Authentic Experiences of CHamoru Students During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The year 2020 has been an especially difficult year for people and organizations all over the world because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Higher learning institutions and their respective stakeholders are no exception and have been severely impacted by the pandemic resulting in the reshaping of higher education regionally, nationally, and internationally. This chapter examined the University of Guam's (UOG) response to the COVID-19 pandemic and understanding the authentic academic experiences of indigenous CHamoru students during the global epidemic. The current study employed a qualitative approach using a collective case study of 10 CHamoru male and female students who attended UOG for at least one semester during the COVID-19 pandemic. The chapter concludes with the recommendation that institutions of higher learning analyze and possibly revise or design academic programs that will sustain academic resiliency in its indigenous student communities.

Differences in Academic Resiliency When the Pandemic Forced Courses Online: Was Prior Online Coursetaking Protective?

We report results from a dataset consisting of all courses taken by students at the City University of New York [CUNY] in fall 2019 and spring 2020. This time frame covers the semester prior to the wide-spread onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York City (i.e., pre-pandemic), and the semester when the coronavirus precipitated a rapid and unprecedented forced shift of all courses within the university system to a fully-online mode of instruction early in the term (i.e., pandemic term). Findings indicate that students at two-year colleges, men, and certain racial/ethnic groups had less resilient course outcomes when comparing their rates of pre-pandemic vs. pandemic course outcomes. However, these differences were observed primarily among those students who had not originally chosen to enrol in any fully online courses that year. In contrast, students who had originally chosen to enrol in fully online courses that year were much more resilient, with differences by institution type, gender, and race/ethnicity by and large not exacerbated by the pandemic.

Exploring Individual and Interpersonal Level Factors Associated with Academic Success of College Students at a Women’s, Faith-based Higher Institution

The present study investigated how spirituality, peer connections, and social integration relate to academic resiliency, academic self-efficacy, academic integration, and institutional commitment of college students who identify as female. A sample of 372 undergraduates (ages 18-26) at a Catholic University completed Mapworks survey containing institution-specific questions and spirituality items in Spring 2018. Pearson correlation was used to examine the bivariate relationships between the variables. Canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was conducted to determine if relationships exist among the predictor variables (spirituality, peer connections, social integration) and the criterion variables (academic resiliency, academic self-efficacy, academic integration, institutional commitment). Academic resiliency was the only contributor to the synthetic criterion variable. The contributions of academic self-efficacy, academic integration and institutional commitment to the synthetic criterion variable were very negligible. Social integration and peer connections were the primary contributors to the predictor synthetic variable, with a secondary contribution by spirituality. Social integration, peer connections, and spirituality were all positively related to academic resiliency. Simultaneously addressing the social and spiritual well-being of college students, particularly those who have self-selected to attend a women’s college, are crucial to promoting their academic success.

The Influence of Self-Determination Theory on African American Males' Motivation

In this chapter, the authors provide an overview of the research investigating academic resiliency and factors that impact motivation among African American males. Research identifies factors that improve academic achievement and motivation for African American males: mentoring and role modeling; encouraging positive self-identification; school, community, and church involvement; teacher expectations and instructional quality; teacher quality and preparedness; real-life applications of their experiences; and African American male teachers as role models.

Academically Successful Latino Undocumented Students in College: Resilience and Civic Engagement

This qualitative study focused on academically successful undocumented immigrant college students who also advocate for access to educational opportunities for others. Using purposeful sampling, eight students attending a large university were recruited and interviewed. Findings indicate that academically successful students are eager to obtain economic security and are highly motivated to give back to their communities. Respondents emphasized that pro-immigrant public policy and institutional processes and support are important factors for their development of academic resiliency and success. Findings revealed that although the results of the U.S. presidential election have saddened and angered the respondents, they continue to express their strong commitment to pursue their dreams. Researchers are urged to focus on academically successful undocumented immigrant students in order to learn about the factors that contribute to their academic success. Learning from resilient students can inform educators regarding effective practices that support students who are currently less successful in school.

Leadership Education at the Middle and High School Levels

This study used extensive interviews, observations, a self-assessment of youth leadership skills, and collection of student academic, fitness, attendance and discipline data to analyze the impact of the California Cadet Corps on the youth in grades 4-12 that the program serves. Interviews with adult alumni of the program were also conducted. The data showed a remarkable long-term impact on promoting leadership development as well as skills and attitudes of citizenship, patriotism, basic military knowledge, personal wellness, and academic resiliency.

Factors Affecting Academic Resilience in Middle School Students: A Case Study

This research was carried out with the purpose of identifying how and which risk and protective factors affect academic outcomes. The study explored how different family and individual environmental factors foster academic resilience. The exploratory study took place with a group of six students from a public school in Bogotá, Colombia. The school is located in a low-income and marginalized area of the city, where social problems such as poverty and violence are common. Data collection techniques included document analysis, as well as interviews with teachers and parents. The data collection was focused on identifying how academic resiliency skills can be developed in vulnerable young people. It was found that it is possible to identify and describe different protective factors from the family, such as family guidance, family support, and opportunities for meaningful family involvement that explicitly foster academic resilience in at risk-students. It was also possible to address how individual characteristics also foster positive outcomes, including optimism, perseverance, or motivation.