Measuring Funds of Knowledge: Contributions to Latina/o Students’ Academic and Nonacademic Outcomes

2010 ◽  
Vol 112 (8) ◽  
pp. 2209-2257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cecilia Rios-Aguilar
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Funds Of Knowledge ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Economic Research ◽  
Achievement Data ◽  
Social Reciprocity

Background/Context The educational performance of Latina/o students in the United States is becoming a central concern in education policy and reform. In an attempt to explain variation in the academic achievement of Latina/o students, considerable sociological and economic research has emerged. Even though the contributions of these studies are of great benefit, there remain important knowledge gaps. Purpose/Objective/Research Question/Focus of Study The purpose of this study is to offer an alternative explanation for the variation in Latina/o students’ academic and nonaca-demic outcomes by using an integrated theoretical framework—funds of knowledge— that takes into consideration the many resources, skills, and knowledge inherent in Latino households. Research Design This study uses quantitative methods to examine the relationship between funds of knowledge and Latina/o students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes. A random sample of 212 Latina/o students enrolled in grades K through 12 was selected to examine the association between funds of knowledge and Latina/o students’ academic outcomes—reading and academic achievement, and nonacademic outcomes—literacy practices. The data for this study were drawn from the survey responses to the Latino/Hispanic Household Survey and from student achievement data. Findings/Results Results obtained from the factor analysis suggest the emergence of six theoretically relevant factors: social reciprocity, household frequent activities, parental educational philosophy, parental language acquisition, English literacy-oriented activities, and Spanish literacy-oriented activities. Multiple regression analyses indicated the existence of a significant association between some components of funds of knowledge and students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes. Conclusions/Recommendations This study's findings suggest that Latina/o students and families do engage in many different activities that contribute to students’ academic and nonacademic outcomes. So, instead of viewing Latino families as needing remediation services and lacking resources to support students’ learning, it is critical to build on their life experiences, knowledge, and skills. It is also clear that there is need to refine the approaches and methodologies used to explain and understand the academic and nonacademic outcomes of Latina/o students.

scholarly journals An Effective Doctoral Student Mentor Wears Many Hats and Asks Many Questions

10.28945/4195 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 14 ◽  
pp. 133-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura R. Roberts ◽  
Christa M Tinari ◽  
Raymond Bandlow
Keyword(s):  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Research Methods ◽  
Time Management ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Doctoral Programs ◽  
Doctoral Student ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The United States ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Structured Interviews

Aim/Purpose: Doctoral student completion rates are notoriously low; although statistics differ depending on which study one consults, a typical completion rate is about 50%. However, studies show mentors can use strategies to improve students’ graduation rates. Our purpose was to learn from effective mentors about the processes they believe are most important in guiding doctoral students to the successful completion of a dissertation and, specifically, the strategies they implement to help students with writing and research methods. The study was confirmatory and exploratory; we posed several hypotheses and we were attentive to emergent themes in the data. Background: This paper addresses the problem by providing practical strategies mentors can use to help students succeed. Methodology: We conducted semi-structured interviews of 21 effective mentors of doctoral students representing highly ranked educational programs at universities across the United States. We conducted conventional and summative content analysis of the qualitative data. Contribution: This research showed that effective mentors provide students with technical support (e.g., scholarly writing and research methods), managerial support (e.g., goal-setting and time management), and emotional support in the form of encouragement. This research goes beyond prior studies by providing specific strategies mentors can apply to improve their practice, particularly regarding support with research methods. Findings: The data showed that encouragement, help with time management, and timely communication were key strategies mentors used to support students. Mentors also provided resources and directed students to use skills learned in previous coursework. Many mentors spoke about the importance of writing a strong research question and allowing the question to guide the choice of methods rather than the other way around. Mentors also said they pushed students to conform to APA style and they used Socratic methods to help students develop the logical organization of the manuscript. Many mentors referred students to methodologists and statisticians for help in those areas. Recommendations for Practitioners: Individual mentors should conduct a self-assessment to learn if they need to improve on any of the technical, managerial, and interpersonal mentoring skills we identified. Moreover, doctoral programs in educational leadership and related areas are advised to conduct careful assessments of their faculty. If they find their faculty are lacking in these mentoring skills, we recommend that they engage in professional development to increase their capacity to provide effective mentoring. Recommendation for Researchers: We recommend that future researchers continue to explore strategies of effective mentors. In particular, researchers should interview mentors who specialize in quantitative methods to learn if they can offer clever and innovative approaches to guide doctoral students. Impact on Society: We conclude this paper with practical strategies to help mentors become more effective. We also make some policy recommendations that we believe can improve the mentoring process for doctoral programs in education. We believe better scholarship at the doctoral level will provide new knowledge that will benefit society at large. Future Research: This research was a springboard for some new research questions as follows. We recommend future researchers to study how often effective mentors meet with students, how quickly they provide feedback on written drafts, and their strategies for delivering tough feedback in a caring way (i.e., feedback that the student’s work did not meet expectations).

scholarly journals The Emergence of transnational awareness among children in immigrant families

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Compton-Lilly ◽  
Jieun Kim ◽  
Erin Quast ◽  
Sarah Tran ◽  
Stephanie Shedrow
Keyword(s):  
Literacy Practices ◽  
Funds Of Knowledge ◽  
Immigrant Families ◽  
The United States ◽  
Collective Case Study ◽  
The Past ◽  
The World ◽  
Physical Barriers ◽  
Over Time

In the past, physical barriers such as geography and distance limited global communication. In this paper, we explore how young children in immigrant families engage in transnational literacy practices. Specifically, we explore the transnational funds of knowledge that result from those experiences. This three-year longitudinal collective case study involves ten children from immigrant families who have come to the United States from around the world. The students entered the study in four-year-old kindergarten, grade 1 or grade 2. Each year, we collected observations, spoken data and student-created artefacts (e.g. writing samples, maps, photographs). Data sources were designed to highlight the various spaces that the immigrant families occupy or have occupied over time (i.e. home/neighbourhood/ school; native country/country of residence). Our reading and rereading of coded data across the sample led us to focus on families’ digital transnational practices and children’s transnational awareness. We argue that these funds of knowledge should be recognized in classrooms and schools and that they have the potential to contribute to the nurturing of cosmopolitan perspectives for all children.

Learning Language Levels in Students Accurate with a History Academic Achievement History

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 137
Author(s):  
Noorlela Binti Noordin ◽  
Abdul Razaq Ahmad ◽  
Anuar Ahmad
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Statistical Inference ◽  
Quantitative Data ◽  
Quantitative Methods ◽  
Descriptive Statistics ◽  
Language Test ◽  
The Subject ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Learning Language ◽  
The Relationship

This study was aimed to evaluate the Malay proficiency among students in Form Two especially non-Malay students and its relationship to academic achievement History. To achieve the purpose of the study there are two objectives, the first is to look at the difference between mean of Malay Language test influences min of academic achievement of History subject among non-Malay students in Form Two and the second is the relationship between the level of Malay proficiency and their academic achievement for History. This study used quantitative methods, which involved 100 people of Form Two non-Malay students in one of the schools in Klang, Selangor. This study used quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and statistical inference with IBM SPSS Statistics v22 software. This study found that there was a relationship between the proficiency of Malay language among non-Malay students with achievements in the subject of History. The implications of this study are discussed in this article.

Shared Predictors of Academic Achievement in Children with ADHD: A Multi-Sample Study

2021 ◽  
pp. 108705472110120
Author(s):  
Kelly D. Carrasco ◽  
Chi-Ching Chuang ◽  
Gail Tripp
Keyword(s):  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Word Reading ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Verbal Working Memory ◽  
The United States ◽  
Children With Adhd ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Visual Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Predictors Of Academic Achievement

Objective: To identify common and shared predictors of academic achievement across samples of children with ADHD. Method: Two clinically referred samples from New Zealand (1 n = 88, 82% boys; 2 n = 121, 79% boys) and two community samples from the United States (3 n = 111, 65% boys; 4 n = 114, 69% boys), completed similar diagnostic, cognitive and academic assessments. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses identified significant predictors of word reading, spelling, and math computation performance in each sample. Results: Entered after IQ, semantic language, age at testing, and verbal working memory emerged as consistent predictors of achievement across academic subjects and samples. Visual-spatial working memory contributed to variance in math performance only. Symptom severity explained limited variance. Conclusions: We recommend evaluations of children with ADHD incorporate assessments of working memory and language skills. Classroom/academic interventions should accommodate reduced working memory and address any identified language weaknesses.

scholarly journals El Nacimiento del Pueblo Mestizo: Critical Discourse on Historical Trauma, Community Resilience and Healing

2021 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-275
Author(s):  
Lisa Cacari Stone ◽  
Magdalena Avila ◽  
Bonnie Duran
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Service Learning ◽  
Mexican Americans ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Historical Trauma ◽  
The United States ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Border Region ◽  
Indigenous Populations ◽  
Field Notes

Purpose. Historical trauma has been widely applied to American Indian/Alaska Native and other Indigenous populations and includes dimensions of language, sociocultural, and land losses and associated physical and mental disorders, as well as economic hardships. Insufficient evidence remains on the experiences of historical trauma due to waves of colonization for mixed-race Mexican people with indigenous ancestry (el pueblo mestizo). Research Question. Drawing from our critical lenses and epistemic advantages as indigenous feminist scholars, we ask, “How can historical trauma be understood through present-day discourse of two mestizo communities? What are public health practice and policy implications for healing historical trauma among mestizo populations?” Methodology and Approach. We analyzed the discourse from two community projects: focus groups and ethnographic field notes from a study in the U.S.–Mexico border region (2012–2014) and field notes and digital stories from a service-learning course in northern New Mexico (2016–2018). Findings. Our analysis describes the social and historical experiences of Mexicans, Mexican Americans, Chicanas/os, and Nuevo Mexicano peoples in the southwestern border region of the United States. We found four salient themes as manifestations of “soul-wound”: (1) violence/fear, (2) discrimination/shame, (3) loss, and (4) deep sorrow. Themes mitigating the trauma were community resiliency rooted in “querencia” (deep connection to land/home/people) and “conscientizacion” (critical consciousness). Conclusion. Historical trauma experienced by mestizo Latinx communities is rooted in local cultural and intergenerational narratives that link traumatic events in the historic past to contemporary local experiences. Future public health interventions should draw on culturally centered strength-based resilience approaches for healing trauma and advancing health equity.

scholarly journals “Wars” on COVID-19 in Slovakia, Russia, and the United States: Securitized Framing and Reframing of Political and Media Communication Around the Pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta N. Lukacovic
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Digital Media ◽  
Political Communication ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The United States ◽  
Frame Element ◽  
Political Factions ◽  
Russian Media ◽  
The Government

This study analyzes securitized discourses and counter narratives that surround the COVID-19 pandemic. Controversial cases of security related political communication, salient media enunciations, and social media reframing are explored through the theoretical lenses of securitization and cascading activation of framing in the contexts of Slovakia, Russia, and the United States. The first research question explores whether and how the frame element of moral evaluation factors into the conversations on the securitization of the pandemic. The analysis tracks the framing process through elite, media, and public levels of communication. The second research question focused on fairly controversial actors— “rogue actors” —such as individuals linked to far-leaning political factions or militias. The proliferation of digital media provides various actors with opportunities to join publicly visible conversations. The analysis demonstrates that the widely differing national contexts offer different trends and degrees in securitization of the pandemic during spring and summer of 2020. The studied rogue actors usually have something to say about the pandemic, and frequently make some reframing attempts based on idiosyncratic evaluations of how normatively appropriate is their government's “war” on COVID-19. In Slovakia, the rogue elite actors at first failed to have an impact but eventually managed to partially contest the dominant frame. Powerful Russian media influencers enjoy some conspiracy theories but prudently avoid direct challenges to the government's frame, and so far only marginal rogue actors openly advance dissenting frames. The polarized political and media environment in the US has shown to create a particularly fertile ground for rogue grassroots movements that utilize online platforms and social media, at times going as far as encouragement of violent acts to oppose the government and its pandemic response policy.

Childhood Social Skills as Predictors of Middle School Academic Adjustment

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (6) ◽  
pp. 825-851 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon Emmett Hall ◽  
James Clyde DiPerna
Keyword(s):  
Middle School ◽  
Academic Achievement ◽  
Social Skills ◽  
Academic Adjustment ◽  
Approaches To Learning ◽  
Academic Skills ◽  
Fifth Grade ◽  
Eighth Grade ◽  
Achievement Data ◽  
Kindergarten Class

The present study used multiple regression analyses to examine the relationships between fifth-grade social skills and eighth-grade academic achievement. Data were drawn from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study–Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 (ECLS-K). Results indicated no relationship between positive or negative social behavior in fifth grade and academic achievement or teacher-rated academic skills in eighth grade. However, consistent with previous studies, fifth-grade approaches to learning were found to be positive predictors of both academic achievement and teacher-rated academic skills in eighth grade. In addition, these results suggest that socioeconomic status plays a significant and potentially unexplored avenue for understanding these outcomes. These results further illuminate the way behaviors in elementary school relate to academic adjustment to middle school.

Cannabis Growers in the United States: Findings From a National Household Survey 2010−2014

2021 ◽  
pp. 002204262110004
Author(s):  
Alejandro Azofeifa ◽  
Rosalie L. Pacula ◽  
Margaret E. Mattson
Keyword(s):  
Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Geographical Location ◽  
Household Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
Multivariable Logistic Regression Model ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Prevention Education ◽  
The Past ◽  
National Household Survey ◽  
Using Data

Given the rapidly changing U.S. cannabis legislation landscape, the aim of this article is to describe individuals who self-reported growing cannabis in the past year by selected characteristics and geographical location. Using data from 2010 to 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, we conducted bivariate chi-square tests and ran a multivariable logistic regression model to examine the indicators associated with growing cannabis. Approximately, 484,000 individuals aged 12+ self-reported growing cannabis in the past year (1.6% of marijuana users). Predictors of growing cannabis included being male and self-reported reporting using cannabis for a greater number of days. Data showed differences in the proportion of cannabis growers by the state of residence. Obtaining a baseline estimate of cannabis growing practices prior to recreational cannabis markets emerging (2014) is important because such practices may undermine efforts to discourage diversion to youth. Tracking these acquisition patterns will better inform content for public health messaging and prevention education, particularly those targeting youth.

E-voting adoption in many countries: A literature review

2021 ◽  
pp. 205789112110405
Author(s):  
Ikhsan Darmawan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Research Question ◽  
The United States ◽  
Single Case Study ◽  
Academic Publications ◽  
Research Questions

Although the number of countries that have adopted e-voting has decreased lately, the number of academic publications on e-voting adoption has increased in the last two years. To date, there is no coherent narrative in the existing literature that explains the progress of the research on e-voting adoption. This article aims to answer the following research question: “How has research on the topic of e-voting adoption progressed over the last 15 years?” The article provides a semi-systematic review of 78 studies that were conducted from 2005 to 2020. In this article, I argue that although the studies on e-voting adoption are dominated by a single case study, by research in the United States, and by the positivist paradigm, scholars have employed the term “e-voting adoption” diversely and the research on e-voting adoption has evolved to address more specific research questions. Recommendations for the future agenda of research on e-voting adoption are also discussed.

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