approach with a randomized sample of 75 participants. A hard copy survey was distributed in the highest trafficked areas on a college campus. In addition to the demographic …

The Relationship Between Academic Supplies And Academic Performance, Malissa Harris, Celia Suarez, Rylei Jaramillo, Ebony Hall, Felicia L. Murray

Undergraduate Research Journal for the Human Sciences

Many students attending college lack the resources for academic supplies to help them achieve academic success. This study was informed by Walberg’s Theory of Educational Productivity and Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to aid in the understanding of how access to academic supplies affects academic achievement as well as graduation and retention rates. This research focused on the access to academic supplies and a student’s academic performance. The research was a mixed methods approach with a randomized sample of 75 participants. A hard copy survey was distributed in the highest trafficked areas on a college campus. In addition to the demographic …

Therapist, Intermediary Or Garbage Can? Examining Professional Challenges For School Social Work In Swedish Elementary Schools, Maria Kjellgren, Sara Lilliehorn, Urban Markström

International Journal of School Social Work

The overall aim of this article is to describe and analyse critical components that influence the role and performance of school social workers in the Swedish elementary school. Special attention will be paid to aspects related to formal regulations, professional self-understanding, and SSWs’ role in the interplay between professional domains involved in elementary school.

The data collection was conducted through four semi-structured qualitative focus group interviews with a total of 22 School Social Workers (SSWs) in four different regions in Sweden during the latter part of 2019.

The results reveal three main challenges for the SSW: 1. To …

Modernizing High School Agricultural Communications Competencies: A National Delphi Study, Mackenzie Atkins, Kati Lawson, Ricky Telg

Journal of Applied Communications

The purpose of this study was to identify current competencies needed for high school students to succeed in their agricultural communication courses. This study also identified an ideal introduction level for each competency and provides up-to-date consensus on the most important agricultural communication competencies for high school students as determined by university faculty. Twenty years have passed since secondary agricultural communication competencies have been evaluated at a national level (Akers, 2000). Since then, industry standards have changed, including the emergence of social media, which is reflected in the results of this study. This study was conducted through a two-round Delphi …

Submission Guidelines, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Updated guidelines for submitting manuscripts to JIAEE.

Development And Validation Of An Empirical Instrument To Measure Organizational And Institutional Functioning Capacity Within International Extension Networks, Kevan W. Lamm, Alexa Lamm, Kristin E. Davis, Catherine Sanders, Alyssa Powell

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

International extension networks provide vital services to stakeholders using a variety of organizational structures. To continue offering services desired by stakeholders, it is important that both public and private extension networks develop effective organizational functioning capacities. Despite this need, an instrument to empirically examine the perceived capacities of effective international extension network organizational and institutional functioning was unavailable in the literature. The present study developed and validated the International Extension Network Organizational Functioning (IENOF) scale. Scale development included validation of content, response process, internal structure, and consequential utility. Structural analysis indicated the 21-items loaded on four factors, including: network structure …

Introduction And Table Of Contents, Mary Rodriguez

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education is the official refereed publication of the Association for International Agricultural and Extension Education (AIAEE). Its purpose is to enhance the research and knowledge base of agricultural and extension education from an international perspective.

Dissecting The Roles Of Social Capital In Farmer-To-Farmer Extension: A Review, Colby J. Silvert, Willis Ochieng, Jose Perez Orozco, Ange Asanzi

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

Various types of relationships within a farmer-to-farmer (F2F) extension system can influence farmers’ access to advancement opportunities, resources, capacity building, and social and professional networks. Using a social capital theoretical lens, this review elucidates the nature of these relationships and networks to better understand how bonding, bridging, and linking social capital may be leveraged in positive and negative ways and how relationship dynamics relate to farmers’ power, opportunities, and gender equity. This research demonstrates that all three types of social capital are instrumental but play different and often complementary roles in F2F extension. While bonding social capital is crucial for …

Moving Beyond Short-Term Impacts Of Service-Learning Study Abroad Program On Students’ Transformation: An Irish Case Study, Caroline Cully Garbers, T. Grady Roberts, Dale Pracht

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The purpose of this study was to better understand the impacts on students who participate in short-term service-learning study abroad programs. Using Mezirow’s theory of Transformational Learning as a guide, students were interviewed on the lasting impacts that the program had on their transformation. Student participated in semi-structured interviews lasting in length of 30 minutes to an hour. These interviews took place approximately 7 months after the completion of their study abroad program. Student’s transformation was categorized into the 4 main areas of transformation according to Mezirow (1991): refining meaning schemes, learning new schemes, transforming schemes, and …

Determinants Of Performance In Smallholder Farmer Groups In Uganda, David Agole, Connie D. Baggett, John C. Ewing, Edgar P. Yoder, Margaret N. Mangheni

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

The performance of farmer groups is critical for the success of the farmer-led Agricultural Extension approach currently used in Uganda. This study examines factors affecting performance of farmer groups accessing agricultural extension and advisory services from the National Agricultural Advisory Services in Eastern Uganda. The study collected data 200 members of 19 farmer groups in Eastern Uganda. Performance of farmer groups was the dependent variable, which was perceived to be influenced by individual members’ objectives, participation culture, power distance, structure of task, perceived equity, reward allocation and participation in group activities. Farmer group performance had a statistically significant positive relationship …

Farmers’ Perceptions Towards Privatisation Of Extension Services In Eastern Cape And Kwazulu-Natal Provinces Of South Africa, Olwethu Loki

Journal of International Agricultural and Extension Education

In South Africa, the state provides all extension and advisory support services to smallholder farmers. However, it appears that the government is struggling to provide adequate farmer support, and production among smallholders is not improving, leading to many calling for the states' withdrawal and the private sector to deliver extension services to farmers. The study aimed to assess farmers' perceptions of the privatisation of extension services in South Africa, and it was guided by the following research questions: 1) What are smallholder farmers' perceptions of the privatisation of extension services? 2) which factors influence these perceptions? 3 If extension services …

Perceptions And Practices In School Social Worker-Teacher Interprofessional Collaboration, Stacy A. Gherardi, Kimberly Knox, Allison Stoner, Bethany Garling-Spychala

International Journal of School Social Work

School social work requires significant skills for interprofessional collaboration, especially collaboration with teachers. While the value of such skills is increasingly recognized in fields such as healthcare, there has been limited attention to assessing or supporting interprofessional practice in education. This exploratory mixed-methods study analyzed survey data from 264 school social workers across the United States in order to understand their perceptions of teachers as collaborators and their practices relating to collaboration with teachers. Barriers to collaboration were also identified. Data suggested that school social workers had positive perceptions of teachers as collaborators generally, but saw limitations in the training …

Assessing Differential Item Functioning And Differential Test Functioning In An Academic Motivation Scale Using Item Response Theory Methods, Gerald J. Bean

International Journal of School Social Work

Social work researchers and practitioners who use measurement instruments to make data-informed decisions need to ensure those decisions are based on items and scales that are free from possible bias or undesirable differential functioning. In this study, we provide an example of how a set of Item Response Theory (IRT) statistical methods and tools can be used by social work measurement researchers to assess differential item (DIF) and scale (DTF) functioning. For the example, we explored the possible race, gender, and family composition differential functioning of a scale—the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS)—developed for use by school social workers. The data …

Assessing Texas School Social Work Practice: Findings From The First Statewide Conference Survey, Xiao Ding, Monica Faulkner, Cynthia Franklin, Beth Gerlach, Mary Beer, Eboni Calbow, Swetha Nulu

International Journal of School Social Work

Abstract

Aims: To examine the characteristics, perceived barriers, special student populations, and school-based tasks performed by Texas's school social workers in comparison to other Specialized Instructional Services Providers (SISP) professionals in schools.

Methods: A convenience sample from a survey of 212 school social workers and school services providers from the Texas School Social Workers Conference. The survey was developed using previous surveys and practice knowledge and assessed (a) demographics, (b) characteristics of school social work practice, (c) types of tasks, (d) special population served, (e) types of barriers), and (f) the tools and training that are most needed. …

The Shalem Counselling Assistance Plan For Students (Caps): Delivering Social Work Services To Faith-Based School Systems, Mark Vander Vennen, Marg Smit-Vandezande, Ken Van Wyk, Mikaeli Cavell, Danielle Vandenakker, Richard Csiernik

International Journal of School Social Work

In Ontario, Canada, non-Catholic faith-based schools do not receive provincial government funding but are funded primarily by families of students and through fundraising. As a result, historically school-based provision of counselling or school social work resources to students has been the exception rather than the rule, as this has typically been considered an adjunct resource. A new initiative was launched in the province of Ontario in 2011 to address this gap, the Counselling Assistance Plan for Students (CAPS). CAPS was premised on another novel idea, a Congregational Assistance Plan, which itself grew out of concepts derived from Employee Assistance Programming …