Using inquiry to promote democratic citizenship among young adolescents during summer civics camps

2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 271-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brooke Blevins ◽  
Michelle Bauml ◽  
Nate Scholten ◽  
Victoria Davis Smith ◽  
Karon N. LeCompte ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Data ◽  
The United States ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Civic Knowledge ◽  
Democratic Citizenship Education ◽  
Middle Schoolers ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Global World

The purpose of this study was to examine how participation in small-group inquiry projects at a summer civics camp contributed to middle schoolers’ beliefs about themselves as citizens and influenced their general and individual conceptions of citizenship. Using an action civics model for their projects, participants worked in small groups to identify an issue in their community, study its root causes and propose solutions. This study utilized a convergent mixed-methods approach involving the collection of both pre- and post-surveys and qualitative data (exit tickets, advocacy projects and semi-structured interviews) to investigate the research questions. Participants for this study included 108 middle schoolers (entering fifth to ninth grade) who attended a free, week-long summer civics camp hosted at two private universities in the United States. Utilizing Westheimer and Kahne’s citizenship typology to analyze the data, three primary findings emerged. Firstly, some students’ conceptions of citizenship did shift slightly towards more participatory and justice-oriented notions of citizenship, although their predominant orientations towards democratic citizenship remain personally responsible. Secondly, students began to appropriate the citizenship frameworks used during the camp to nuance and expand their understandings citizenship and advocacy. Finally, students began to see ways they could use their voice to advocate for change in their communities. This research showcases how inquiry might enhance democratic citizenship education in a global world through interaction with others, responding to one’s community, developing civic knowledge, critically investigating issues and allowing for multiple solutions.

scholarly journals Exploring EFL Instructors’ Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Reflective Practices on their Professional Development in the Saudi Context

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 88
Author(s):  
Danyah Fahad Alsayeud ◽  
Anas Hamed Almuhammadi
Keyword(s):  
Professional Development ◽  
Reflective Practice ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Reflective Practices ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Efl Context ◽  
Sequential Mixed Methods ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Males And Females

This study explores the perceptions of EFL instructors about their reflective practice and its effect on their professional development in a Saudi Arabian university. This study adopts an explanatory sequential mixed-methods approach to collect quantitative and qualitative data. Two study instruments were used; a survey questionnaire with a study sample of 100 male and female participants and semi-structured interviews with a study sample of seven female instructors. The findings show that some instructors in general have a positive perception of reflective practices and they utilize a diversity of reflective tools. Female instructors show a greater degree of involvement in a reflective practice than male instructors in three of the four examined dimensions (cognitive and meta-cognitive, moral and learner and reflective teaching in general). However, no significant difference is reported between males’ and females’ perceptions in terms of the fourth dimension (practical). Based on the findings, recommendations have been made to encourage reflective practices in the Saudi EFL context.

scholarly journals A Physician Assistant Entry-Level Doctoral Degree: More Harm Than Good?

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violet Kulo ◽  
Shani Fleming ◽  
Karen Gordes ◽  
Hyun-Jin Jun ◽  
James Cawley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Clinical Training ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Doctoral Degree ◽  
Physician Assistants ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bivariate Analysis ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Perceived Risks ◽  
Entry Level

Abstract Background: As most health professions in the United States have adopted clinical or practice doctorates, there has been an ongoing debate on whether physician assistants (PAs) should transition from a master’s to a doctorate as the terminal degree. The authors examined perceived risks, benefits and impact of transitioning to an entry-level PA doctoral degree. Methods: A multi-prong, mixed-methods approach was used that included a literature review and collecting quantitative and qualitative data. Bivariate analysis and binomial logistic regression analysis were performed to evaluate relationships between perceptions/perspectives on an entry-level PA doctoral degree and the anticipated impact of it causing more harm than good to the PA profession. For the semi-structured interviews (38 interprofessional stakeholders), deductive content analysis was used to analyze the qualitative data. Results: Six hundred and thirty six PA clinicians and PA students (46%) completed the survey. Most respondents (n = 457, 72%) disagreed that an entry-level PA doctoral degree should be required. More than half of the respondents (n = 341, 54%) agreed that it should be offered but not required and 380 respondents (60%) agreed that an entry-level doctoral degree would cause more harm than good. Race, educational attainment, occupation, and length of practice as a PA were significantly associated with having a perception of causing more harm. There was strong positive association between the perception of a doctoral degree causing more harm with expectations of having a negative impact on the availability of clinical training sites (OR = 4.39, p <.05). Based on the analysis of qualitative data, the most commonly cited perceived risks were increased cost for education, decreased diversity in the profession, and negative impact on the PA/physician relationship. Conclusions: The perceived benefits and risks of an entry-level PA doctoral degree are strongly influenced by the lens of the stakeholder. While the majority of PAs and students appear to be not in favor, the proportion of those in favor is not insignificant and their views should not be ignored in future discussions. Addressing concerns with key stakeholders could help the PA profession to transition to a doctoral degree with minimal adverse impact.

scholarly journals Teachers’ Perceptions of the Communicative Language Approach at a Saudi University

2018 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 45
Author(s):  
Ozma Siddiqui ◽  
Fariha Asif
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Statistical Data ◽  
Communicative Language Teaching ◽  
Statistical Information ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Teachers Perceptions ◽  
Language Classrooms ◽  
Arabic Speaking

The Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) approach has been widely popular in foreign language classrooms for a number of decades, but in recent years some practitioners have begun questioning the technique which prioritizes fluency over accuracy. This paper aims to record the perceptions of teachers using CLT to teach English as a foreign language at a Saudi university. It will also take into consideration some of the pitfalls and make some recommendations. A total of 35 participants, all members of faculty took part in the study. A mixed methods approach was used to collect the data. A questionnaire provided the statistical data for the study and semi-structured interviews were used to gather qualitative data. The statistical information was run through the SPSS. The findings indicate that while a substantial number of teachers at this university find the CLT approach a useful way to teach English to homogenous groups of Arabic speaking students, there is a need to be eclectic and incorporate other approaches for effective teaching.

scholarly journals Læreplan og demokrati

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-18
Author(s):  
Emil Sætra ◽  
Janicke Heldal Stray
Keyword(s):  
Social Studies ◽  
Secondary School ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Social Studies Teachers ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Democratic Citizenship Education ◽  
Subject Specific ◽  
The Subject ◽  
General Part ◽  
Empirical Material

In this article, we examine how social studies teachers’ say they interpret and use different parts of the curriculum in order to teach for democracy. The empirical material of the study is based on a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with teachers in secondary school in Norway. We present three main find-ings. A first finding is that most social studies teachers plan their instruction based on the subject-specific competence aims. For most teachers, the general part of the curriculum, where democratic education is highlighted, does not constitute an articulated part of instruction. Some teachers feel, however, that they still work in accord with this part of the curriculum, but in a way better described as tacit. A second finding is that teachers agree that the subject-specific competence aims are comprehensive and that many teachers agree they are too comprehensive. A third finding is that the teachers disagree about whether conditions for democratic citizenship education are adequate or not. We suggest two inter-related reasons for this disa-greement. One reason is somewhat different interpretations of and emphasis put on the mandate to teach for democracy by different teachers. A second reason is differences in pedagogy and school culture.

A Mixed-Methods Approach to Understanding Variation in Social Support Requirements and Implications for Access to Transplantation in the United States

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 344-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keren Ladin ◽  
Satia A. Marotta ◽  
Zeeshan Butt ◽  
Elisa J. Gordon ◽  
Norman Daniels ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Social Support ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Response Rate ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Evaluation Procedures ◽  
Number Of Patients ◽  
Bivariate Statistical Analysis ◽  
American Society

Social support is a key component of transplantation evaluation in the United States. Social support definitions and evaluation procedures require examination to achieve clear, consistent implementation. We surveyed psychosocial clinicians from the Society for Transplant Social Workers and American Society of Transplant Surgeons about their definitions and evaluation procedures for using social support to determine transplant eligibility. Bivariate statistical analysis was used for quantitative data and content analysis for qualitative data. Among 276 psychosocial clinicians (50.2% response rate), 92% had ruled out patients from transplantation due to inadequate support. Social support definitions varied significantly: 10% of respondents indicated their center lacked a definition. Key domains of social support included informational, emotional, instrumental, motivational, paid support, and the patient’s importance to others. Almost half of clinicians (47%) rarely or never requested second opinions when excluding patients due to social support. Confidence and perceived clarity and consistency in center guidelines were significantly associated with informing patients when support contributed to negative wait-listing decisions ( P = .001). Clinicians who excluded fewer patients because of social support offered significantly more supportive health care ( P = .02). Clearer definitions and more supportive care may reduce the number of patients excluded from transplant candidacy due to inadequate social support.

Refugees' Responses to Mental Health Screening

2003 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nancy Ovitt ◽  
Christopher R. Larrison ◽  
Larry Nackerud
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
The United States ◽  
Health Screening ◽  
Mental Health Screening ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Hopkins Symptom Checklist ◽  
Migration Factors

For a variety of reasons related to pre- and post-migration factors, refugees experience a high rate of mental health problems. The early detection of these problems among refugees arriving in the United States benefits those individuals, the agencies that sponsor them and the communities that absorb them. The development of culturally-sensitive mental health screening instruments to identify pathology among refugees has been the focus of some research. This study explores the reactions of eight Bosnian refugees who were administered the Hopkins Symptom Checklist-25 as part of a mental health screening during the resettlement process. Through structured interviews with this sample, the authors elicited qualitative data about the mental health screening, from which preliminary conclusions were drawn about including such screening in the resettlement process.

scholarly journals At the Intersections: International and Multicultural Higher Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (Winter) ◽  
pp. 96-99
Author(s):  
Lauren Chow
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Content Analysis ◽  
The United States ◽  
Development Theory ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Significant Bias ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Balanced Model ◽  
Different Origins ◽  
Analyze Data

Within the United States, the areas of international and multicultural higher education have similar goals but different origins, and there have been historical areas of tension between the two even as many scholars and practitioners have sought ways to link them. Much literature on the intersections between the two areas was published in the 1990s and early 2010s, but the landscape of higher education has shifted significantly in recent years; furthermore, most previous research focused on theoretical reasons for why the two areas did not intersect and offered broad suggestions for how they could be merged. This study investigated research questions related to what the language used by international and multicultural offices to describe their work can reveal about how they partner or compete to create inclusive institutional environments, using the lens of Kretzmann and McKnight’s assets-based community development theory. The study used content analysis to analyze data collected from the websites of ten institutions in Massachusetts. Key findings include a slight bias towards international offices in asset-based framing and a significant bias towards multicultural offices in deficit-based framing. These findings largely reflect old tensions between the two areas despite nearly three decades of scholarship on the topic and significant changes in climate for higher education, demonstrating the need for a more intentional dialogue between these areas and a balanced model of framing both areas’ work. This research is currently being expanded upon using semi-structured interviews with administrators who work at the ten institutions used in the content analysis.

scholarly journals Refugee Education Coordinators in the Greek Educational System: their role as mediators in refugee camps

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 81
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Tsioupis ◽  
Sevasti Paida
Keyword(s):  
Public Education ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Refugee Children ◽  
Refugee Camps ◽  
Ministry Of Education ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Refugee Education ◽  
Research Questions ◽  
Children's Schooling

In Greece, the program for the integration of school-aged refugee children in public education has been implemented since 2016. An innovation established by the Greek Ministry of Education to facilitate refugee children’s access to public school was the institution of the Refugee Education Coordinator (REC). The research explores the role of RECs regarding involvement of refugee parents. Therefore, semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourteen RECs positioned in refugee camps in order to acquire the qualitative data required to answer the research questions. The research participants considered that RECs had a determining role in raising refugee parents’ awareness on the necessity of their children’s schooling, as well as connecting them with their children’s school.

scholarly journals Voice and Participation of ‘Student Cabinet’ in School Activities through the Development of ‘Teamwork’: A Case Study of a Government Secondary School in Bangladesh

2021 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 183-199
Author(s):  
Md Khairul Islam
Keyword(s):  
Action Research ◽  
Collaborative Action Research ◽  
Democratic Citizenship ◽  
Head Teacher ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Democratic Citizenship Education ◽  
School Activities ◽  
The Government ◽  
Teaching Learning

Students’ voice and participation in teaching -learning practices in the classrooms and in schools are central in promoting Democratic Citizenship Education (DCE). Aiming to increase the practices of democratic values through education, in 2015 the government of Bangladesh enacted ‘student cabinet’ in secondary schools in Bangladesh. Through the development of a qualitative case study with an action research component, this study explores how the engagement of ‘student cabinet’ in school activities could be established through the development of ‘teamwork’. Data were collected from the head teacher, two classroom teachers, two group of students and the members of ‘student cabinet’ using semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions and field notes. Findings suggest that while the ‘student cabinet’ was not effectively functioning in the school, involvement of its members, the teachers and the head teacher in planning and implementing the activities of the ‘student cabinet’ through collaborative action research influenced positive changes. ‘Strategy of working as a team rather than individuals’ showed potentials for improving the engagement of ‘student cabinet’ in the school activities and developing sense of connectedness with the school community. Findings have implications in promoting DCE through student representative bodies in schools in Bangladesh and other contexts. Social Science Review, Vol. 37(2), Dec 2020 Page 183-199

Expectations vs. experience

Interpreting ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-304 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kilian G. Seeber ◽  
Laura Keller ◽  
Rhona Amos ◽  
Sophie Hengl
Keyword(s):  
Work Environment ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
World Cup ◽  
Technical Feasibility ◽  
Fifa World Cup ◽  
Mixed Methods Approach ◽  
Conference Room ◽  
Before And After

Abstract The attitudes of interpreters providing video remote conference interpreting during the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ was analyzed using a mixed-methods approach. Quantitative and qualitative data pertaining to six deductive categories (general and specific attitudes towards remote interpreting, attitudes towards the work environment and the workspace, psychological and physiological wellbeing) were collected. Online questionnaires were completed both before and after the event and structured interviews were conducted on site during the event. Triangulation of results corroborates the technical feasibility of video remote interpreting, whilst highlighting aspects with a high potential to shape interpreters’ attitudes towards it. The quality of the technical team on site along with the availability of visual input in the entire conference room (including all speakers taking the floor) is key to offsetting the feeling of alienation or lack of immersion experienced by interpreters working with this technical setup. Suggestions for the improvement of key parameters are provided.

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