Disability and Equity in Education Commons^™

Trauma-Informed Practices For Test-Taking Anxiety At The Elementary Grade Level, Kate Campbell, Shalini Mathew

Journal of Research Initiatives

Test -Taking Anxiety (TTA) is a challenging experience for children of all ages. Childhood exposure to trauma and adverse experience has been increasing. Fortunately, trauma-informed practices, such as mindfulness activities have become more widespread in schools throughout the last few years. Existing school counseling literature offers limited perspectives on how school counselors can support elementary students for TTA. This conceptual article explores the effects of trauma-informed practices on elementary-age students' test anxiety and overall academic success in schools and offers implications for practice.

Faculty Perspectives On Online Teaching In Higher Education: A Qualitative Approach To Understand Faculty Members’ Challenges And Experiences, Felix O. Quayson

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study explored faculty members' perspectives on online teaching in higher education and described, analyzed, and interpreted faculty members challenges and experiences of teaching online courses. Participants were twelve (12) faculty members who have taught online courses or currently teach online courses. Data was collected from 60-minutes semi-structured interview sessions, 78 open-ended questions, three research driving questions, background questionnaire, and personal artifacts from faculty members. Five major themes with subthemes, 15 code categories, and code co-occurrences emerged from the data collection, field notes, memos, and data analysis. However, not all of the code categories were replicated by all of the …

Finding Correlations Among Academic Performance, Demographic Influences And Clinical Competency Utilizing Predictive Variables In An Associate Degree Nursing Program, Rebecca Montz, Brett Welch, Neil Faulk, Clementine Msengi

Journal of Research Initiatives

A nonexperimental, quantitative, correlation study was utilized as the research design to explore the relationship between multiple academic and demographic variables on the final clinical assessment score and Health Education Systems, Inc., (HESI) Exit Exam (E²) score from a South Texas ADN program. The research was conducted to address the nursing workforce shortage and effective ways to predict academic and clinical achievements for associate degree nursing (ADN) programs. The academic variables for the research consisted of preadmission grade point average (GPA) and Anatomy and Physiology (A&P) I prerequisite GPA. Age and gender were used as the demographic variables …

English Teachers' Opinions On Challenges Face In Teaching English As Foreign Language: The Case Of Jalalabad Selected Secondary Schools, Fahim Rahimi, Hangama Samadi

Journal of Research Initiatives

One important goal of teaching is to achieve learning outcomes. It has been observed in universities that many students have different levels of English language proficiency. However, they study in the same English courses at the school level. The main objective of this study is to learn the challenges that exist in teaching the English language as a foreign language in secondary schools that affect the English proficiency of students. In addition, ways in which these challenges will be overcome is reviewed. The data collection tools were questionnaires and semi-structured interviews to collect data from English language teachers in selected …

Esl Teachers And School Leaders Perspectives: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy In Elementary And Middle Grades Social Studies, Matthew John Wynne, Landon Hadley

Journal of Research Initiatives

The American public education system is undergoing significant changes. This is in regard to what students should be learning and how teachers should deliver quality instruction. English language learners (ELLs) are a group that demands time, attention, and special consideration. This is due to their increasing population in public schools and their low academic performance when compared to their native English-speaking students (Samson & Collins, 2012). English language learners are one of the fastest-growing student populations in the United States, with over 4.6 million students as of 2015 (McFarland et al., 2017). This qualitative study with a narrative inquiry approach …

Dissed: The Removal Of Black Educators From The American Schoolhouse, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

For almost a decade, the teaching profession has seen a drastic shortage of Black educators. The closing of many schools in urban areas has helped reduce the number of Black teachers in the profession. Also, evaluative protocols and rubrics that measure effective teaching practices harbor biased lenses that impact how Black educators maintain their employment status to succeed in the profession. Without promoting recruitment and retention interventions and culturally applied methods to assess teacher effectiveness, fewer students will have an opportunity to experience Black educators in their lifetime. The research paper used a critical race and culturally responsive theoretical framing …

Rethinking Standardized Testing From An Access, Equity And Achievement Perspective: Has Anything Changed For African American Students?, Michael Couch Ii, Marquisha Frost, J. Santiago, Adriel Hilton

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study examined standardized testing and its effects on African American students. The authors focused on three perspectives: access, equity, and achievement about students' academic success in their K-12 educational experiences and how the quality of their education and test scores impacted their college acceptance rate, respectively. The three perspectives are specific to the works of Dr. Asa G. Hilliard and Dr. Barbara A. Sizemore, both of whom were passionate about the academic success and progression of students of African descent. Their many works embody a fight against standardized testing for students, especially those of color, and work toward a …

A Systematic Review Of Literature: Synthesizing Bullying And Extracurricular Activity Participation Correlations Among Students With And Without Disabilities, Kaycee L. Bills

Journal of Research Initiatives

Social issues about bully victimization are a topic receiving national attention in social work literature. Therefore, social workers must establish potential predictors of bullying victimization to eliminate them among at-risk populations, such as students who have disabilities. Adolescent and teenage students with disabilities are an oppressed population at risk of experiencing higher levels of bullying victimization. In addition, this population also experiences harsher socio-emotional outcomes because of bullying.

The purpose of this study was to synthesize past literature relating to the direct relationship between extracurricular involvement and bullying victimization. Research articles were retrieved across eight databases to assess past research …

Distributed Leadership: Theorizing A Mindful Engagement Component, Arij Rached, Simone Elias

Journal of Research Initiatives

The distributive leader cannot influence organizational performance without taking into consideration the capabilities of team members to achieve a common goal (McIntyre, 2003; Harris, 2003). To leverage the capabilities of teams, distributive leaders need to be mindfully attentive in establishing a collective interpretation of the current organizational situation. However, establishing a collective interpretation may not be effective if distributive leaders do not initially consider the importance of creating group learning environments to engage diverse group members (Ashford & DeRue, 2012). The purpose of this integrative literature review is to explore theoretical and empirical research examining the potential of mindful engagement …

Meditation: A Balance Of Human And Social Growth In Education, Edward Cromarty

Journal of Research Initiatives

This best practice article explores meditation as a holistic method of nurturing the balanced integration of human and social development in educational environments. It inquiries into the meaning of meditation and considers a dilemma that exists between the holistic meditation practices of its traditional religious and yogic practitioners, and recent academic studies of meditation in educational contexts which often seek scientific explanations focusing on quantitative studies for utilitarian and institutional purposes. In performing the research, this article examines the writings and Dharma talks of two world-renowned Buddhist monks and meditation experts about the practice and purpose of meditation. The article …

Cross-Cultural Considerations: Raising Language Teachers Awareness About The Importance Of Multiculturalism, Abir El Shaban

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

With the worldwide use of English as a second language (ESL) and globalization, teachers are expected to understand, acknowledge and interact with culturally and linguistically diverse students and integrate their linguistic and multicultural backgrounds in classroom settings. Teachers need to be multicultural to be able to successfully impact their students to be multicultural. This paper provides English language teachers with valuable recommendations based on cross-cultural studies and my experience, as an ESL teacher, on how to be responsive to students from different cultures to empower and enhance their language proficiency skills.

White Plight: A Review Of White Kids: Growing Up With Privilege In A Racially Divided America, Angela S. Farmer

Journal of Research Initiatives

The United States of America offers the promise of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. However, even as fellow Americans find themselves firmly ensconced in the 21st century, it is clear that equality of opportunity is not available for all.

In newly published, "White Kids" (Hagerman, 2018), unveils the reality witnessed daily in schools across the nation. Some children are afforded enhanced benefits based on the school they attend and the settings in which they are raised. Rather than allowing this evidence to stand alone; however, the author spends years with a group of students who attend a variety …

Hegemonic Masculinities And Children’S Picture Books, Nathan N. Taylor

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study focused on the role of hegemonic masculinities in children’s picture books. Chiefly, marginalized and subordinated masculinities are highlighted to investigate their relationships with dominant and complicit masculinities. This was done under a feminist reading of patriarchy and the connection between patriarchy and masculinities. Utilizing a critical discourse analysis framework, the author problematizes the personal transformation of the protagonists in three children’s picture books. The personal transformation attends to the masculine subject on an individual level, but fails to address how hegemonic masculinities and patriarchy operate at a discursive and corporeal level. Suggestions are made from the findings on …

How Race And Racism Empower A School's Curriculum, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

Teaching students about race and racism are so multi-faceted and sophisticated, yet it remains the most crucial conversation and lesson to have with young people to empower them. One of the useful ways Americans can attempt to unravel and transform this complicated legacy is to make it a part of a school’s curriculum. Allowing race and racism to remain a hidden-aspect of a school’s curriculum reinforces its trivialization and dysfunction.

Indeed, having constructed, well-thought-out lessons about race and racism “myth-bust” any attempts for future Americans to continually embrace xenophobia and genetic inferiority. In recent years, the institution of education and …

Capacity, Passion, Relevance, And Presence: A Conceptual Framework For The Interpretation And Study Of Success, Nathan C. Anderson, Daniel R. Conn, Kylie C. Gamas, Brad Borkhuis, Jonah J. Lantto

Journal of Research Initiatives

This project outlines a conceptual framework to help make sense of opportunities in an effort to recognize conditions for failure and establish paths toward success. In finding success, three distinct themes emerge from the literature: capacity, passion, and relevance. The CPR Success and Failure Analysis framework is intended to be a framework for success. Displayed as a Venn diagram, the framework includes domains of capacity, passion, and relevance, which are connected in the center through presence. The framework may serve as a theoretical lens for research, in-person and online educational opportunities, self-reflection, business coaching/consulting, college and career planning, and various …

"Misfits" And The Celebration Of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, And Queer (Lgbtq) Youth At A High School In The United States, Nathan N. Taylor

Journal of Research Initiatives

As part of a six-month case study, this article delineated the relationship between homonormativity and the victimization of students in a high school in the United States by investigating the strategies of policing, resistance, and queering. Not only do these strategies reappropriate practices inherent in homonormative practices, these strategies reconfigure practices associated with heteronormativity and homophobia. The undercurrent of this research highlights how schools marginalize identities in some spaces and elevate identities in other spaces, the socio-political readings of that positioning, and what educators can do to promote an inclusive environment for all students.

Self-Regulation, Co-Regulation, And Feedback In The Context Of Cross-Cultural Language Acquisition In Higher Education: A Conceptual Approach, Papia Bawa

Journal of Research Initiatives

Given the exponential growth in international student populations in the United States, supporting cross cultural language learners (CCLL) in developing their self and co-regulated learning is highly important. This paper presents a conceptual framework on the value of feedback within self-regulated versus co-regulated environments, in the context of cross- cultural language learning. We use the term cross cultural language learners (CCLL) to refer to international learners, in particular from Asia. When exploring the issues of cross cultural language acquisition relating to logographic (Chinese) and alphabetic (English) languages, we examine the literature that support self and co-regulated learning within the frame …

Understanding “Other People’S Children” Through 21st Century Lens, Angela Farmer

Journal of Research Initiatives

Engaging in constructive discourse is perhaps one of the best ways to fully dissect a societal issue in the hopes of transforming it from what it is into what it could become. In Lisa Delpit’s 2006 version of “Other People’s Children” she does a remarkable job of leading the reader to the importance of developing the character of children. As a minority parent and educator who struggled with supporting her children amid the challenges they faced in institutionalized educational settings, the author confronts the realities of what many children still face today, as they attempt to assimilate to an environment …

Guest Editors Foreword, Shawn A. Robinson, Richard Mcgregory, Howard Spearman, Corey L. Thompson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Consequently, African American males with LD are still significantly less than their White counterparts to matriculate through the post-secondary system and receive a college degree. (Newman et al., 2011). Banks and Gibson (2016) asserted “the under-representation of AA college students with disabilities in 4-year institutions underscores the need for systematic examination of school and non-school variables that influence students’ transition to college and retention during the college years.” (p. 71). However, the limited scholarship on the subject continues to leave many unanswered questions related to theory and experiential knowledge regarding AA males with LD in higher education (Robinson, Ford, Ellis, …

An In-Depth Case Study Of A Prospective Black Male Teacher Candidate With An Undisclosed Disability At A Historically Black College And University, Julius Davis, Lynne Long, Sarah Green, Yvonne M. Crawford, Jeannette Blackwood

Journal of Research Initiatives

As scholarship of Black male collegians is growing, there is limited research attentive to Black males with disabilities and in teacher education programs. The research focused on pre-service Black male teachers with disabilities attending HBCUs and the federal laws impacting their education and supports is absent. This research study fills the void by examining the individual experiences of a Black male pre-service teacher with a disability attending an HBCU. The research team used Black males with disability theory and single-subject case study methodology to describe Christopher “CJ” Jackson’s journey navigating his program of study as an English education major. Four …

Resilient Scholar: A High Achieving African American Male With A Learning Disability, Shawn A. Robinson

Journal of Research Initiatives

The existing literature on race/ethnicity overlooks learning disability (LD) and the latter often neglects African American males. Further, when the intersection of race/ethnicity and LD overlap, African American males are rarely discussed or viewed as high achievers within the literature. Therefore, I seek to break through the wall of silence and provide an account that explores the rich lived experiences of a high achieving African American male with LD (i.e., dyslexia) in higher education. The article begins with literature relevant to my lived experiences followed by contextualizing those experiences as a high achiever. Next, I use a conceptual framework as …

Black-White Earnings And Employment Differences In The K-12 Teaching Labor Market – Potential Impact On Black Males With Learning Disabilities, Donald D. Dantzler

Journal of Research Initiatives

This study addresses one possible barrier to more African American (or Black) males with learning disabilities moving through the educational pipeline – the dearth of African American (or Black) teachers. Despite recent attention being given to the educational benefits to Black (and other) students from the presence and contributions of Black teachers, the K-12 teacher labor market in the United States remains largely represented by White teachers. In order to assess whether Black teachers are treated unfairly in this labor market, the notion of competitive labor markets eroding racial disparities over time is studied. In particular, this study builds on …

A Qualitative Study: How Northeastern Illinois University’S College Of Education Program Successfully Prepares Black Males With A Previous Individualized Learning Plan To Become Teachers, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

As Teacher College Programs throughout the country attempt to increase their numbers of quality educators entering a classroom, one abiding concern remains: how do universities attract and successfully transition black male educators to become K-12 teachers? Such a lasting question has caused several national programs to arise, specifically an initiative consortium (N.I.C) that involved several colleges of education programs to develop and sustain strategies to increase black male teachers in the profession.

This qualitative-interview based study reviews how a teacher college program located in Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University (NEIU), applies N.I.C. external and internal mechanisms to engage black male students' …

Increasing The Success Of African American Males With Learning Disabilities Attending California Community Colleges, Amar I. Abbott, Windy F. Martinez

Journal of Research Initiatives

The purpose of this article is to identify strategies to increase the access, progress, and success for African-American males with Learning Disabilities (LD) attending the California Community College. California has the fifth largest population of African American people in the US, including over 1 million African American males. There is a growing body of literature discussing the barriers faced by African American males attending college, particularly in the areas of retention, persistence, and degree attainment. This journal article discusses how to ameliorate the issues regarding African-American males being successful in the community college environment. With special programs such as Umoja, …

“This Is Not What I Expected”: Knowledge Reconfiguration In Preservice Teachers, Franco Zengaro, Sally A. Zengaro

Journal of Research Initiatives

The aim of this qualitative case study was to investigate how two preservice teachers reconfigured their role as teachers during their practicum. We collected data through interviews, field observations, and documentary notes gathered at an urban school across four months. Data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The results revealed three themes: (1) Blaming vs. Connecting, (2) Idealism vs. Realism, and (3) Retreating vs. Reconfiguring. The findings of this study indicated that placement was influential for the two preservice teachers. This case study shares valuable information regarding the importance of connecting preservice teachers with quality teaching practicum experiences aimed …

Triple Identity Theory: Conceptualizing The Lived Experiences Of A Gifted Black Male With Dyslexia., Shawn A. Robinson

Journal of Research Initiatives

Though overrepresented in special education, Black males are seldom given attention in scholarly literature addressing Twice-Exceptional (2e), and existing research has failed to systematically examine the intersectionality of race, dyslexia and giftedness. The article begins with definitions of key terms discussed throughout the paper. Second, the literature review synthesis relevant literature on the intersectionality that includes: race and misidentification, and my lived experience. Third, the article calls attention to a proposed cultural lens for understanding 2e Black males, its implications, and my interpretation. Finally, in the discussion section I offer PreK-12 educators with necessary information about the proper identification process, …

Elucidation Of Effective Professional Development Experiences: Addressing Inclusion For Students With Autism, Jennifer Lee Suppo

Journal of Research Initiatives

Open interviews were conducted with a special education teacher and a general education teacher. The overall guiding question was to provide elucidation of what is needed in a professional development program to meet the needs of both the general and special education teachers who teach children with a diagnosis of autism in an inclusive setting. Overall, the themes of diversity, knowledge and collaboration emerged as important variables for professional development experiences. Furthermore, in-depth knowledge and flexibility arose as important qualities of the facilitator of a professional development experience. Implications are a set forth for the expansion of the study and …

Educators Voices From Integrated Writing And Problem Solving Common Core Workshop, Karen T. Jackson, Penny Wallin, Anna K. Lee

Journal of Research Initiatives

This article provides an opportunity to discuss and examine information gathered during a focus group of K-12 educators involved in an integrated writing and problem solving workshop. Findings demonstrate that some educators are frustrated by the culture of testing versus the culture of learning that exist as a result of the Common Core Standards implementation. Educators are eager to learn and implement new ways of learning in order to promote deeper learning and critical thinking skills. Strategies and recommendations for providing support and resources for educators to meet the expectations to prepare students to be college and career ready are …

Special Education Was Called That For A Reason: Is Special Education Special Yet?, Virginia J. Dickens Ph.D., Cynthia T. Shamberger Ph.D.

Journal of Research Initiatives

The authors of this essay revisit what Special Education for students with disabilities in schools was intended to be in the post-Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) era. They highlight the similarities in pressures and concerns which have plagued, and still plague, the field of Special Education across the last two decades, including issues related to funding and teacher preparation. The authors challenge readers with the statement that, “Now is the time to ask hard questions about the efficacy of special education efforts.” To respond to the title question of the essay, they pose a set of questions based upon …

How Cinema Excerpts Enhance A Culturally Relevant Responsive-Value Driven Pedagogy, Sunni Ali

Journal of Research Initiatives

Abstract

Most certainly “good styles of teaching” match the needs of students. As technology distractions within society grow more and more tearing students away from a classroom’s pedagogy, it becomes even more important today for teachers to find effective ways to engage students. Cinema clips is one-way educators can apply a cultural value driven pedagogy to connect students to lessons. For one, the use of cinema clips allows teachers to use multi-media resources to translate or deconstruct a lesson through video and auditory mechanism. Furthermore, it offers a differentiated style of teaching for students. What makes the use of …