Supporting Online Learning in an Unfamiliar Language: Immigrant Parents and Remote Schooling during COVID-19

This article reports on a qualitative study of 22 Latina mothers and their experiences supporting their children’s remote education during COVID-19. Drawing on digital literacies and mujerista theory, the authors analyzed focus group data to find the following: Latina mothers’ struggles involved not just understanding online learning platforms but an educational system that was not responsive to the economic constraints and stressors faced by families; Latina mothers perceived the school district’s response to COVID-19 as performative and inadequate; Latina mothers developed mother-child pedagogies or pedagogies in which the mother and child are involved in teaching to and learning from each other. The findings lend support to the idea that the digital literacy divide does not exist outside of social and economic structures, and to the resourcefulness of everyday Latina mothers.

Educating Children and Navigating Digital Literacy in COVID-19: Latina Mothers and Mother-Child Pedagogies

This article reports on a qualitative study of 22 Latina mothers and their experiences supporting their children’s remote education during COVID-19. Drawing on digital literacies and mujerista theory, the authors analyzed focus group data to find the following: Latina mothers’ struggles involved not just understanding online learning platforms but an educational system that was not responsive to the economic constraints and stressors faced by families; Latina mothers perceived the school district’s response to COVID-19 as performative and inadequate; Latina mothers developed mother-child pedagogies or pedagogies in which the mother and child are involved in teaching to and learning from each other. The findings lend support to the idea that the digital literacy divide does not exist outside of social and economic structures, and to the resourcefulness of everyday Latina mothers.

“We’re All Equal” But Not Really: Perceptions of Racial Inequity Among Racial-Ethnic Minoritized Youth in the U.S

Racial-ethnic inequity is deeply entrenched in U.S. social systems, yet adolescents’ voices and understanding around inequity are not often directly examined. The current qualitative study uses focus group data from African American ( n = 21), Chinese- ( n = 17), Indian- ( n = 13), and Mexican- ( n = 17) origin adolescents ( Mage = 12.93 years; SD = 1.23; 51% boys) to provide insight on how youth navigate their attitudes and beliefs about these issues. Using a racial-ethnic socialization lens, we explore proximal (e.g., parents, peers, teachers) and distal (e.g., media, society) ways in which adolescents come to understand racial-ethnic inequity. Three themes characterized adolescents’ discussions. School diversity, of peers and of thought, and messages around egalitarianism were two prominent influences on their perceptions. A third theme related to perceptions of social hierarchies, which appeared to be shaped by stereotypes, peer interactions, and ideas about inequity itself. Emergent themes suggest that the school context is a particularly salient social setting that encompasses multiple sources of socialization (e.g., teachers, classmates, academics, climate), and parents, peers, and the media also play prominent roles.

E-Assessment, Inequity and Accountability in the New Normal Era and Beyond in Nigerian Universities

The study examined the perceived conduct of e-assessment of undergraduate courses in Nigerian universities and compared access to e-assessment among undergraduate students in universities in the country. It also determined the relationship between e-assessment-based accountability and test fairness in the conduct of e-assessment in Nigerian universities. These were with a view to improving the assessment outcome directed towards certifying the quality in education by the Nigerian universities. The study adopted a mixed research approach combining both descriptive survey and focus group designs. The population consisted of all undergraduate students who registered for their degree courses at the government and privately-owned universities during 2019/2020 academic session. The sample consisted of intact classes of 450 Parts 2, 3, and 4 undergraduate students who registered for their degree courses. A 32-item self-developed instrument was used in the study. The qualitative data was collected via focus group. Data were analysed using independent t-test, and Pearson Product Moment Correlation statistical methods. The results showed that there existed a significant difference in students’ perception of the conduct of e-assessment in Nigerian universities. Also, there was a significant difference in access to e-assessment among undergraduate students in the universities. Further, a significant relationship existed between e-assessment-based accountability and test fairness in the conduct of e-assessment in Nigerian universities. The study concluded that improper conduct of e-assessment forms a major threat to the fairness and validity of online assessment of students. It was recommended that universities’ Management should employ equitable strategies in the design, development and administration of the e-assessment on campuses in the country.

Identifying and Shifting Disempowering Paradigms for Families of Children With Disability Through a System Informed Positive Psychology Approach

Despite the emergence of socio-ecological, strength-based, and capacity-building approaches, care for children with disability remains primarily grounded in a deficit-based perspective. Diagnoses and interventions primarily focus on what children and families cannot do, rather than what might be possible, often undermining the competence, mental health, and functioning of both the children and their families. We first critically examine typical approaches to disability care for families of young children, describe the importance of a systems-informed positive psychology (SIPP) approach to care, and identify the existence of two dominant paradigms, disability is a disadvantage and experts know best. Then, we present a case study investigating families’ experiences with these two paradigms and whether shifts to alternative perspectives could occur through participation in a SIPP-based program co-designed by professionals and families. Of program participants, nine parents and five early intervention professionals participated in two separate focus groups, and ten e-books were randomly selected for review. Thematic analysis of the e-books and focus group data identified two primary themes representing alternative perspectives that arose through the intervention: we will start with our strengths and we’ve got this. Participant comments indicated that they developed a greater sense of hope, empowerment, engagement, and wellbeing, enabled by embedding wellbeing concepts and practices in their routines and communications with their children. We suggest that benefits arose in part from the structure of the program and the development of wellbeing literacy in participants. While care needs to be taken in generalizing the results, the case study provides clear examples of shifts in perspectives that occurred and suggests that the incorporation of SIPP principles within early intervention approaches provides a potential pathway for shifting the problematic paradigms that dominate disability care.

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

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.

Connection and Caring Through a Therapeutic Juvenile Corrections Model: Staff and Youth Resident Perceptions of Structural and Interpersonal Dimensions

This mixed-method exploratory inductive study examined incarcerated youths’ and staff members’ perceptions of a new community-focused therapeutic model in a large youth prison. Via 18 focus groups ( N = 141) and facility-wide surveys ( N = 248), both youth and staff shared perceptions of specific structural components of the model designed to change their relationship to one another, such as consistent staffing, higher staff-resident ratios, and program features designed to enhance rapport. Both groups also provided rich descriptions of the altered interpersonal dynamics related to connection and caring, two of the five C’s of Positive Youth Development (PYD), that were facilitated through those structural changes. Findings suggest the model’s intentional redefinition of resident-staff relationships directly contributed to meaningful resident and staff experiences. Perceptions of those relationships—rarely explored in the extant literature—were examined and illustrated through focus group data. This study illuminates the subjective experiences of both groups as they put the model into practice and reveals key insights about therapeutic correctional programs based on PYD in secure facilities that have important implications for juvenile correctional theory, research, practice, and policy.

Perioperative Nurses’ Perceptions Pre-Implementation of an Electronic Medical Record System

The use of electronic medical record (EMR) systems is transforming health care delivery in hospitals. Perioperative nurses work in a unique high-risk health setting, hence require specific considerations for EMR implementation. This research explored perioperative nurses’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to the implementation of an EMR in their workplace to make context-specific recommendations about strategies to optimise EMR adoption. Using a qualitative exploratory descriptive design, focus group data were collected from 27 perioperative nurses across three hospital sites. Thematic analyses revealed three themes: 1) The world is going to change; 2) What does it mean for me? and 3) We can do it, but we have some reservations. Mapping coded data to the Theoretical Domains Framework identified prominent facilitators and barriers, and informed recommended implementation strategies for EMR adoption by perioperative nurses.

Older Nurses’ Perceptions of an Electronic Medical Record Implementation

In Australia, almost 40% of nurses are aged 50 years and older. These nurses may be vulnerable to leaving the workforce due to challenges experienced during electronic medical record (EMR) implementations. This research explored older nurses’ perceptions of factors expected to influence their adoption of an EMR, to inform recommendations to support implementation. The objectives were to: 1) measure psychological factors expected to influence older nurses’ adoption of the EMR; and 2) explore older nurses’ perceptions of facilitators and barriers to EMR adoption. An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was used to collect survey and focus group data from older nurses, prior to introducing an EMR system. These nurses were highly engaged with their work; 79.3% reported high wellbeing scores. However, their motivation appeared to be predominantly governed by external rather than internal influences. Themes reflecting barriers to EMR and resistance to adoption emerged in the qualitative data.