Education Commons^™

Leveraging The W.H.O.L.E. Experience Framework To Elevate Inclusive Learning, Morris Thomas, Susan Winchell Thomas

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

The case study methodology was used to analyze instructional strategies to discuss and refine diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices in two psychology courses at a community college in California’s Bay Area. A mentor and mentee professional development experience, referred to as the DEI studio, used four sessions over 5 weeks to explore reflective practice using the W.H.O.L.E. Experience framework as a guide to review current DEI practices and implement additional strategies intended to improve the engagement, experience, and success of all students. Student feedback and data were collected via a six-question student evaluation of the courses. Results showed that …

Scholars From Underrepresented Groups In Engineering And The Social Sciences (Surge) Capacity In Disasters: The Benefits And Challenges Of Mentoring For Racial And Ethnic Minority Graduate Students, Melissa Villarreal, Nnenia Campbell

Higher Learning Research Communications

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the mentoring program of the Minority Scholars from Under-Represented Groups in Engineering and the Social Sciences (SURGE) Capacity in Disasters initiative, a pilot program that aimed to address the challenges that graduate students of color face in academic programs. SURGE promotes mentoring and professional development through its mentoring program for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students.

Methods: Data collection involved distributing online surveys designed in Qualtrics to mentors and mentees five months after the SURGE program’s initiation. Separate surveys were created for student mentees and faculty mentors in order to …

The Development Of The Protocol For Advancing Inclusive Teaching Efforts (Paite), Tracie M. Addy, Hamna Younas, Pelin Cetin, Fatimata Cham, Monica Rizk, Chidiebere Nwankpa, Manuela Borzone

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Inclusive teaching is instruction that fosters a sense of belonging, is equitable for a diverse student body, and shows students that they matter. Inclusivity is associated with positive student outcomes and is critical at institutions of higher education given the diversity of student populations. While there are a number of recommended practices for inclusive teaching, valid and reliable classroom observation tools that provide instructors with formative feedback on their instructional efforts are lacking. This article describes the development of the Protocol for Advancing Inclusive Teaching Efforts (PAITE). The PAITE was developed for formative purposes to provide higher education instructors with …

Nurses’ Perceptions Of Culturally Competent Care At The Bedside, Judith Cox

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The population served by health care systems in the United States is widely diversified, which requires nurses to be culturally competent in their care practices. However, studies have shown that nurses do not consistently deliver culturally competent care. This basic qualitative study was designed to explore nurses’ perceptions of cultural competence at the bedside to understand what is needed to improve cultural competency practices. Campinha-Bacote’s conceptual framework for cultural competency was used to guide this study that included face-to-face, videoconference interviews using semi structured and open-ended questions from 13 voluntary, acute care bedside nurses. Interviews were audio recorded and uploaded …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Early Childhood Educators’ Perspectives On The Challenges Of Including Inclusive Literature And Implementing Culturally Informed Teaching Practices, Victoria Campbell Locane

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Even though educators are being encouraged to use culturally informed teaching practices in early childhood classrooms with a focus on including culturally inclusive literature, due to homogenous classroom libraries and minimal training, early childhood educators are challenged to follow these practices. The purpose and research questions for this basic qualitative study explored early childhood educators’ perspectives of the challenges of these practices. Using current research and the conceptual framework of critical race theory in education, research and interview questions were developed. Ten early educators were interviewed using the developed interview protocol. Four themes emerged during open and axial coding that …

Lesson Study: A Proposed Intervention For Professional Development Of Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Instruction In A Multicultural Classroom, Michael L. Hixon

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

This paper responds to the proposed implementation of lesson study as a professional development intervention for multicultural instruction in the United States. It includes an investigation of the literature in relation to the use of higher-order thinking skills, Banks’s four approaches for integrating multicultural instruction, and lesson study as a proposed professional development intervention in multicultural instruction. The conclusion provides a discussion of insights into K–12 educators’ needs for professional development opportunities to ensure that they provide diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environments for all of their students. Creating diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning opportunities for students would be meaningful …

Educators’ Roles In Promoting Foster Care Children’S Sense Of Well-Being In Early Childhood Settings, Francoise Erlich Snyder

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

This qualitative study addressed educators’ roles in promoting a sense of well-being in prekindergarten and kindergarten students in the foster care system in the southwestern United States. Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological systems theory framed this exploration of educators’ roles in supporting foster children’s sense of well-being. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit nine educators from three different school settings with a minimum of 3 years of experience working with students in foster care. Data were collected during digitally audio-recorded interviews that explored how two administrators, two curriculum specialists, and five teachers with 3 to 25 years of experience working with students in …

Mission Unaccomplished: Beyond “Talk[Ing] A Good Game” To Promote Diversity And Inclusion, Tara Lehan, Heather Hussey, Ashley Babcock

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

Guided by feminist standpoint theory and scholars’ calls to move beyond merely counting individuals to understand the extent to which higher education institutions are diverse, the authors invited faculty members, staff members, and administrators from minoritized groups to describe their perceptions and experiences, including those associated with diversity and inclusion efforts at their institutions. In association with various dynamics, these individuals frequently described such initiatives as mostly talk with little to no meaningful objectives and outcomes. Based on these findings, we provide a three-step process that can be followed to disrupt and dismantle systems of (dis)advantage to promote greater diversity …

Perceptions Of High School Principals About Improving African American Male Academic Outcomes, Andre Lavelle Credit

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In this study, the African American male students’ academic achievement gap and the principals’ strategies to overcome this problem were investigated. The purpose of this qualitative exploratory case study was to assess the viability of the different strategies that principals have put in place in their respective schools with the aim of improving the academic outcomes of African American male students. The study was guided by the theoretical foundation of culturally responsive teaching, which ensures effective diversity management through the cultural resources of teaching. The research questions addressed 3 major components: the principals’ self-perceived beliefs and attitudes toward enhancing the …

Administrators' Perceptions Of Arts Integration And Literacy Support For Elementary English Language Learners, Renee Marie Nebolon

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In a suburban California elementary school characterized by significant numbers ofEnglish language learners (ELLs), school and district personnel were concerned that literacy among these elementary students remained low despite a recent district focus on literacy. This qualitative study addressed the problem of elementary ELLs not achieving the literacy skills necessary for success in English Language Arts (ELA) courses in school. The purpose of this study was to examine administrators' perceptions on implementing arts integration (AI) as a strategy to support the literacy of ELLs in ELA courses, the potential challenges associated with this strategy, and their role in a successful …

English As A Second Language Students' Experiences In Associate Degree Nursing Programs, Angie Lundgren

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

The general nursing shortage experienced in the U.S. leads students who speak English as a second language (ESL) to enter into nursing school programs. Although these students may enter the nursing programs, they may not successfully complete the nursing programs due to various barriers they face during their enrollment. The purpose of this phenomenological study, guided by the NURS model, was to understand the perceptions and experiences of ESL nursing students related to learning and the barriers to learning and success while enrolled in an associate degree nursing program. Semi structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted with 10 associate degree ESL …

The Lived Experiences Of African American Nurses Transitioning To The Workforce, Stephanie Carra Mitchell

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Newly licensed registered nurses face many challenges as they transition from school to the nursing workforce. The challenges may lead to their desire to leave the workforce which negatively affects nursing retention and contributes to the nursing shortage. African American registered nurses are underrepresented when compared to the percentage of the African American population in the Unites States. Retaining African American nurses can make a significant contribution to the increasing diversity of the nursing workforce. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the perceptions of African American registered nurses as they transition to the nursing workforce using …

Quantitative Comparison Of Novice And Veteran Teachers' Cultural Beliefs, Janet Adrienne Riley

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Poor scores on standardized tests on the part of African American students are a problem at an urban high school in the U.S. Midwest. A factor potentially contributing to this problem is that teachers' cultural beliefs may not be well matched to those of students. This gap is important because cultural beliefs have an influence on the academic achievement of students. The cultural mismatch may be reduced as teachers gain experience with students' cultures and diversity, but it is not known the extent to which experience is beneficial in the Midwest urban high school setting. The purpose of this quantitative …

Contributors To The Development Of Intercultural Competence In Nursing Students, Esther Zazzi

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Nurses deal more effectively with cultural diversity when they have an ethnorelative orientation toward cultural difference and commonality on the Intercultural Development Continuum, which was the theoretical framework of this study. Scholarly literature shows limited knowledge on what fosters nurses' intercultural development. Thus, this quantitative, retrospective study was the first investigation in health care in Switzerland conducted on nursing students' orientation on the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) and the relationship to student demographic variables. The sample for this secondary data analysis consisted of the IDI results from nursing students enrolled between 2010 and 2016 at the largest nursing college in …

Understanding Students' Perceptions Of Cultural Diversity, Catherine Moss

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Diversity is a positive aspect of a student's educational experience. Current literature supports the value of diversity, confirming that skills are developed within a diverse learning environment that prepares students to thrive in a competitive global economy. The leadership at University X (UX) had implemented various initiatives to improve diversity, yet the problem addressed in this study was that students perceived differently, citing that diversity growth lacked progress. The goal of this single case study was to bring forth change with a specific intervention created to elevate diversity and a positive campus climate. Maslow's hierarchy of needs was used to …

The Disparity Of Racial Diversity In Counselor Education And Supervision, Sharon Hammett Webb

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

In general, doctoral programs in counselor education and supervision (CES) have low minority enrollments. Faculty members in clinical mental health counseling (CMHC) master's degree in science (MS) programs primarily come from CES doctoral programs; therefore, faculty members do not generally reflect the diversity of the MS student population. Using the theory of planned behavior and the bioecological model, the purpose of this research was to determine the extent to which age, gender, faculty support, income, level of parents' or primary caregivers' education, and the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) accreditation status predict White and racial …

Racism Vs. Social Capital: A Case Study Of Two Majority Black Communities, Bruce W. Strouble

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Several researchers have identified social capital as a means to improve the social sustainability of communities. While there have been many studies investigating the benefits of social capital in homogeneous White communities, few have examined it in Black homogeneous communities. Also, there has been limited research on the influence of racism on social capital in African American communities. In this dissertation a comparative case study was used within a critical race theory framework. The purpose was to explore the role of racial oppression in shaping social capital in majority African American communities. Data were collected from 2 majority Black communities …

Students' Perceptions And Experiences Of A Diversity And Inclusion Training Program At A Community College, Norma I. Corral-Chandler

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

A community college developed a diversity and inclusion training program, Maximizing Our Strengths as an Inclusive Community (MOSAIC), to address the lack of diversity training for students and staff. However, the program had not been evaluated. The purpose of this study was to learn about students' perceptions and experiences of the MOSAIC program. Guided by theories of constructivism and components of critical race theory related to critical studies in Whiteness, social identity theory, and best practices for diversity and inclusion training, this study explored how students described the effectiveness of the program. Interview data for this responsive program evaluation using …

Managing The Polarities Of Democracy: A Theoretical Framework For Positive Social Change, William J. Benet

Journal of Sustainable Social Change

People around the globe have embraced democracy to bring about positive social change to address our environmental, economic, and militaristic challenges. Yet, there is no agreement on a definition of democracy that can guide social change efforts. The Polarities of Democracy model is a unifying theory of democracy to guide healthy, sustainable, and just social change efforts. The Polarities of Democracy model consists of ten elements, organized as five polarity pairs: freedom & authority, justice & due process, diversity & equality, human-rights & communal-obligations, and participation & representation. In this model each element has positive aspects and negative aspects and …

Urban-Serving Research Universities: Institutions For The Public Good, Desiree D. Zerquera

Higher Learning Research Communications

This manuscript seeks to situate access to higher education as part of the public good of universities, and connect that specifically to the mission of institutions that are charged with carrying this out more than others. One such institution—the Urban-Serving Research University (USRUs)—has a distinct mission that emphasizes not just location within the urban context, but being composed of the city they inhabit. A key and significant part of the USRU mission is to provide access to urban and historically marginalized students in their regions, populations typically underserved by higher education. Further, this manuscript highlights the tensions inherent in this …

Students’ Perception Of Diversity In An International Classroom, Loïse Jeannin

Higher Learning Research Communications

This paper presents students’ perception of diversity in an international classroom in one international university in Thailand. The aim of this exploratory study is to better understand students’ perception of diversity to better meet their learning needs. By conducting a survey among students enrolled in bachelor’s and master’s international programs, this study explores how students perceive their classmates’ diversity, such as, but not limited to, cultural, language, and knowledge differences. How does diversity affect students’ learning in an international setting? What kind of diversity is the most disturbing for learners? Some recommendations grounded in the conceptual framework of cultural responsive …