Educators’ experiences as K-12 students and efficacy for teaching in diverse schools

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua DeSantis ◽  
Cherish Christopher

Purpose Significant differences exist in the racial composition of America’s student and teacher populations. This reality is compounded by the racial re-segregation patterns affecting many schools and systems in the USA. These trends make it increasingly less likely that educators encounter racial diversity during their experiences as K-12 students and more likely that they encounter racial diversity as educators. This paper aims to present the results of a study designed to explore the consequences of this reality on those educators’ abilities to successfully reach their students? Design/methodology/approach The present study used a quantitative exploratory design. Data were analyzed to determine if educators’ experiences as K-12 students affected their present self-efficacy for teaching in diverse classrooms, their self-efficacy for using culturally responsive techniques, and their confidence in the merits of deploying these approaches in classrooms. Findings Data from the present study suggest that educators whose school experiences included significant interactions in racially diverse settings are significantly more likely to possess a higher level of self-efficacy than those who do not. Originality/value This study illuminates an unexplored consequence of school resegregation and lends support for efforts to diversify the teaching force and resist school resegregation.

2019 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-67
Author(s):  
Mithila Vidwans ◽  
Farahnaz Faez

Set in Ontario, which is the most diverse province in Canada, this study (N = 76) examined Internationally Educated Teachers’ (IETs) and non-Internationally Educated Teachers’ (non-IETs) sense of self-efficacy for providing linguistically and culturally inclusive pedagogy in K-12 classrooms. Theories of self-efficacy and culturally responsive pedagogy frame this research. This study employed a quantitative 40-item survey to compare teachers’ self-efficacy perceptions of general pedagogy and culturally responsive pedagogy. Results show that while both groups were equally consistent in their self-efficacy perceptions for providing general pedagogy, IETs reported significantly higher self-efficacy for providing culturally responsive pedagogy. Réalisée en Ontario, la province la plus diversifiée du Canada, auprès d’enseignantes et enseignants formés à l’étranger (IETs) et d’enseignantes et enseignants formés ailleurs qu’à l’étranger (non-IETs), cette étude rend compte de la mesure dans laquelle ces professeurs se sentent personnellement capables d’offrir efficacement une pédagogie linguistiquement et culturellement inclusive dans les salles de classe de la maternelle à la douzième année. Éclairée par des recherches dans les domaines de l’auto-efficacité et de la pédagogie adaptée aux réalités culturelles, cette enquête quantitative basée sur la réponse à 40 questions a permis de comparer les perceptions d’auto-efficacité des enseignantes et enseignants à l’égard de la pédagogie en général et de la pédagogie adaptée aux réalités culturelles. Les résultats de l’enquête indiquent que, alors que les sentiments d’auto-efficacité des membres des deux groupes étaient uniformes quant à la pédagogie en général, les enseignantes et enseignants formés à l’étranger se sentent considérablement plus à même d’offrir une pédagogie adaptée aux réalités culturelles.


2018 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 290-302
Author(s):  
Esther Charlotte Moon

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate how changes in K-12 educational delivery methods in the USA impacts students as 1:1 device programs become a required tool for learning. This change produces gaps in knowledge and understanding of the digital environment and exposes minors to risk. Mandatory technology integration by school districts places the ethical responsibility on school districts to prepare students to use the digital environment to mitigate risk. Design/methodology/approach The author’s literature review focused on the impact of personal device integration in education on students. The author surveyed teachers in the district on what they perceived as risk to students accessing the digital environment and what they believe creates value in digital citizenship instructional content. The author also gathered information while serving on the school district technology steering committee and digital citizenship working group. Findings Mandatory 1:1 device programs used for learning provide unlimited access to the digital environment. This technology integration creates digital knowledge gaps in understanding among students and exposes them to risk or dangers such as loss of privacy, psychological harms and engaging in or being a victim of illegal online activities. School districts are responsible for providing a remedy to close this gap and mitigate risk by developing learning content resources for teachers. Social implications As 1:1 device programs continue to grow in school districts in the USA, it is essential for students to learn to apply protocols and understand norms of the digital world. Providing a digital citizenship curriculum in a format such as a Google Site will offer educators access to instructional content that teaches students to apply protocols, understand norms of the internet and social media and foster critical thinking to analyze power structures, biases and recognize manipulation online. Student must learn how to apply rules that challenge assumptions behind the digital content they see, and they must be able to identify and resolve digital practices and behaviors that are problematic, so they are prepared to participate in a digital society. Originality/value This perspective may be relevant to school districts contemplating personal device integration, providing insight into how 1:1 device use impacts students and develops an ethical position for creating digital citizenship resources for teachers.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Powers ◽  
Séverine Le Loarne-Lemaire ◽  
Adnane Maalaoui ◽  
Sascha Kraus

PurposeThis article contributes to the literature on entrepreneurship for people with disabilities through a better understanding of the impact of entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions on entrepreneurial intentions in populations with lower levels of self-esteem. It investigates the entrepreneurial intention and self-efficacy of a population of students suffering from dyslexia, which is a learning disability.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is based on the study of a data set of 796 male and female adolescents in the USA, aged 13–19 years, both with and without dyslexia. The sample is a convenient one. The whole sample replied to the questionnaire on their self-efficacy perception and their intention to create, one day, their own venture. They also self-declare their dyslexia. Regressions have been conducted to answer the research question.FindingsResults show that having dyslexia has a negative impact on entrepreneurial self-efficacy perceptions. They also reveal that self-efficacy perceptions mediate the relationship between dyslexia and entrepreneurial intentions and their three antecedents (social norms, control behavior and perceived ability).Research limitations/implicationsThe sample is composed of students from private schools and might socially be biased.Practical implicationsOur findings relaunch the debate on the necessity to develop education programs that consider the personal-level variables of students, specifically the development of entrepreneurial self-efficacy among adolescents with disabilitiesSocial implicationsSuch findings should help to better understand students who are suffering from dyslexia and help them find a place in society and economic life.Originality/valueThis is so far the first study that has been conducted on dyslexic adolescents.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-398
Author(s):  
Megan Ann McCoy ◽  
Kenneth J. White ◽  
Kim Love

Purpose There is a paucity of empirical research that explores the financial well-being of collegiate student-athletes. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the key aspects of financial well-being (e.g. financial knowledge, financial self-efficacy and finance-related stress levels) of varsity athletes at US colleges and universities. Design/methodology/approach The authors used data from the National Student Financial Wellness Study. The data were analyzed using general linear regression models. Findings The findings suggest student-athletes have lower financial knowledge than students who are non-athletes. Despite their lower levels of financial knowledge, these student-athletes report higher levels of financial self-efficacy. Furthermore, even when controlling for scholarship funding, student-athletes reported lower levels of financial stress than their counterparts. One could interpret this as student-athletes having a false sense of confidence in their money management behaviors. This overconfidence can impact many areas of their overall financial well-being. Alternatively, non-athletes may not be as financially confident as they should be. Research limitations/implications This study could be replicated with stronger measures (e.g. Financial Self-Efficacy Scale), with the inclusion of subjective financial knowledge measures, comparing the impact of demographic variables. As, most financial constructs have gender differences (Farrell et al., 2016) and race differences (Amatucci and Crawley, 2011) and depend upon college major (Fosnacht and Calderone, 2017). Another limitation of this study is the small percentage of student-athletes, a common problem with research in this area. Further research is also needed to unpack the finding that self-efficacy decreases at higher levels of financial knowledge. Practical implications It is evident that college students (athletes/non-athletes) need financial education. For universities and college coaches, this study could be used as a rationale for providing financial education for their athletes. The addition of financial courses could be used as a recruiting tool for collegiate coaches and benefit the university. Requiring financial education could also benefit universities long term as it may potentially increase the donor possibilities by alumni. As a final note, it is important that financial courses figure out ways to improve financial self-efficacy alongside financial knowledge, as findings suggest both are integral to decreasing financial stress. Social implications Less than 4 percent of universities in the USA require students to take a personal finance course (Bledsoe et al., 2016). If more universities included personal finance as a graduation requirement and did more to engage student-athletes (and non-athletes) in financial planning, then the average level of financial knowledge would likely improve on campuses across the USA. In addition, increasing young adults financial self-efficacy could improve financial stress which is linked to mental health and physical health. Originality/value This study provides the first empirical look into the financial well-being of collegiate student-athletes across the USA. Although there are many benefits to participation in college sports, student-athletes face additional time pressures and a predisposition to clustering around certain majors. Findings suggest that collegiate athletes need additional support around their financial literacy and non-athletes may need support developing financial self-efficacy. These two findings should be used by academic institutions and athletic departments to determine how to encourage financial health in their student-athletes and general student body.


2017 ◽  
Vol 45 (6) ◽  
pp. 626-640 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ainsworth Anthony Bailey ◽  
Iryna Pentina ◽  
Aditya Shankar Mishra ◽  
Mohammed Slim Ben Mimoun

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to incorporate mobile payment (MP) self-efficacy, new technology anxiety, and MP privacy concerns into the basic TAM to explore MP adoption, particularly tap-and-go payment, among US consumers. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected through an online survey conducted among students at a Midwestern University in the USA. A total of 254 participants provided 240 useable responses. Findings MP self-efficacy significantly impacts perceived ease of use (PEOUMP) and perceived usefulness of MP (PUMP). These in turn impact MP attitude, which affects intention to use MP. Privacy concerns also impact attitude towards MP and MP use intention. New technology anxiety impacts PEOUMP, but not PUMP. Research limitations/implications The study uses a convenience sample of young US consumers, which could limit the generalisability of the results. The study is also limited to tap-and-go payment. Practical implications US retailers have information on some of the factors that encourage MP adoption. Retailers need to address self-efficacy concerns, MP privacy concerns, and consumers’ perceptions of usefulness of the technology. Originality/value There has been little research on factors impacting tap-and-go payment adoption in the USA. The study highlights the roles of self-efficacy and privacy concerns. It focusses on tap-and-go payment, since this technology can enhance consumers’ retail experience.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren Eutsler ◽  
Pavlo D. Antonenko ◽  
Chrystine Mitchell

Purpose Immediately following the declaration of the national emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic in the USA, the purpose of this study was to examine one month of social media, news media, school district websites’ continuity plans and educational affiliate organizations, to unveil K-12 stakeholders’ initial response to K-12 remote teaching. Design/methodology/approach Framed by connectivism theory, the authors used a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to conduct a systematic content analysis of 43,870 tweets, news media, school district websites’ continuity plans and educational affiliate organizations. Findings Initial responses focused on community lockdown procedures, sustaining education, adapting to a remote lifestyle and political tension. The authors revisited included tweets one week later to measure their connectedness, which revealed that educational organizations, which have the largest number of followers, also have the greatest outreach and visibility. Practical implications Based on the collective decision-making of education stakeholders, the authors provide three remote teaching recommendations and pedagogical implications for sustainable remote teaching practices. Originality/value The authors construct a blueprint from some of the largest school districts, and consequently the COVID-19 hotspots, to broadly examine emergency preparedness and remote instruction plans.


2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 533-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neena Gopalan ◽  
Nicholas J. Beutell ◽  
Wendy Middlemiss

Purpose This study aims to investigate international students’ cultural adjustment, academic satisfaction and turnover intentions using ecological systems perspective and explores factors that affect academic success and turnover by exploring three stages: arrival, adjustment and adaptation. Design/methodology/approach The sample consists of 208 international students enrolled at a mid-Western university in the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis, structural equation modeling and mediational analyses were used to test hypotheses. Findings Findings indicate that self-efficacy, as a pre-sojourn characteristic, affects adjustment variables inclusive of cultural adjustment, affecting academic satisfaction and turnover intentions. Adjustment variables (coping, cultural adjustment and organizational support) mediated relationships between self-efficacy and turnover intentions. Research limitations/implications The proposed model moves the research forward by examining an ecological systems framework describing how individual, social, academic, cultural and institutional factors function in supporting international students’ transitions. Results may be generalizable to other large US universities with varying dynamics and resources available (or not) for international students. Originality/value Given the challenges international students face in the USA in adapting to both new culture and academic setting, it is imperative to identify what elements of their transition and academic environment predict academic success. This is one of the first studies testing the propositions derived from Schartner and Young’s (2016) model.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 201-220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hyunseok Hwang ◽  
Tiffany Amorette Young

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between social capital and collective action at the county level in the US while incorporating the moderating effects of community racial diversity and urbanity and to find the changing effects of social capital on philanthropic collective action for community education.Design/methodology/approachThis paper employs a quantitative research design. The dependent variable measures philanthropic collective action for community education while the independent variable for social capital is measured as a community level index. Moderating variables include a community racial diversity index and urbanity. This analysis tests and interprets interaction effects using moderated multiple regression (MMR), with the baselines of MMR being grounded to multivariate ordinary least squares (OLS) regression. Analyses are carried out in the context of the USA during 2006 and 2010, with US counties employed as the unit of analysis.FindingsThe effects of social capital on philanthropic contributions decline in counties with low- and mid-levels of racial diversity. On the contrary, the effects of social capital increase in highly racially diverse counties. The three-way interaction model result suggests that racial diversity positively moderates social capital on philanthropic collective action for community education where the effect of social capital is strong and positive in highly racially diverse urban communities.Originality/valueThis research complicates the notion that social capital and racial diversity are negatively associated when exploring collective action and community education, and suggests effects of social capital varies with moderating effects on philanthropic collective action for community education.


2018 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Winchell Lenhoff ◽  
Ben Pogodzinski ◽  
David Mayrowetz ◽  
Benjamin Michael Superfine ◽  
Regina R. Umpstead

Purpose Federal and state policymakers in the USA have sought to better differentiate the performance of K-12 teachers by enacting more rigorous evaluation policies. The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether these policies are working as intended and explore whether district stressors such as funding, enrollment, and governance are associated with outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The authors examined teacher evaluation ratings from 687 districts in Michigan to identify the relationship between district stressors and two outcomes of interest to policymakers: frequency of high ratings and variation of ratings within districts. A qualitative index of variation was used to measure variation of the categorical rating variable. Findings About 97 percent of teachers in Michigan are rated effective or highly effective, and variation measures indicate overwhelming use of only two ratings. Charter school districts have fewer teachers rated highly than traditional districts, and districts with higher fund balances have more teachers rated highly. Districts with increasing fund balances have higher variation. Practical implications The findings suggest that district stressors presumably unrelated to teacher performance may influence teacher evaluation ratings. State teacher evaluation reforms that give districts considerable discretion in designing their teacher evaluation models may not be sufficient for differentiating the performance of teachers. Originality/value This research is important as policymakers refine state systems of support for teacher evaluation and provides new evidence that current enactment of teacher evaluation reform may be limiting the value of evaluation ratings for use in personnel decisions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 31 (5) ◽  
pp. 622-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terri Nicol Watson

Purpose This paper provides insight into the effective education of immigrant and migrant children: many of whom are classified in New York City’s public schools as English language learners. It also highlights the ways in which New York City prepares school leaders and the policies that govern their actions. Design/methodology/approach Literature review. Findings The practices of New York City’s school leaders are governed by the Chancellor’s Regulations. These comprehensive mandates consist of four components and address issues related to students in grades K-12, school-based budgets, personnel matters, and parent and community engagement. In relation to students, including those classified as immigrant, migrant, and English language learners the Chancellor’s Regulation A-101 makes it clear: children may not be refused admission to a public school because of race, color, creed, national origin, gender, gender identity, pregnancy, immigration/citizenship status, disability, sexual orientation, religion, or ethnicity. Research limitations/implications Implications for future research: How can school leaders (and educational activists) continue to support and advocate for immigrant and migrant children under the presidency of Donald J. Trump. Practical implications Knowledge gleaned from this study may be of use to schools, districts, and educational leaders in the USA and abroad faced with similar demographic trends. Social implications This manuscript examined the ways in which The City University of New York prepares school leaders, the required State exams for school leaders, and the educational policies that govern the practices of New York City’s school leaders that are germane to English language learners. Originality/value This review of the literature may study may be of use to schools, districts, and educational leaders in the USA and abroad.


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