scholarly journals Parent's experiences with Strongstrart BC in four communities in British Columbia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safra Najeemudeen
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Future Research ◽  
School Based ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Family Resource ◽  
Recommendations For Practice ◽  
Program Characteristics ◽  
Resource Program

The literature has shown that early childhood programs are widely accepted as an intervention that is effective at improving outcomes for families. The current study explores parents’ experiences within a school-based family resource program initiative, StrongStart BC. This qualitative study draws on ecological systems and sociocultural theoretical perspective to examine parents’ perceptions of familial outcomes and program characteristics, in order to identify which characteristics are fundamental for successful outcomes. Thematic analysis was used to analyse focus group data gathered from four program sites as part of a larger study evaluating the effectiveness of StrongStart BC across British Columbia. Results indicate that successful familial outcomes from participation in family resource programs are influenced by a complex interplay of factors related to accessibility and pedagogical characteristics, with accessibility standing out as a fundamentally important consideration. Drawing on the broadly defined concept of accessibility, implications for school-based family resource programs are discussed and recommendations for practice, policy and future research are presented.

scholarly journals Parent's experiences with Strongstrart BC in four communities in British Columbia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Safra Najeemudeen
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Theoretical Perspective ◽  
Future Research ◽  
School Based ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Family Resource ◽  
Recommendations For Practice ◽  
Program Characteristics ◽  
Resource Program

The literature has shown that early childhood programs are widely accepted as an intervention that is effective at improving outcomes for families. The current study explores parents’ experiences within a school-based family resource program initiative, StrongStart BC. This qualitative study draws on ecological systems and sociocultural theoretical perspective to examine parents’ perceptions of familial outcomes and program characteristics, in order to identify which characteristics are fundamental for successful outcomes. Thematic analysis was used to analyse focus group data gathered from four program sites as part of a larger study evaluating the effectiveness of StrongStart BC across British Columbia. Results indicate that successful familial outcomes from participation in family resource programs are influenced by a complex interplay of factors related to accessibility and pedagogical characteristics, with accessibility standing out as a fundamentally important consideration. Drawing on the broadly defined concept of accessibility, implications for school-based family resource programs are discussed and recommendations for practice, policy and future research are presented.

scholarly journals When the Kids Are Not Alright: School Counseling in the Time of COVID-19

AERA Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 233285842110336
Author(s):  
Mandy Savitz-Romer ◽  
Heather T. Rowan-Kenyon ◽  
Tara P. Nicola ◽  
Emily Alexander ◽  
Stephanie Carroll
Keyword(s):  
Postsecondary Education ◽  
School Counselors ◽  
Role Expectations ◽  
Mixed Methods Study ◽  
Concerted Effort ◽  
Social Emotional ◽  
School Based ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
American Children

The unprecedented arrival of COVID-19 upended the lives of American children with rapid shifts to remote and hybrid schooling and reduced access to school-based support. Growing concerns about threats to students’ mental health and decreased numbers of students transitioning to postsecondary education suggest access to school counselors is needed more than ever. Although previous research on school counselors finds they promote positive postsecondary, social emotional, and academic outcomes for students, further studies highlight the organizational constraints, such as an overemphasis on administrative duties and unclear role expectations, that hinder their work. Drawing on survey and focus group data, our mixed methods study documents school counselors’ experiences during the COVID-19 crisis, including the opportunities and constraints facing their practice. Findings suggest there should be a concerted effort to reduce the role ambiguity and conflict in counselors’ roles so they are better able to meet students’ increased needs.

Is It What You Know or Who You Know?: An Information Typology of How First-Generation College Students Access Campus Resources

2021 ◽  
pp. 152102512110681
Author(s):  
Jeffrey K. Grim ◽  
Emma Bausch ◽  
Adan Hussain ◽  
Steven Lonn
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Student Success ◽  
First Generation ◽  
First Generation College Students ◽  
Relationship Building ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Group Data ◽  
First Generation College ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Information Finding

While there has been increased investigation of the enrollment patterns and access to college for first-generation college students (FGCS), less is understood about how FGCS learn and utilize vital information to persist with limited familial knowledge about college success. In this paper we utilize focus group data of 62 diverse FGCS to create a typology of how students utilize information to succeed in college. Using theory from sociology and information sciences we categorize the sources FGCS learn from and how information is utilized. Our findings indicate that FGCS develop complex ways of finding information even with minimal support and those information sources that are most helpful are often connected to pre-existing and informal relationships. We conclude by offering implications for future research on FGCS student success and opportunities for administrators to incorporate information-finding and relationship-building concepts into student success practice.

The Challenge of Holistic Student Support: Investigating Urban Adolescents’ Constructions of Support in the Context of School

2014 ◽  
Vol 84 (3) ◽  
pp. 314-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gretchen Brion-Meisels
Keyword(s):  
Public Schools ◽  
Urban Adolescents ◽  
Student Support ◽  
Cultural Narratives ◽  
Support Providers ◽  
School Based ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Permanent Structure

In this piece, Gretchen Brion-Meisels investigates how adolescents conceptualize support in the context of school. Student support systems have become a permanent structure in most U.S. public schools, responsible for ensuring equal access to support services. Unfortunately, little is known about how adolescents make meaning of school-based support. To answer this question, Brion-Meisels explores how urban adolescents in a northeastern city talk about support, paying close attention to the cultural narratives that underlie their conceptions. Analyzing text from survey, interview, and focus group data, she argues that adolescents in the sample both draw on and actively resist dominant societal discourses of support. Findings suggest that support providers would benefit from better understanding the cultural and contextual narratives underlying youth conceptions of support, as well as the individual perspectives of the youth that they serve. In addition, Brion-Meisels contends that adults must shift their own discourses of support if they want to create spaces in which young people feel empowered and safe to seek help.

scholarly journals A College and Career Readiness Framework for Secondary Students With Disabilities

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 79-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary E. Morningstar ◽  
Allison Lombardi ◽  
Catherine H. Fowler ◽  
David W. Test
Keyword(s):  
Students With Disabilities ◽  
Secondary Students ◽  
State Level ◽  
Drop Out ◽  
Career Readiness ◽  
Future Research ◽  
College And Career Readiness ◽  
College And Career ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data

In this qualitative study, a proposed organizing framework of college and career readiness for secondary students with disabilities was developed based on a synthesis of extant research articulating student success. The original proposed framework included six domains representing academic and nonacademic skills associated with college and career readiness: academic engagement, academic mind-sets, learning processes, critical thinking, social skills, and transition knowledge. Focus groups were conducted to examine perspectives among state-level stakeholders with knowledge and expertise regarding college and career readiness, drop-out prevention, and secondary transition. Through an iterative process, the focus group data were analyzed and the framework was refined based on findings. Implications for practice and suggestions for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Doctoral Students Living, Leading, and Learning During a Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-33
Author(s):  
Debra Bukko ◽  
Jaskaran Dhesi
Keyword(s):  
Transformative Learning ◽  
Doctoral Students ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Self Awareness ◽  
State University ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Uncertain Time ◽  
The Impact

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to understand the impact of COVID-19 on doctoral students’ personal, professional, and academic roles and factors contributing to their persistence during the pandemic.Research Methods: The researchers engaged in qualitative research at a California State University CPED-inspired Ed.D. program, using semi-structured interviews, document analysis and a focus group. Data were analyzed through the CPED mentoring and advising framework, transformative learning theory, and self-authorship theory.Results: Three themes emerged: a convergence of roles within home and virtual spaces, leading in a complex and uncertain time, and caring relationships encourage persistence.Implications: Participants experienced increased self-awareness and development of cognitive, interpersonal, and intrapersonal dimensions of self. Relationships between cohort members and with faculty were integral to student persistence during a time of significant change and uncertainty. Recommendations for practice within Ed.D. programs and for future research are offered.

Balancing Work and Family: Perspectives of Parents of Children with Developmental Disabilities

1995 ◽  
Vol 76 (8) ◽  
pp. 507-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruth I. Freedman ◽  
Leon C. Litchfield ◽  
Marji Erickson Warfield
Keyword(s):  
Developmental Disabilities ◽  
Work Performance ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Work And Family ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Family Responsibilities ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Children With Developmental Disabilities

In an exploratory qualitative research study on balancing work and family responsibilities, four focus groups were convened to obtain the perspectives of working parents of children with developmental disabilities. Parents discussed the influence of their caregiving responsibilities on work decisions, work performance, career choices and development, and their use of informal, formal, and workplace supports. Key themes emerging from the focus- group data were discussed as well as implications for work and family policy, practice, and future research.

scholarly journals Reconsidering Library Collections: Community Services as Documents

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Deborah Turner
Keyword(s):  
Professional Practice ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Subsequent Discussion ◽  
Public Librarian ◽  
Service Agencies ◽  
Library Collections

In recognition of on-going change in how information becomes available, this study focuses on urban public librarian practices for meeting information needs, especially those of users who prefer to talk when obtaining information. Interview and focus group data reveal how libraries meet those needs including through library collaborations with community service agencies. Analysis of that data makes it possible to note that librarians manage relations with these agencies similar to how they manage traditional library collections. A subsequent discussion considers how this observation impacts LIS education and current understanding of documents before concluding with recommendations for professional practice and for future research.

scholarly journals Reducing Anxiety and Increasing Self-efficacy within an Advanced Graduate Psychology Statistics Course

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
April L McGrath ◽  
Alyssa Ferns ◽  
Leigh Greiner ◽  
Kayla Wanamaker ◽  
Shelley Brown
Keyword(s):  
Focus Group ◽  
Nous Avons ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Statistics Anxiety ◽  
Course Performance ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Statistics Course ◽  
Focus Group Data

In this study we assessed the usefulness of a multifaceted teaching framework in an advanced statistics course. We sought to expand on past findings by using this framework to assess changes in anxiety and self-efficacy, and we collected focus group data to ascertain whether students attribute such changes to a multifaceted teaching approach. Statistics anxiety significantly decreased and students’ current statistics self-efficacy increased. Further, course performance was positively correlated with self-efficacy and a strong negative relationship between statistics anxiety and self-efficacy was documented. Focus group data suggested students appreciated aspects of this teaching framework and that they thought it served to reduce anxiety. In addition to this teaching framework, two instructional techniques were used to teach two specific statistical concepts. These techniques did not result in significant performance differences; however, students reported enjoying the activities and encouraged their use in future classes. Overall, this study suggests a multifaceted teaching framework may be useful in helping graduate students overcome anxiety and increase self-efficacy when completing an advanced statistics course. The research presented here adds to the growing literature concerning the importance of non-cognitive factors when teaching statistics. Limitations and directions for future research are discussed. Dans cette étude, nous avons évalué l’utilité d’un cadre pédagogique à plusieurs facettes dans un cours de statistiques de niveau avancé. Nous avons cherché à accroître les résultats de nos recherches passées en utilisant ce cadre pour évaluer les changements en matière d’anxiété et d’auto-efficacité et nous avons recueilli des données de la part de groupes cibles pour vérifier si les étudiants attribuaient de tels changements à une approche pédagogique à plusieurs facettes. L’anxiété vis à vis des statistiques avait beaucoup diminué et l’auto efficacité actuelle des étudiants en matière de statistiques avait augmenté. De plus, le rendement des cours était lié de façon positive à l’auto efficacité et une forte relation négative a été documentée entre l’anxiété vis à vis des statistiques et l’auto efficacité. Les données recueillies des groupes cibles suggèrent que les étudiants ont apprécié les divers aspects de ce cadre pédagogique et qu’ils ont pensé que celui-ci permettait de réduire l’anxiété. Outre ce cadre pédagogique, deux techniques d’instruction ont été utilisées pour enseigner deux concepts de statistiques spécifiques. Ces techniques n’ont pas donné lieu à des différences significatives, toutefois les étudiants ont rapporté qu’ils avaient aimé les activités et qu’ils encourageaient leur emploi dans d’autres cours à l’avenir. En général, cette étude suggère qu’un cadre pédagogique à plusieurs facettes peut être utile pour aider les étudiants des cycles supérieurs à surmonter l’anxiété et à augmenter l’auto efficacité dans les cours de statistiques de niveau avancé. La recherche présentée ici s’ajoute à la documentation de plus en plus vaste qui existe déjà sur l’importance des facteurs non cognitifs dans l’enseignement des statistiques. L’article présente également une discussion sur les limites et les directions à suivre pour des recherches futures.

Legislative Advocacy Among Parents of Children With Disabilities

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 169-179
Author(s):  
Meghan M. Burke ◽  
Zach Rossetti ◽  
Kristina Rios ◽  
Kristen Schraml-Block ◽  
James D. Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Children With Disabilities ◽  
Parent Perceptions ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Individuals With Disabilities ◽  
Negative Experiences ◽  
The Past ◽  
Group Data ◽  
Legislative Advocacy ◽  
Focus Group Data ◽  
Constant Comparative Analysis

In the past, parents of children with disabilities have spearheaded several policies for individuals with disabilities. However, little is known about their experiences with legislators. To address this gap, focus groups and surveys about legislative advocacy were conducted with 127 parents of individuals with disabilities across four states. The purpose of the study was to explore parent perceptions about experiences with legislative advocacy including the frequency of, strategies for, and barriers to legislative advocacy. Descriptive statistics were conducted to analyze the survey data; constant comparative analysis was used to analyze the focus group data. Participants reported engaging in various forms of legislative advocacy. Participants shared positive and negative experiences interacting with legislators, including individual and collective advocacy efforts. Some participants did not engage in legislative advocacy due to intimidation. Relationships facilitated legislative advocacy for participants. Implications for future research about legislative advocacy and practices to facilitate legislative advocacy are discussed.

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