Education Commons^™

Working Out The Bugs: Piloting Library Instruction In An Online Entomology Graduate Program, Andrew Cano

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries: Faculty Publications

Like most of its peer institutions, the University of Nebraska–Lincoln Libraries faced the challenge of meeting the needs of a growing number of students taking online courses. The author, hired as the new Virtual Learning Librarian in January 2016, was charged with creating a new Virtual Learning Program. This tutorials-based program was first fully implemented in a fully online Entomology graduate program. This paper summarizes the development of the Virtual Learning Program, how it was adapted to the Entomology program, and the initial results from the first semester of implementation.

Seeing Mathematics Through Different Eyes: An Equitable Approach To Use With Prospective Teachers, Christa Jackson, Cynthia E. Taylor, Kelley Buchheister

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Teacher educators need to prepare prospective teachers by encouraging them to critically examine their current beliefs about the teaching and learning of mathematics while also providing opportunities for prospective teachers to develop an equity-centered orientation. Attending to these practices in teacher preparation programs may help prospective teachers observe actions that occur in classrooms and determine effective strategies that provide the opportunity to enhance all students’ access to high-quality mathematics instruction. As mathematics teacher educators, we must recognize what prospective teachers attend to as they direct their attention to various classroom events and how they relate the events to broader principles …

The Rhetoric Of Science Education And Technology, Iwasan D. Kejawa

School of Computing: Faculty Publications

Nearly thousands of science experiments are performed both on humans and animals every year in the United States (Gregory, 1999). Does Science enormously play a role in the well-beings of individual in the society? Research has found that science education is through motivation and satisfying the needs of humans. The scientific world is part of an elongated human development. This can be substantiated with the use and evolution of TECHNOLOGY and SCIENCE (Minton, 2004). Education of the entities that comprise the need to achieve the goal of TECHNOLOGY and SCIENCE which are important issues of today. Research has shown that …

Psychological Ways Of Expressing Appreciations, Experiences, Thanks And Blessings In The Society, Iwasan D. Kejawa Ed.D

Department of Educational Psychology: Faculty Publications

ABSTRACT: Research has shown that one of the avenues to make aware of once experiences, appreciations and blessings is through writing a gratitude journal or memoir. By journalizing our thought by hands or electronically, it may help us focus them, according to psychologist Robert Emmons, who says that he does this routinely to remind himself; it makes apple of time to understand the meaning and importance of people and events. It has been found that one should go for a depth in writing rather than breadth, because this will help one to enjoy what one appreciates, and what to keep …

Impact Of Library And Information Science Master's Degree (Mlis) On The Graduates: A Case Study, Asefeh Asemi, Elham Aghajan

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Objective: The study aimed to examine the effect of MLIS degree on graduates in Iran from different dimensions. The study examined the effects of MLIS on scientific progress, the development of subject expertise, employment, individual characteristics, skills and capabilities, and scientific activities of Iran's graduates.

Method: The study was a descriptive-survey and researcher-made questionnaire is used for data collection. The population included all graduates MLIS in Iran that their information was available in, "Iranian Library and Information Studies Alumni Database". 212 persons are selected randomly out of 547. Data has been analyzed by SPSS software on both levels of descriptive …

Library As A Change Agent: Examining The Roles Of Library In Private Higher Institutions Of Learning In South West Nigeria, Omorodion Okuonghae

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This study investigated library as a change agent: the invaluable roles of library in private higher institutions of learning in South-west, Nigeria. The study was aimed at identifying the emerging roles of libraries; investigate the ways the emerging roles in libraries have influenced the higher institutions and examine the technological change the library has brought to the higher institutions of learning. The descriptive survey method was used for the study, the population of the study is 32 respondents from higher institutions of learning in South-west, Nigeria. The researcher adopted the entire population as the sample size for this study using …

Problematic Autoethnographic Research: Researcher’S Failure In Positioning, Ji Young Shim

The Qualitative Report

This article problematizes and discusses the “auto”ethnographical approach, which has recently become pervasive in research-oriented writings, to “tell the story of self and subject” in order to analyze wider cultural and social conditions. This method can be found in the remarkable array of a variety of disciplines in which scholars have explicitly and implicitly highlighted identity-related issues. One problem with this approach is its failure to recognize the ideological generalization in identifying the researcher’s position, with the risk of eventually becoming a neutral “truth through the researcher’s reality.” This paper focuses on the crisis between history and memory in contextualizing …

The Use Of Zingari/Nomadi/Rom In Italian Crime Discourse, Theresa Catalano

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

This study examines the use of the metonymies zingari/nomadi/rom [Gypsies/Nomads/Roma] in Italian media discourse, in order to critically reflect on their relation to the perception of Roma. The author analyses the frequency of these terms in general discourse and crime discourse, as well as the way they are used in context. The findings reveal that nomadi and rom are used to directly and indirectly index Roma, and have a sig­nificant impact on their ethnicization and criminalization. In addition, the episodic framing of crime events, combined with the use of these metony­mies, erases the Italian government’s responsibility for the conditions of …

Sources Of Science Teaching Self-Efficacy For Preservice Elementary Teachers In Science Content Courses, Deepika Menon, Troy D. Sadler

Department of Teaching, Learning, and Teacher Education: Faculty Publications

Self-efficacy beliefs play a major role in determining teachers’ science teaching practices and have been a topic of great interest in the area of preservice science teacher education. This qualitative study investigated factors that influenced preservice elementary teachers’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs in a physical science content course. The primary data sources included Science Teaching Efficacy Belief Instrument-B (STEBI-B) responses, two semi-structured interviews, classroom observations, and artifacts. Analysis of STEBI-B data was used to select 18 participants with varying levels of self-efficacy beliefs: low, medium, and high. Four categories representing course-related factors contributing towards participants’ science teaching self-efficacy beliefs were …

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 …

Reflexivity In International Contexts: Implications For U.S. Doctoral Students International Research Preparation, Christina W. Yao, Louise Michelle Vital

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose Learning to conduct research, including considerations for concepts such as reflexivity, is a key component of doctoral student preparation in higher educa-tion. Yet limited attention is given to doctoral student training for conducting international research, particularly in understanding researcher reflexivity within international contexts.

Background Incorporating reflexive practices in one’s scholarship is of particular importance because international research often includes U.S.-based researchers working with cultural groups and contexts that are very different from them. Thus, we examined the following: how do novice U.S. trained researchers understand the role of their reflexivity in qualitative international research?

Methodology We utilized qualitative inquiry …

“They Don’T Care About You”: First-Year Chinese International Students’ Experiences With Neo-Racism And Othering On A U.S. Campus, Christina W. Yao

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

This qualitative research study illuminates the experiences affecting first-year Chinese international students in the United States and gives insights as to how these students perceive interpersonal relationships at college. Participants shared reports of neo-racism and othering as negatively affecting their feelings of connection to other members of their collegiate community. Findings and implications from this study indicate a need for better support for first-year Chinese international students in college.

The Road To Researcher: The Development Of Research Self-Efficacy In Higher Education Scholars, Elizabeth Niehaus, Crystal Garcia, Jillian N. Reading

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Aim/Purpose: Understanding how students develop a sense of efficacy as researchers can pro-vide faculty members in higher education doctoral programs insight into how to be more effective teachers and mentors, necessitating discipline-specific research on how graduate programs are and can be fostering students’ research self-efficacy (RSE). Thus, the purpose of this study was to explore how doctoral pro-grams and early research experiences contribute to the development of RSE in higher education scholars.

Background: Participants identified elements of the formal and “hidden” curriculumt pro-moted and inhibited RSE development.

Methodology: We employed multiple case study analysis of 17 individual early career scholars …

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 …

Institutional Researcher Reflexivity: How Ir Professionals Can Utilize Researcher Reflexivity In Qualitative Studies Of Community College Students, Elvira Abrica

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

In this paper, I argue that researcher reflexivity, a common qualitative practice, is a specific tool that institutional research professionals endeavoring to conduct qualitative research studies involving Students of Color can use to unpack issues of power and privilege that exist between the researcher and the researched. This may be particularly useful among institutional researchers working within community colleges that serve a disproportionate number of racially minoritized populations and other vulnerable student groups. I offer a reflexive account of various experiences related to race, gender, and social class that I encountered in a qualitative research study of Black and Latino …

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 …

Absorptive Capacity In Rural Schools: Bending Not Breaking During Disruptive Innovation Implementation, Sarah J. Zuckerman, Kristen Campbell Wilcox, Kathryn S. Schiller, Francesca T. Durand

Department of Educational Administration: Faculty Publications

Rural schools have repeatedly been subjected to standardizing state and federal education policies that seek to minimize variance in instructional systems and increase the number of college- and career-ready graduates. The Race to the Top policy agenda combined standards-based and accountability-based reforms to meet these objectives and once again subjected rural schools to innovations from outside experts. This qualitative study uses four instrumental cases of rural schools to understand: 1) leadership strategies, and 2) mechanisms and processes of alignment, which allowed schools to maintain high levels of student performance in the face of disruptive policy innovations. The fi ndings of …

Ecoevo-Maps: An Ecology And Evolution Assessment For Introductory Through Advanced Undergraduates, Mindi M. Summers, Brian A. Couch, Jennifer K. Knight, Sara E. Brownell, Alison J. Crowe, Katharine Semsar, Christian D. Wright, Michelle K. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

A new assessment tool, Ecology and Evolution–Measuring Achievement and Progression in Science or EcoEvo-MAPS, measures student thinking in ecology and evolution during an undergraduate course of study. EcoEvo-MAPS targets foundational concepts in ecology and evolution and uses a novel approach that asks students to evaluate a series of predictions, conclusions, or interpretations as likely or unlikely to be true given a specific scenario. We collected evidence of validity and reliability for EcoEvo-MAPS through an iterative process of faculty review, student interviews, and analyses of assessment data from more than 3000 students at 34 associate’s-, bachelor’s-, master’s-, and doctoral-granting institutions. The …

What Types Of Instructional Shifts Do Students Experience? Investigating Active Learning In Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math Classes Across Key Transition Points From Middle School To The University Level, Kenneth Akiha, Emilie Brigham, Brain A. Couch, Justin Lewin, Marilyne Stains, Mackenzie R. Stetzer, Erin L. Vinson, Michelle K. Smith

School of Biological Sciences: Faculty Publications

Despite the need for a strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) workforce, there is a high attrition rate for students who intend to complete undergraduate majors in these disciplines. Students who leave STEM degree programs often cite uninspiring instruction in introductory courses, including traditional lecturing, as a reason. While undergraduate courses play a critical role in STEM retention, little is understood about the instructional transitions students encounter upon moving from secondary to post-secondary STEM courses. This study compares classroom observation data collected using the Classroom Observation Protocol for Undergraduate STEM from over 450 middle school, high school, introductory-level university, …

Citation Analysis Of Doctoral Students Dissertations Of Philippine Women's University School Of Education: Tool For Collection Development, Carmina G. Joson

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The study analyzed the citations used by doctoral students of PWU School of Education in their dissertations that were completed from Academic Year 2007 to 2017. The study utilized bibliometrics research design for the 86 doctoral dissertations that generated 6,230 citations. Said citations were used to determine the referencing behavior of PWU School of Education doctoral students in terms of publication age, format, type, authorship, origin and the availability of cited materials. The findings showed that majority of PWU doctoral students preferred to utilize foreign electronic information sources that are currently published. Periodicals are the most cited type of materials …

Science At Engineer Cantonment, Hugh H. Genoways, Brett C. Ratcliffe, Carl R. Falk, Thomas E. Labedz, Paul R. Picha, John R. Bozell

University of Nebraska State Museum: Mammalogy Papers

Conclusions

It is our contention that Thomas Say, Titian Peale, Edwin James, and their colleagues of the Stephen Long Expedition of 1819–1820 were heavily engaged in scientific research, which took the form of the first biodiversity inventory undertaken in the United States. This accomplishment has been overlooked both by biologists and historians, but it should rank among the most significant accomplishments of the expedition. The results of this inventory continue to inform us today about environmental, faunal, and floral changes along the Missouri River in an area that is known to be an ecotone between the deciduous forests of the …

Working Memory In School-Age Children With And Without A Persistent Speech Sound Disorder, Kelly Farquharson, Tiffany Hogan, John E. Bernthal

Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders: Faculty Publications

Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the role of working memory processes as a possible cognitive underpinning of persistent speech sound disorders (SSD).

Method: Forty school-aged children were enrolled; 20 children with persistent SSD (P-SSD) and 20 typically developing children. Children participated in three working memory tasks – one to target each of the components in Baddeley’s working memory model: phonological loop, visual spatial sketchpad and central executive.

Result: Children with P-SSD performed poorly only on the phonological loop tasks compared to their typically developing age-matched peers. However, mediation analyses revealed that the relation …

Listening To Juvenile Corrections School Teachers: A Step-By-Step Process For Interview Studies Guided By Hermeneutics, Kristin M. Murphy

The Qualitative Report

The act of interviewing is a complex endeavor, and there are many pathways a researcher can take when designing their interview study. This becomes particularly critical when embarking on a study that will require participants to talk about subjects that may be sensitive in nature. In this paper, I share how I utilized a hermeneutic perspective to guide my interview study with teachers from juvenile corrections schools. I explicitly define and walk through why I selected hermeneutics. Then, I provide detailed step by step descriptions of how my data collection and analysis process was informed by the hermeneutic circle. The …