Education Commons^™

Exploring Cultural Logic In Becoming Teacher: A Collaborative Autoethnography On Transnational Teaching And Learning, Taeyeon Kim, Heather L. Reichmuth

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Departing from the view that learning is a linear progression, we argue that through the lens of cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) and cultural logic, teacher learning research can be advanced. Applying these two constructs to a collaborative autoethnography of two emerging scholars’ transnational teaching and learning experiences in the US and South Korea we argue that implicit and explicit norms in a culture influence the process of becoming teacher in the Korean context. Findings suggest that socio-cultural elements of implicit beliefs and norms outside of schools are linked to teacher learning inside schools, thereby suggesting that teacher learning at …

Institutional Responses To Events Challenging Campus Climates: Examining The Power In Language, Crystal Garcia, Benjamin Arnberg, Jessica Weise, Marit Winborn

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This qualitative study explored administrative responses to local and sociopolitical events challenging campus climates at public research universities. Using critical discourse analysis, we examined the use of language as a form of power in publicly available documents addressing campus climate for diversity and inclusion at 31 U.S. institutions. Findings center 3 themes: underlying power in determining what to address; the power of language in perpetuating or deconstructing power, privilege, and oppression; and the distinction between espousing and enacting commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

The Changing Nature And Organization Of Work: An Integrative Review Of The Literature, Ellen Scully-Russ, Richard J. Torraco

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Economics, demographics, technology, and other factors are changing the composition and availability of jobs. Newer forms of freelance, contingent work, also known as gigs, are gradually eroding traditional jobs. A venue that affords employment opportunities for a growing number of gig workers has become known as the platform economy. Those engaged in the platform economy already represent 10.1% of the U.S. workforce. This article explores the factors that give rise to these new work structures and examines the new opportunities they offer for employment and income. The social and economic consequences of the growth of these new work structures, …

Narratives Of Queer Men Of Color In Culturally-Based Fraternities Making Meaning Of Masculinities, Antonio Duran, Crystal Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This constructivist grounded theory study examined how Queer Men of Color in culturally-based fraternities made meaning of their masculinities. Through two intensive interviews and a reflection journal activity, nine participants shared their constructions of masculinities before joining a culturally-based organization and how their thinking changed after affiliating with a fraternity. Specifically, Queer Men of Color first spoke to pre-collegiate experiences that largely shaped their views of masculinities. Next, participants discussed how culturally-based fraternities both reinforced hegemonic masculinity, as well as opened up the possibilities to construct a more productive view of masculinities. Implications are then offered for chapter advisors, fraternity …

Becoming Skillful Leaders: American School Principals’ Transformative Learning, Taeyeon Kim

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

In this study, I explore how school principals experience transformative learning in relation to leadership development and how these experiences influence their leadership practices and perceptions. Transformative learning is critical for school leaders because it can lead to meaningful learning that qualitatively changes their leadership practices. Assuming that personally significant incidents are important for transformative learning, I analyzed qualitative data collected from 12 school principals in the United States. Analysis revealed that with these transformative learning experiences, school principals established strong foundations of leadership assumptions and strategies by changing and expanding their views of themselves and others. My findings suggest …

Revisiting The Governance Narrative: The Dynamics Of Developing National Educational Assessment Policy In South Korea, Taeyeon Kim

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This paper argues that the ‘new governance’ narrative should be revised and modified to reflect context-specific details of the policy sector and styles of government. I discuss the modified network governance narrative, including how the theory of bureaucracy informs the function of network governance. I then apply it to analyze a case study of Korean educational assessment policy, specifically the National Assessment of Educational Achievement, as empirical evidence to support the claim. The case study revealed that central government was a major force in the policy development, and its bureaucratic power combined with soft and hard capital was strong. Responding …

Climates For Ethnic And Racial Diversity: Latina/O Sorority And Fraternity Member Perspectives, Crystal Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This qualitative critical narrative inquiry explored how members of Latina/o sororities and fraternities perceived campus climates for racial and ethnic diversity at predominantly White institutions. Using the multicontextual model for diverse learning environments, findings point to the significance of participants’ recognition of a misalignment between the espoused and enacted commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity in relation to how they perceived the campus climate for racial/ethnic diversity. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Reframing Community (Dis)Engagement: The Discursive Connection Between Undemocratic Policy Enactment, Minoritized Communities And Resistance, James S. Wright, Taeyeon Kim

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

While studies have examined leadership efforts to improve community engagement, less is known about how deeply rooted structured discourses, systems, and practices influence leadership actions and responses from communities. Deficit approaches to educational policy reform are pervasive in the most historically marginalized communities and school districts in the United States (US). Drawing on critical policy analysis, this study examines a disengaged school district’s leadership of a Federal School Turnaround Policy from the perspectives of minoritized communities in an urban US school district. We analyzed deficit policy discourses, its enactment, and leadership practices using interview data and archived documents. This study …

2019 State Of The States: Nebraska, Barbara Lacost, Clayton L Waddle

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

The majority of states now fund public universities from tuition rather than state funds and for now, Nebraska is in the minority. According to a recent article in the Lincoln Journal Star, Nebraska may join the majority in the next 10 years for the Nebraska University (NU) system, the state college system, and community colleges where tuition is a main funding source (Dunker, 2019). Outgoing NU President Hank Bounds reported that it is inevitable that tuition will surpass state resources unless there are changes to the current tax structure. According to budget records, the amount of state support to …

Positionality And Power: The Individual’S Role In Directing Community College Men Of Color Initiatives, Kaleb L. Briscoe, Veronica A. Jones, Deryl K. Hatch-Tocaimaza, Eligio Martinez Jr.

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Community College Men of Color Initiatives (CCMCIs) are increasingly popular strategies utilized to promote retention and completion among Men of Color (MOC). CCMCI directors offer a unique positionality in understanding how their identities, institutional contexts, and power dynamics affect their design of programs and participating students. Using a critical phenomenological approach, the authors of this study explore the lived experiences of CCMCI directors in conceptualizing, implementing, and assessing these initiatives.

Student Learning Objectives: What Instructors Emphasize In Short-Term Study Abroad, Elizabeth Niehaus, Taylor C. Woodman, Angela Bryan, Ashley Light, Erika Hill

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Given that higher education institutions are increasingly utilizing short-term study abroad courses as a means to develop students’ intercultural competency, it is important to determine if and how the instructors leading these programs are incorporating intercultural learning into their courses. By examining learning objectives embedded within syllabi from short-term study abroad courses, the purpose of this study was to identify the relative extent to which instructors emphasize disciplinary and intercultural learning in teaching short-term study abroad courses, and to examine the types of intercultural learning that instructors are explicitly including in their courses. Findings point to a wide diversity of …

Exploring Students’ Agentic And Multidimensional Perceptions Of Oppressive Campus Environments: The Development Of A Transformational Impetus, Elvira J. Abrica, Deryl K. Hatch-Tocaimaza

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

The campus climate literature obscures the complexity of individuals’ perspectives in relation to multiple dimensions of the broader learning environment. Unexamined are the ways students from marginalized backgrounds may respond to oppressive dimensions of the campus climates in unique ways that moderate observed outcome differences. To fill this gap, we leverage survey data to reveal multiple latent facets of the campus climate perceptions and explore how they potentially relate to students’ development of a transformational impetus, proposed as an agentic measure of students’ responses to perceived oppression in the form of a desire to change the world in the …

Evolving Narratives About College: Immigrant Community College Students’ Perceptions Of The Four-Year Degree In The Great Plains, Moises Padilla, Justin Chase Brown, Elvira Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

A significant percentage of the enrollment growth in higher education can be attributed to the recruitment of more diverse students, including those from immigrant households. Although research on immigrant students is growing in light of changing U.S. demographic shifts, this literature is inchoate. This paper examines evolving perspectives of the value of a four-year degree among immigrants and children of immigrants. Thus, in this paper article we synthesize current dominant narratives of immigrant students about the utility and viability of a four-year degree (and the changing impact on community college enrollment) and how they have shifted over time. We observe …

“They Don’T Even Know That We Exist”: Exploring Sense Of Belonging Within Sorority And Fraternity Communities For Latina/O Members, Crystal Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

In this qualitative, multiple-case study, I explored the perceptions of members of Latinx/a/o–based sororities and fraternities and their feelings of belonging within the greater fraternity and sorority life (FSL) community. Findings reflect the salience of race and privilege in participant experiences as individuals recognized their organizations as different worlds from sororities and fraternities within the National Panhellenic Council and Interfraternity Council. Critical Race Theory and LatCrit were used to examine the roles of race and racism within the FSL community while also underscoring the unique experiences of Latina/o FSL members from 2 large, predominantly White universities in the Midwest. Findings …

Sueños De Los Flyover States: Narratives Of Latino Males In The Great Plains, Elvira Abrica, Deryl K. Hatch-Tocaimaza, Baudelio Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

In this study, we use a narrative inquiry approach to present the stories of two Latino males attending community colleges in the Great Plains region of the United States that includes the Dakotas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, popularly referred to as “flyover states.” The purpose of this inquiry, part of a larger study in an area of the United States that goes largely understudied in research on immigrants in community colleges, was to examine the ways in which race and immigrant status inform career and educational aspirations in the lives of Latino males. After presenting narratives of the two students, …

Building Will And Capacity For Improvement In A Rural Research-Practice Partnership, Kristen Campbell Wilcox, Sarah J. Zuckerman

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This study addresses two questions: (1) In what ways and to what extent does a research-practice partnership (RPP) using improvement-science (IS) based processes and tools impact educators’ will and capacity to engage in improvement efforts? and (2) What effect does this RPP have on targeted student outcomes? The RPP highlighted in this research was comprised of university researchers, professional developers, and elementary and junior-senior high school improvement teams including school leaders, teachers, and support staff in the two component schools of a rural district. The study provides evidence that the RPP helped build a district-wide commitment to continuous improvement processes …

Making Sense Of Place: A Case Study Of A Sensemaking In A Rural School-Community Partnership, Sarah J. Zuckerman

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Cross-sector, place-based, school-community partnerships seeking to improve educational and other outcomes at scale have experienced a resurgence in the United States. Rather than isolated eff orts, this new generation relies on scaling up models in networks, such as Strive Together. However, many of these models evolved in urban contexts, creating challenges for scaling up in rural areas with fewer organizations, limited resources, and lower population density. Using conceptions of sensemaking as precursor for collective action, this case study examines the strategies used by partnership leaders in a rural county to make sense of Strive and the local community. By iteratively …

Making Sense Of Place: A Case Study Of A Sensemaking In A Rural School-Community Partnership, Sarah J. Zuckerman

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Cross-sector, place-based, school-community partnerships seeking to improve educational and other outcomes at scale have experienced a resurgence in the United States. Rather than isolated eff orts, this new generation relies on scaling up models in networks, such as Strive Together. However, many of these models evolved in urban contexts, creating challenges for scaling up in rural areas with fewer organizations, limited resources, and lower population density. Using conceptions of sensemaking as precursor for collective action, this case study examines the strategies used by partnership leaders in a rural county to make sense of Strive and the local community. By iteratively …

Exploring Predictors Of Sense Of Belonging In Trinidad And Tobago, Elizabeth Niehaus, Letitia Williams, Stephanie Zobac, Miles Young, Adam Fullerton

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Over the past two decades, Trinidad and Tobago has promoted explosive expansion of tertiary education. As with many growing postsecondary education systems, this increase in tertiary enrollment has led to the development of student support services (Haddad & Altbach, 2009). The field of student services is growing throughout the Caribbean (Reynolds, 2008), but there is currently little research on the role of student services in fostering students’ sense of belonging specific to the Caribbean cultural context. Using data from over 900 students at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, we examined students’ sense of belonging in the context of T&T. …

Supporting Students Globally In Higher Education: Trends And Perspectives For Student Affairs And Services, Rachel Gresk, Elizabeth Niehaus

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Supporting Students Globally in Higher Education (2016) provided an overview of current issues and recommendations for practice related to student affairs and services across the globe. This book is a compendium of chapters, written from a diverse and globally experienced collection of authors, that not only explores a variety of concepts around internationalization in detail (i.e., global trends, cross-border cooperation, student mobility) but challenges paradigms that have shaped the field. The concepts and ideas in this text are timely and presented with a global mindset as well as provide an example of the field’s ongoing commitment to continue …

Logics Of Accountability: Cross-National Patterns In School-Level Controls, Taeyeon Kim, John T. Yun

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This paper explores multiple logics of accountability by examining patterns of control of various school functions under different accountability systems. Research has shown that accountability is a global phenomenon, but how accountability is understood and enacted is locally contextualized, which implies the existence of multiple logics of accountability in practice. By linking theoretical arguments rooted in literature to empirical evidence observed in TALIS 2013, we aim to theorize logics of accountability and then demonstrate the existence of those logics across countries. We first developed a framework of logics of accountability: control-based, professional-based, test-based, and process-based accountability. We then empirically analyzed …

What Are We Teaching Abroad? Faculty Goals For Short-Term Study Abroad Courses, Elizabeth Niehaus, Ashley Wegener

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Based on survey data from over 400 faculty members who taught short-term study abroad courses, the purpose of this study was to identify the types of goals that faculty members have in teaching short-term study abroad courses and the relationship between faculty background characteristics (i.e., race, gender, discipline, and prior experience) and their teaching goals. By further understanding the goals that these faculty members have for their study abroad programs, we are better able to assess how these programs may or may not be meeting overall internationalization goals and then to use this information to assist faculty members and higher …

Faculty Engagement In Cultural Mentoring As Instructors Of Short-Term Study Abroad Courses, Elizabeth Niehaus, Jillian Reading, Matthew J. Nelson, Ashley Wegener, Ann Arthur

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

The purpose of this study was to explore what cultural mentoring looks like in practice in shortterm study abroad courses, how frequently instructors engage in cultural mentoring, and what demographic and background variables might predict the extent to which faculty members engage in cultural mentoring. Using data from a survey of 473 faculty members from 72 U.S. colleges and universities who had recently taught short-term study abroad courses, we identified four types of cultural mentoring behaviours: Expectation Setting, Explaining the Host Culture, Exploring Self in Culture, and Facilitating Connections. We also identified key predictors of the frequency with which participants …

Education Institutions Creation Of Partnerships, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This issue is embracing the creation of partnerships with establishments worldwide for the provisions of life embodiments to graduates. At moment, there may be lack of friendship or partnership with establishments to create incentives for newly graduates of so many colleges and universities (Hirsh & Weber, 1999). Partnership with external companies will surely bring enormous grants to the colleges and universities and it will also encourage friendly establishments to provide incentives and perks to colleges, universities and alumni. It may be concluded that the advantages of creating rapport with external congruences is the comraderies and also compromises that will be …

Youth Voice In A Rural Cradle-To-Career Network, Sarah J. Zuckerman, Jennifer Mcatee

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Outmigration, economic restructuring, and other challenges require rural communities to adapt. Area-based initiatives, such as cradle-to-career networks, have been seen as a means for increasing community resiliency through the simultaneous creation of social capital and civic and economic redevelopment. Community resiliency is often seen as a single-generation issue; however, developing youth’s voices provides simultaneous positive youth development and community civic development that can support community resiliency. This qualitative case study examines how youth voice opportunities were used in a rural cradle-to-career network to build towards future research on the role of youth voice in area-based initiatives and community resiliency.

Realizing The Potential Of International Education In Leadership Learning, Elizabeth K. Niehaus

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This chapter explores how study abroad and the presence of international students contributes to students’ leadership development, key challenges preventing that potential from being realized, and offers suggestions for improving access to and implementing leadership-focused study abroad and international student programs.

International student mobility offers great potential to provide the cross-cultural engagement opportunities necessary to develop the skills and dispositions to effectively engage in international leadership. However, when it comes to student mobility in and out of the United States (i.e., study abroad and international students), this potential is often unrealized due to issues of access and implementation. This chapter …

How To Measure Student Success? Toward Consideration Of Student Resilience As A Metric Of Success In Institutional Accountability Frameworks, Elvira Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Rates of student success—four-year transfer, degree, and certificate completion— are frequently discussed. Less frequent, however, are opportunities to reflect on how these outcomes are measured. In this paper, I reflect on how rates of success—specifically for men of color—are calculated based on two California institutional accountability frameworks. First, I compared measures of success for men of color using the methodologies outlined by each framework. Secondly, I explored enrollment data of men of color who did not transfer or complete a degree or certificate after six years, those who would not be counted by either framework. Findings indicate that some students …

International Students In Their Own Country: Motivation Of Vietnamese Graduate Students To Attend A Collaborative Transnational University, Christina W. Yao, Crystal E. Garcia

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Higher education institutions in Vietnam have embraced opportunities to collaborate internationally to address specific educational needs that have emerged as a result of an accelerated economic and political society. The shift to a global market-driven economy has resulted in the need to produce better prepared graduates, advance in technology, and a shift in teaching and learning practices. In this study, we examine the motivations of 22 Vietnamese graduate students to attend Vietnamese-German University (VGU). The site is of particular importance because VGU is a true collaboration between two different governments, resulting in a collaborative transnational university. The findings from this …

Perspectives From Graduate Students On Effective Teaching Methods: A Case Study From A Vietnamese Transnational University, Christina W. Yao, Courtney Collins

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Vietnam is emerging as an accelerated economic and political society with an increased global presence; thus, increased attention has been given to producing qualified college graduates who can contribute to the growing global economy. Yet challenges exist due to lack of educational infrastructure and ineffective teaching practices. As a result, the Vietnamese government embraces international collaborations in higher education as a way to address educational needs; however, although research exists on policy implications and government priorities, very little is known about how students perceive the teaching methods provided at these collaborative transnational universities. The purpose of this qualitative case study …

Best Laid Plans: How Community College Student Success Courses Work, Deryl K. Hatch, Naomi Mardock-Uman, Crystal E. Garcia, Mary Johnson

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Objective: Beyond understanding whether first-year student success interventions in community colleges are effective—for which there is mixed evidence in the literature—this study’s purpose was to uncover how they work to realize observed outcomes, including at times unanticipated undesirable outcomes.

Method: This qualitative multiple case study used cultural historical activity theory (CHAT) to unpack interactions and tensions among programmatic-level features and individual-level experiences and actions. We conducted classroom observation, document analysis, and interviews with instructors and students in four student success courses across diverse contexts.

Results: Regardless of particular designs and course emphases, we found in all cases a blurring of …