Education Commons^™

Osces’ Impact On Occupational Therapy Student Learning: Insights From Second- And Third-Year Focus Groups, Craig R. St. Jean, Karin Werther, Mary R. Roberts

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are widely used in health programs to assess clinical skills. We present results of a qualitative study investigating occupational therapy students’ perceptions of OSCEs’ impact on their learning and readiness for clinical practice.

Method: Six second and six third year students in the University of Alberta’s Master of Science in Occupational Therapy program were interviewed in separate focus groups. Independent reviewers applied thematic analysis to the focus group transcripts to identify, analyze, and report themes in the data.

Results: Five themes were constructed from the data: from learning to action, transition …

“A Real Man . . .”: Deconstructing Machismo Heteronormative Standards With K–12 Latino Male Educators Through Dialogic Spaces, Mario Echeverria

Dissertations

In a K–12 educational landscape where 75% of educators are white women, recruitment of Latino male educators is crucial for diversification, yet these educators represent just 2% of the teaching workforce in the United States (NCES, 2020). These educators grapple with a layered sense of identity as they navigate expectations of hegemonic masculinity and machismo norms that dictate their roles as disciplinarians and saviors, especially for young boys of color (Brockenbrough, 2018; Lara & Fránquiz, 2015; Martino & Kehler, 2006; Mills et al., 2004; Singh, 2021). Unfortunately, Latino male educators leave the profession at twice the rate of their Latina …

Exploring High-School Students' Positive Lived Experiences With School And Their Perceptions Of Qualities That Make Good Teachers: A Phenomenological Study, Carissa Annmarie Flook

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

There is no shortage of evidence that portrays high-school students' overwhelmingly negative perceptions about schools and teachers today. Negative student perceptions profoundly impact students, educational systems, communities, and society. To address and reverse the detrimental cycle, research must explore the positive elements of student experience so that practices can capitalize on the positive and change the trajectory of education in America. My study explored high-school students’ perceptions of qualities that make good teachers. This hermeneutic phenomenological study utilized positive psychology as its conceptual framework, allowing the five elements of the PERMA model to guide student perception data analysis. Participants included …

The Impact Of Environmental Education Delivery Methods And Outreach Messaging On Attitudes, Interests, And Intended-Behavior Changes Toward Nature, Vanessa Elizabeth Hoffman

Theses and Dissertations

Environmental education (EE) is important for environmental awareness and stewardship. Involving youth and adults in EE ensures current and future generations will conserve natural resources. This thesis explores impacts of delivery methods on participants’ environmental attitudes and behaviors toward nature through middle school classroom- and camp-based EE instruction, focus group interviews with rural minority youth, and adult responses to aquatic conservation outreach messaging. I observed no difference in environmental attitudes between online versus in-person delivery of EE lessons for middle-schoolers. Outdoor-based learning may be more impactful for EE than experiential, classroom-based learning. Focus group outcomes suggested youth EE programs should …

Core Program Gets A Refresh, Sarah Moss

The Voice

No abstract provided.

Collaboration Between Secondary Special Education Teachers And Community Rehabilitation Service Providers: A Focus Group Analysis, Tabitha L. Pacheco, Robert L. Morgan, Michelle C. Mcknight-Lizotte

Developmental Disabilities Network Journal

Collaboration by professionals across agencies has been identified as a research-based practice associated with successful post-school outcomes for students with disabilities. Succesful post-school outcomes include community employment, postsecondary education (such as involvement in two- or four-year college programs), and independent living for young adults with disabilities. Vocational rehabilitation counselors, special educators, and community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) must collaborate to increase the probability of successful outcomes, particularly given the advent of Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS). Five core areas of Pre-ETS include: (a) job exploration counseling, (b) work-based learning experiences, (c) counseling, (d) workplace readiness training to develop social skills and independent …

Examining The Perspectives And Experiences Of Nutrition Educators Working With Clients In Substance Use Recovery Settings, Cora Teets, Paula Plonski, Omolola A. Adedokun, Heather Norman-Burgdolf

Journal of Human Sciences and Extension

Substance use disorder (SUD) is one of the most detrimental health, social, and economic problems in the United States. Limited studies suggest providing tailored nutrition education during SUD treatment correlates with positive recovery outcomes. The University of Kentucky Nutrition Education Program conducted two focus group sessions to explore and determine educators’ instructional and programmatic needs who deliver nutrition education to clients in substance use recovery throughout Kentucky. The study team identified four emerging themes and several subthemes related to Nutrition Education Program educators working with clientele in recovery. The four emerging themes included: (1) current experiences working with the audience, …

A Transgressive Pedagogy Of Tenderness In Hybrid Education, April M. Jones, Stephanie Anne Shelton

Feminist Pedagogy

In the midst of the dual/dueling pandemics COVID-19 and anti-Black racism, the instructors considered how best to have the course requirements for a qualitative research course meet students' personal and academic needs, while managing students' and their own exhaustion and fear. Through hybrid Zoom-based focus groups, instructors and students applied a "pedagogy of tenderness" that centered care and humanity as essential to classroom interactions and learning.

Ethnic-Racial Socialization Experiences Of Mexican American Youth, Katherine Donahey

Theses and Dissertations

Research has shown that ethnic-racial socialization (ERS) is associated with positive academic and mental health outcomes for adolescents. These socialization messages come in 3 forms: cultural socialization, preparation for bias, and promotion of mistrust. The ERS literature has mainly focused on African American populations but is expanding to include other demographics, such as Latinx individuals. Since much of ERS research has been conducted from the perspective of parents, the current study sought to add to the literature by evaluating adolescent experiences with ERS in their own words. The study was conducted using focus groups with late adolescents and young adults …

Best Practices For Conducting Virtual Focus Groups, Rosanne Brown

Publications and Scholarship

This paper briefly traces focus groups from its origins, through its development from in-person to virtual platforms, which are more commonplace today. The terms online and virtual are used interchangeably in the research literature. In this paper, the term virtual is used to describe focus groups that are face-to-face using technology that incorporate audiovisual features. This paper begins with a description of the origins and purpose of focus groups, the purpose, and how they have evolved to include synchronous, and asynchronous online text-based, and virtual face-to-face focus groups. Next, the paper outlines the role of the facilitator. Comparisons of best …

Searching For Balance: The Reading Choices, Experiences, And Habits Of Women In Higher Education Leadership Roles, Laura Burns

Education (PhD) Dissertations

Women in higher education leadership roles face complicated challenges in their professional roles, and struggle to maintain work-life balance, yet they make time to read for professional development and for pleasure. Utilizing grounded theory methodology, focus group methods, and grounded theory coding, this study examines the reading choices and habits of women in higher education leadership roles, delving into how they balance their reading between material tied to their professional interests and leisure reading material, and to what extent reading for pleasure contributes to their work-life balance. The study explores what reading materials women academic leaders consume, and where they …

What Australian Students Say About Transition To Secondary School. Final Report, Shani Sniedze, Rachel Felgate, Elizabeth O'Grady, Sarah Buckley, Petra Lietz

Wellbeing

Life Education Australia's Being Healthy Being Active project involved the collection of student voice related to the concept of school transition and the move from primary to secondary school. Students from around Australia participated in 82 focus groups, or student forums, to discuss their own positive experiences, as well as perceived needs and challenges related to their move to secondary school. Section One of this report is a literature review and environmental scan on student transition from primary to secondary school. Section Two describes the methods used to design and administer the Student Forums. This includes a description of the …

Student Focus Groups: Experiences Learning In Flexsync And Online Synchronous Courses, Brooke N. Burk

Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Department Publications

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited students who were enrolled in FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment messages were shared via emails from departments and also on the MavLife app during October and November.

A total of 26 students indicated interest and completed the focus groups. The focus groups were scheduled and conducted in November 2020. Six focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups ranging from two to four participants and took place via Zoom. Focus groups lasted …

Teacher Leadership During Covid-19, Ashok Kumar Pandey

Teacher India

Teachers have led from the front to help students cope with the pandemic. Ashok Pandey discusses the findings from a recent study undertaken with support from his school.

Examining The Use Of Robots As Teacher Assistants In Uae Classrooms: Teacher And Student Perspectives, Mariam Alhashmi, Omar Mubin, Rama Baroud

All Works

Aim/Purpose This study sought to understand the views of both teachers and students on the usage of humanoid robots as teaching assistants in a specifically Arab context. Background Social robots have in recent times penetrated the educational space. Although prevalent in Asia and some Western regions, the uptake, perception and ac-ceptance of educational robots in the Arab or Emirati region is not known. Methodology A total of 20 children and 5 teachers were randomly selected to comprise the sample for this study, which was a qualitative exploration executed using fo-cus groups after an NAO robot (pronounced now) was deployed in …

Faculty Focus Groups: Experiences Teaching Flexsync And Online Synchronous During Fall 2020, Brooke N. Burk

Recreation, Parks and Leisure Services Department Publications

In Fall 2020, the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) recruited faculty and staff who were teaching FlexSync and online (synchronous and asynchronous) courses to participate in focus groups about their experiences. Recruitment emails were shared in the Provost Weekly Announcements twice and the CETL weekly announcements four times between October and November.

A total of 19 faculty, staff, and graduate students indicated an interest in completing the focus groups, and 18 of those participated in focus groups that were scheduled in November and December. Five focus groups were conducted in total with the size of the groups …

When Technology Works: A Case Study Using Instructional Rounds And The Samr Model, Gregory Warsen, Richard Vandermolen

Peer Reviewed Articles

Billions of dollars are spent each year in the United States on technology for schools, and researchers in this case study wanted to determine the degree to which individual computing devices (ICDs) enhance the learning experience of students in grades six to twelve. The leadership practice of instructional rounds (City, Elmore, Fiarmen & Teitel, 2011) combined with the SAMR model (substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition) (Puentadura, 2014) of technology integration was utilized in this case study to capture how ICDs are being used and the impact this use is having on learning. This method detected use rates far above what …

Exploring The Impact Of A Professional Identity On Teacher Retention: A Phenomenological Study, Elizabeth A. Cunningham

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although there is a great deal of research literature available on the causes for and the impact of teacher attrition and research on professionalism, there is little research to prove what connection, if any, exists between the two. The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to determine whether the development of a strong professional identity could positively impact teacher retention in a specific school. The research was conducted by first gathering baseline data from teachers who took 2 established surveys, the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) and the Professional Self-Identity Questionnaire (PSIQ). Focus group interviews with volunteer teachers followed. Survey …

The Effect Of Teacher Professional Development On Implementing Engineering In Elementary Schools, Teresa Porter, Meg E. West, Rachel L. Kajfez, Kathy L. Malone, Karen E. Irving

Journal of Pre-College Engineering Education Research (J-PEER)

Increased attention on the implementation of engineering education into elementary school classrooms aims to start preparing students early for potential engineering careers. In order to efficiently and effectively add engineering concepts to the curriculum, appropriate development and facilitation of engineering design challenges are required. Therefore, professional development programs are necessary to educate teachers about engineering and how to adequately teach it. This paper explores the effects of an engineering professional development program for practicing teachers. The program included training elementary teachers about how to implement units from Engineering is Elementary (EiE) by the Science Museum of Boston into their classes. …

Survey And Focus Groups Of Students Enrolled In Australian Vocational Education And Training (Vet) Offshore: Final Report, Justin Brown, Wei Buttress, Darren Matthews

Transition and Post-School Education and Training

As part of the Australian Government’s National Strategy for International Education 2025, the Department of Education and Training commissioned the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) to provide an overview of the demographics and experiences of students enrolled in Australian vocational education and training (VET) offshore. The research findings are based on: (1) analysis of quantitative data collected through the first ever global survey of students enrolled in Australian VET courses overseas; and (2) analysis of qualitative data collected through a series of focus groups with students located in two Chinese provinces.

Perceptions Of Specialties And Primary Care Careers: Findings From West Virginia Medical Student And Resident Focus Groups, April L. Vestal, Laura Boone, Robert Walker, A. Brianna Sheppard, Dakota Morris, Ashley J. Noland

Marshall Journal of Medicine

The purpose of this study was to improve the understanding of how perceptions of practicing specific medical specialties contribute to career decisions. Participants included medical students and residents from training programs in West Virginia. Focus groups were conducted between September 2013 and February 2015. Thematic content analysis of focus group interviews was used to identify phrases indicating perceptions of person- versus technique-oriented personality medical specialties.

“Self-focused” and “other-focused” themes emerged within person-oriented comments. Factors affecting “self”, including work/life balance and salary and practice environment, made certain specialties more appealing. Technique-oriented comments included working in a hospital setting, performing technical procedures, …

Food For Thought: A Novel Media Literacy Intervention On Food Advertising Targeting Young Children And Their Parents, Rachel M. Powell, Tyra Gross

Journal of Media Literacy Education

The prevalence of obese children has tripled during the past three decades. While lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating have been the primary focus of public health efforts, media has a significant influence on food choices and food consumption.

The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine if a media literacy intervention would increase knowledge and decrease the persuasive nature of unhealthy food advertisements. Parents (n=12) and their children (n=15) were recruited from two Boys and Girls clubs. They participated in a 2-hour educational, intervention workshop. The parents completed a pretest and a posttest assessing changes in knowledge …

Using Focus Groups To Explore Sources Of Self-Efficacy In Puerto Rican Preservice Teachers, Yitza A. Arcelay-Rojas

Journal of Educational Research and Practice

This article used focus groups to explore Puerto Rican preservice teachers' perceptions of sources of self-efficacy. The present study allowed, through a qualitative design, examination of the experiences of preservice teachers at the end of their student teaching practicum. The qualitative design and the use of the focus group technique provided insight into the main sources of their perceived self-efficacy through the self-assessment of their field experience. The beginning of the student teaching practicum provoked an intense process of emotions in which the preservice teachers needed support and guidance, particularly in aspects of planning, differentiation, and classroom management. The participants …

Building Resilience In New And Beginning Teachers: Contributions Of School Librarians, Rita Reinsel Soulen, Lois Diane Wine

Teaching & Learning Faculty Publications

Building beginning teachers' resilience may contribute to increasing teacher retention in the early years, in turn improving student academic achievement. School librarians contribute to developing teaching skills by mentoring new teachers. This qualitative study of first to third year teachers and school librarians investigated the contributions that school librarians made in building resilience of beginning teachers through a focus group of new teachers and interviews of school librarians. Findings show that school librarians may contribute to early career teacher resilience, especially during the first days of school, by encouraging perseverance, providing nourishment and empathy, and offering the library as a …

Imls Sparks Ignite Il Framework Cooperative Project Final Performance Report, Appendix D: Focus Group Report, Joel M. Wright, Jessame Ferguson

IMLS SPARKS Ignite IL Framework Cooperative Project for At-Risk Student Success in Smaller Colleges

This appendix to the Final Performance Report for the IMLS Sparks IL Cooperative Project grant is the report on the focus groups. The focus group research summarized herein represents a segment of the overall IMLS grant proposal process, and should be viewed not as a separate endeavor, but rather as an integrated approach to the overall research questions in the grant proposal. In conjunction with the pre-test/post-test survey driven component, the findings from the focus group research help to strengthen the case for the value of librarian-driven pedagogy in positively impacting the academic and intellectual growth of all students, and …

Derring Do Survey Data: Exploring Health Sciences Library Collaboration With Evaluation Experts, Marian Taliaferro, Jackie Loweree

Marian Taliaferro

No abstract provided.

Focus Groups For Informing Awpa’S Engineering Workforce Study 2014: Final Report, Daniel Edwards, Jacob Pearce, Kate Perkins, Justin Brown

Kate Perkins

This report highlights the findings of a project undertaken by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) for the Australian Workplace and Productivity Agency (AWPA) that will contribute to a wider study of the Engineering Workforce. The project involved the development, coordination, implementation of focus groups and the reporting of outcomes in a way that generates first-hand information about the experiences and attitudes of specific groups of people in relation to the engineering labour market – women, mature-age workers and new graduates. The work here also explored the views of the next generation of engineers, gathering information from school students …

Patient Organizations And Primary Care Development: Reflections By Patients With Chronic Diseases, Britta E. Berglund, Irene Westerlund

Patient Experience Journal

To explore how patients with chronic diseases, as well as members of patient organizations, perceive primary care and how they think about how to participate in primary care development. Focus group interviews with 28 patients in three regions in Sweden were conducted. We identified four themes: Availability of care, How to be met by professionals, Information needs and Continuity and prevention in care. Important was to meet the same doctor at every visit and to be met with empathy and knowledge about your disease. Suggestions about better use of technical information services, introduction of a coordinator in the waiting room …

Fictional Narratives About Individuals With Autism Spectrum Disorder: Focus Group Analysis And Insight, Teresa Cardon, Jane E. Kelley

Reading Horizons: A Journal of Literacy and Language Arts

Given the CDC’s report of a 30% increase in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnoses over the past two years, it is important to increase awareness and educate teachers and students in both general and special education classrooms. One way to bridge the gap between students with and without ASD is to use authentic narrative fiction as a teaching tool. The goal of this study was to identify aspects of stories with characters with ASD that contribute to authentic and accurate depictions. Insights were elicited from focus groups that included insiders, individuals or family members with ASD, and educators who work …

National Research On The Postgraduate Student Experience : Case Presentation: Volume 1: First Year Postgraduate Student Experience, Gary Hamlin, Shelley Kinash, Linda Crane, Amy Bannatyne, Madelaine-Marie Judd, Ashley Stark, Bill Eckersley, Helen Partridge, Ken Udas

Higher education research

This is volume one of a set of case studies that explore the postgraduate student experience. The theme of this case study is first year postgraduate student experience and is based on experiences derived from student engagement breakfasts, interviews, and focus groups with 366 people across the stakeholder groups of postgraduate students, educators, and university executives from 26 institutions. The case studies constitute part of the output from the project, Engaging postgraduate students and supporting higher education to enhance the 21st century student experience.