scholarly journals In an "ecological-belonging" intervention to reduce inequities in STEM, context matters

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah P Hammarlund ◽  
Cheryl Scott ◽  
Kevin R Binning ◽  
Sehoya Cotner
Keyword(s):  
Effect Study ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Doubts about belonging in the classroom are often shouldered disproportionately by students from historically marginalized groups, which can lead to underperformance. Ecological-belonging interventions use a classroom-based activity to instill norms that adversity is normal, temporary and surmountable. Building on prior studies, we sought to identify the conditions under which such interventions are effective. In a chemistry course (Study 1), students from underrepresented ethnic backgrounds underperformed relative to their peers in the absence of the intervention. This performance gap was eliminated by the intervention. In an introductory biology course (Study 2), there were no large performance gaps in the absence of the intervention, and the intervention had no effect. Study 2 also explored the role of the instructor that delivers the intervention. The intervention boosted scores in classrooms of instructors with a fixed (versus growth-oriented) intelligence mindset. Our results suggest that ecological-belonging interventions are more effective in more threatening classroom contexts.

scholarly journals Role of Mindfulness Practices in the College Classroom

2022 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 147-163
Author(s):  
Erica F. Kosal
Keyword(s):  
Student Attitudes ◽  
College Classroom ◽  
Focused Attention ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Mindfulness Practices ◽  
Anxiety Levels ◽  
Exam Scores ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Mindful Practices

The following study examined the effect of mindful practices on college student attitudes and learning comprehension using two sections of an introductory biology course taught by the same instructor. One section used lecture complemented with active learning formats while the other section additionally included mindful practices. Comparisons were made between the students’ surveys and quiz/exam scores. Students in the mindful section also kept journals. Results showed no significant differences in quiz and exam scores between the two groups; however, students in the mindfulness section found value in the practices both in and outside the classroom. Students reported a gain in their attitude towards the value of mindfulness practices as well as the use of mindfulness practices and reported a decrease in anxiety levels. Students identified these practices as helping them with focused attention, peace, and relaxation. At the end of the semester, over 90% of students agreed that mindfulness has a valuable place in the college classroom.

scholarly journals Effects of Phylogenetic Tree Style on Student Comprehension in an Introductory Biology Course

2017 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 729-737 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan Dees ◽  
Danielle Freiermuth ◽  
Jennifer L. Momsen
Keyword(s):  
Phylogenetic Tree ◽  
Phylogenetic Trees ◽  
Biology Education ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
Student Difficulties ◽  
Student Comprehension ◽  
Construction Tasks ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

Phylogenetic trees have become an important component of biology education, but their utility in the classroom is compromised by widespread misinterpretations among students. One factor that may contribute to student difficulties is style, as diagonal and bracket phylogenetic trees are both commonly used in biology. Previous research using surveys found that students performed better with bracket phylogenetic trees across a variety of interpretation tasks. The present study builds on prior research by comparing how students interpret diagonal and bracket phylogenetic trees in the context of an introductory biology course and by expanding the style comparison to include construction tasks. Students performed significantly better with bracket phylogenetic trees for some, but not all, interpretation tasks. In addition, students who constructed bracket phylogenetic trees were significantly more accurate compared to those who used the diagonal style. Thus, our results reinforce previous research for interpretations, and the performance gap between styles extended to construction tasks. It remains to be seen, however, if such differences persist after instruction that balances the use of diagonal and bracket phylogenetic trees.

scholarly journals The Struggle Against Torture: Challenges, Assumptions and New Directions

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 324-333
Author(s):  
Tobias Kelly
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Multiple Forms ◽  
Marginalized Groups ◽  
Current State ◽  
New Directions ◽  
History Of ◽  
Emerging Themes ◽  
Short Essay ◽  
Forms Of Violence

Abstract This short essay offers a broad and necessarily incomplete review of the current state of the human rights struggle against torture and ill-treatment. It sketches four widespread assumptions in that struggle: 1) that torture is an issue of detention and interrogation; 2) that political or security detainees are archetypal victims of torture; 3) that legal reform is one of the best ways to fight torture; and 4) that human rights monitoring helps to stamp out violence. These four assumptions have all played an important role in the history of the human rights fight against torture, but also resulted in limitations in terms of the interventions that are used, the forms of violence that human rights practitioners respond to, and the types of survivors they seek to protect. Taken together, these four assumptions have created challenges for the human rights community in confronting the multiple forms of torture rooted in the deep and widespread inequality experienced by many poor and marginalized groups. The essay ends by pointing to some emerging themes in the fight against torture, such as a focus on inequality, extra-custodial violence, and the role of corruption.

Keeping Up With the Joneses: Role of CSR Awards in Incentivizing Non-Winners’ CSR

2020 ◽  
pp. 000765032098227
Author(s):  
Jiangyan Li ◽  
Juelin Yin ◽  
Wei Shi ◽  
Xiwei Yi
Keyword(s):  
Corporate Social Responsibility ◽  
Spillover Effect ◽  
Competitive Dynamics ◽  
Difference In Differences ◽  
Performance Gap ◽  
The Media ◽  
Catch Up ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Meaningful Event

We attempt to provide a novel antecedent of corporate social responsibility (CSR) by focusing on the role of CSR awards. Specifically, we investigate how competitors’ winning CSR awards incentivize non-winning firms’ CSR as a competitive catch-up. Using a difference-in-differences research design, we find that non-winners improve their CSR after their competitors have won CSR awards. Furthermore, based on the awareness-motivation-capability (AMC) framework from the competitive dynamics literature, we find that the media visibility of award winners, the performance gap of non-winners with award winners, and the prior CSR of non-winners strengthen the CSR competitive catch-up behaviors. Findings from this study contribute to the CSR research by highlighting the spillover effect of CSR awards as a meaningful event in incentivizing non-winning firms’ CSR and extending the AMC framework to explain the contingency factors of competitive catch-up in the context of CSR research.

When Does Psychological Fit Matter? The Moderating Role of Price on Self-Brand Congruity

2021 ◽  
pp. 194855062110283
Author(s):  
Joe J. Gladstone ◽  
Emily N. Garbinsky ◽  
Sandra C. Matz
Keyword(s):  
Brand Personality ◽  
Effect Study ◽  
Financial Resources ◽  
High Price ◽  
Psychological Profile ◽  
Psychological Mechanism ◽  
Brand Attributes ◽  
First Time ◽  
Moderating Role

People prefer brands whose perceived image reflects their own psychological profile, a finding referred to as the self-brand congruity effect. For the first time, we test this effect in the field by utilizing over 17,000 real bank transaction records (Study 1, N = 405). We demonstrate that the strength of self-brand congruity is related to the financial resources a person must spend to acquire the brand, such that the effect holds only when the brand being purchased has a high (vs. low) price. We conceptually replicate the effect (Study 2, N = 354) and provide causal evidence through an experiment (Study 3, N = 404), manipulating price and brand personality while holding other brand attributes constant. We also provide evidence for one psychological mechanism underlying why price moderates self-brand congruity, finding personality-matched brands elicit fewer concerns about postpurchase regret, a bigger risk for high-price brands (Study 4, N = 300).

scholarly journals Writing Assignments with a Metacognitive Component Enhance Learning in a Large Introductory Biology Course

2014 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 311-321 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michelle Mynlieff ◽  
Anita L. Manogaran ◽  
Martin St. Maurice ◽  
Thomas J. Eddinger
Keyword(s):  
Student Learning ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Act Scores ◽  
Writing Assignments ◽  
Traditional Lecture ◽  
Calibrated Peer Review ◽  
Written Recall ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Retention Of Knowledge ◽  
Improve Student Learning

Writing assignments, including note taking and written recall, should enhance retention of knowledge, whereas analytical writing tasks with metacognitive aspects should enhance higher-order thinking. In this study, we assessed how certain writing-intensive “interventions,” such as written exam corrections and peer-reviewed writing assignments using Calibrated Peer Review and including a metacognitive component, improve student learning. We designed and tested the possible benefits of these approaches using control and experimental variables across and between our three-section introductory biology course. Based on assessment, students who corrected exam questions showed significant improvement on postexam assessment compared with their nonparticipating peers. Differences were also observed between students participating in written and discussion-based exercises. Students with low ACT scores benefited equally from written and discussion-based exam corrections, whereas students with midrange to high ACT scores benefited more from written than discussion-based exam corrections. Students scored higher on topics learned via peer-reviewed writing assignments relative to learning in an active classroom discussion or traditional lecture. However, students with low ACT scores (17–23) did not show the same benefit from peer-reviewed written essays as the other students. These changes offer significant student learning benefits with minimal additional effort by the instructors.

A Mixed Exam Format Closes the Gap for Students with a Conflict between Their Religious Belief & the Theory of Evolution

2014 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 101-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathrin F. Stanger-Hall ◽  
Julianne A. Wenner
Keyword(s):  
Student Performance ◽  
Religious Belief ◽  
Religious Conflict ◽  
Evidence Based ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Final Exam ◽  
Constructed Response ◽  
Theory Of Evolution ◽  
Acceptance Of Evolution ◽  
Introductory Biology Course

We assessed the performance of students with a self-reported conflict between their religious belief and the theory of evolution in two sections of a large introductory biology course (N = 373 students). Student performance was measured through pretest and posttest evolution essays and multiple-choice (MC) questions (evolution-related and non-evolution-related questions) on the final exam and posttest. The two class sections differed only in exam format: MC with or without constructed-response (CR) questions. Although students with a reported conflict scored significantly lower on the final exam in the MC-only section, they scored equally well in the MC+CR section, and all students in the MC+CR section performed significantly better overall. As a result, (1) a religious conflict with evolution can be negatively associated with student achievement in introductory biology, but (2) assessment with constructed response was associated with a closed performance gap between students with and without a conflict. We suggest that differences in exam format and focus on student acceptance of evolution (either evidence-based or opinion), rather than reported conflict, may contribute to the inconsistencies in student learning of evolution across research studies, and that CR questions may help students overcome other obstacles to learning evolution.

scholarly journals How Should I Study for the Exam? Self-Regulated Learning Strategies and Achievement in Introductory Biology

2017 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. ar30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda J. Sebesta ◽  
Elena Bray Speth
Keyword(s):  
Learning Strategies ◽  
Study Strategies ◽  
Learning Goals ◽  
Introductory Biology ◽  
Pedagogical Tools ◽  
Science Courses ◽  
Self Regulated Learning ◽  
Regulated Learning ◽  
Introductory Biology Course ◽  
Cognitive And Metacognitive Strategies

In college introductory science courses, students are challenged with mastering large amounts of disciplinary content while developing as autonomous and effective learners. Self-regulated learning (SRL) is the process of setting learning goals, monitoring progress toward them, and applying appropriate study strategies. SRL characterizes successful, “expert” learners, and develops with time and practice. In a large, undergraduate introductory biology course, we investigated: 1) what SRL strategies students reported using the most when studying for exams, 2) which strategies were associated with higher achievement and with grade improvement on exams, and 3) what study approaches students proposed to use for future exams. Higher-achieving students, and students whose exam grades improved in the first half of the semester, reported using specific cognitive and metacognitive strategies significantly more frequently than their lower-achieving peers. Lower-achieving students more frequently reported that they did not implement their planned strategies or, if they did, still did not improve their outcomes. These results suggest that many students entering introductory biology have limited knowledge of SRL strategies and/or limited ability to implement them, which can impact their achievement. Course-specific interventions that promote SRL development should be considered as integral pedagogical tools, aimed at fostering development of students’ lifelong learning skills.

scholarly journals Hindi Print Media Content Analysis Of Bhopal Gas Tragedy: In The Context Of Reflect And Effect Study Of Media On Society

2017 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
pp. 01-10
Author(s):  
Armendra Amar
Keyword(s):  
Print Media ◽  
Effect Study ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Industrial Accidents ◽  
Media Content Analysis ◽  
The Public ◽  
Gas Leak ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
The City

The 1984 Bhopal Gas Leak tragedy has been classified as one of the World’s major Industrial accidents of the 20th century, recorded post 1919, by a United Nations Report. This tragedy killed thousands of people and maimed thousands. Union Carbide subsidiary pesticide plant released approximately 40 tonnes of Methyl Isocyanate (MIC) gas which went on to touch the lives of more than 500,000 people of the city. In a way, even after it immediately killed and maimed in thousands, it is still a continued disaster as the generations exposed to the toxic gases have been consistently showing up signs of physical and mental deformity. This gruesome event’s impacts on society are beyond time and space. The crucial question that renders is that how media dealt with the situation and to what extent it affects the everyday life of masses. This study came into initiation when the researcher visited the Methyl Ico-Cynate gas-affected area of Bhopal. During the pilot study, the researcher saw that people of the affected place were living in inadequate conditions. Thus, a concern piqued the interest of the researcher, and evoked an indispensible question: Is media fulfilling its responsibility as the fourth pillar of society in times of chaos and devastation, towards the public? For examining his queries researcher has taken renowned print media outlet’s articles of Bhopal gas tragedy as the content of the analysis. Hence on the basis of Hindi print media content of Bhopal gas disaster the researcher has taken the initiative to search appropriate answers to questions which examine the role of media after the tragic occurrence has taken place in society.

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