Issues of Developmental Instruction in Higher Education and the Need for Change

Achievement gaps are responsible for low high school graduation rates, low college enrollments, low college graduation rates, and lack of job readiness. Because many of today's high school students are not college ready, there is the need for developmental education in community colleges. Approximately 60% of high school graduates need to take remedial education courses before they can take credit bearing classes, and 76% of high school graduates do not meet ACT college readiness benchmarks. Dual enrollment is one way to address this issue. Opportunities to extend college credits to interested high school students have been increasing as an intervention strategy in preparing students for college, improving graduation rates, and reducing the time of college completion.

Cause of a Crisis

From the 1990s until the present, there has been a growing movement in the higher education sector worldwide, emphasizing the primacy of the natural sciences and commercial activity as an important part of 21st century education and workforce preparation. Since then, the ongoing discourse on higher education has also systematically led to the marginalization of humanities. This chapter explores the ways in which the statements of purpose of higher education institutions, and their subsequent activities, might contribute toward the current state of the humanities. The author argues that the self-perception of these entities is related to their organizational identity, values, and actions. Using discourse analysis, this work will also attempt to explore the mission statements of 15 major higher education institutions in Trinidad and Tobago, and how statements regarding their core work are related to the current crisis with the humanities. From this preliminary study, higher education providers may be able to reconsider the ways in which their core internal and market-driven activities might severely compromise their ability to adequately serve students and the wider society by extension.

The Affective Phenomena of Childhood Trauma

Childhood trauma and stress affects learning. John Dewey's theories of progressive, experiential education data suggest that experiential education positively correlates not only to comprehension, but also to attitudes towards learning as a whole, and towards student self-esteem and ultimately brain health. However, experiential learning is affected by brain development and childhood stress. Experiential learning, particularly project-based curricula, have demonstrated positive outcomes in students from grades K-12. When assessments are adjusted to reflect content actually covered by a given project, students who learned through the project-based method performed significantly better than students in the comparison group, suggesting that experiential education enhances brain development and brain health in the areas of social emotional learning and improves comprehension and retention of material.

Stimulating Academic Optimism

This study attempts to provide the bibliography and future agenda of a school attribute: academic optimism. Academic optimism refers to a tool used in the hands of school teachers to attain student achievement which can help side-line their socio-economic status. In other words, it explains teachers' belief in self, colleagues, and students in order to manage change in student outcomes. The study evaluates the different taxonomies used within the concept of academic optimism through a comprehensive review of existing literature located in different databases. However, only English language full-text articles available in online databases between the periods of 2000-2019 were considered in this study. The result provided significant lines for future studies that can be conducted in this area by examining publications in 39 journals and 19 countries. Since the topic was considered as key school attribute to achieve student achievement and school effectiveness, this study provides the contextual gaps where future studies can be conducted. The result indicated that most of the research underlying the selected papers on the topic was conducted in developed nations rather than developing nations. The current analysis will contribute understanding in two ways: first it adds value to highlight the conceptual gap available in the literature; second, the gaps identified will pave the way for future research. Practically, this study provides ways for policy makers and other constituents involved in education to design their academic curriculum and motivate their faculty to remain academically optimistic.

Autonomy and Motivation in Higher Education

Learner autonomy and motivation have been recognized by academics, researchers, and practitioners as both critical and problematic elements of linguistics and language learning, among other disciplines in higher education. The ongoing challenge lies at the heart of students exercising a critical sense of agency over their acquisition of disciplinary knowledge, educational experience, and applied practice. However, rather than being understood as a socially constructed action or outcome within limited frames of reference, learner autonomy and motivation may be viewed expansively as culture. Drawing on Raymond Williams's theory of culture and John Law's sociological concept of symmetry, this work attempts to explore how learner autonomy and motivation might be fostered and sustained, in an attempt to rethink how learner agency might be positioned as a normative practice.

Impact of Group Mentoring on the Professional Development of Early Childhood Teachers in a Shanghai Kindergarten

This study sought to discover whether group mentoring could serve the purpose for which it is intended in an early childhood educational context. As an alternative to the traditional mentoring model, group mentoring attempts to provide as much, if not more, instructional and emotional support as traditional mentoring relationships, which we assume to be conducive to teachers' professional development in Chinese early childhood educational contexts. In addition, group mentoring facilitates communication, collaboration and mutual growth in ways that traditional mentoring lacks. It also examined whether both mentors and mentees could be involved in the mentoring process as learners and as reflective educators on their journey of professional development, including developing their reflective and research capabilities. This qualitative case study focused on the impact of group mentoring on the professional development of four teachers in a Shanghai kindergarten. Within the theoretical framework of COP (Community of Practice), it was an investigation of how the group mentoring process, an alternative to traditional models of professional development, had an impact on the teachers in a changing early childhood education context in China. This study featured in-depth individual interviews with the four teachers (two mentors and two mentees), who are in the same mentoring group, and observations of their group mentoring activities. Data was coded and analyzed qualitatively. Major themes emerged from the study: the teachers' perceptions of the model, the benefits and challenges it brings, and its influence on their relationships and identity. The study aimed to gain insight into how group mentoring, a potentially optimal model, has exerted an influence on the teachers' professional development. This study concludes with a discussion of the implications of the findings and areas for future research.

Engaging Students Through Connection to Individual Experience

Connecting English speakers of other language (ESOL) learning to individual experiences leads to increased student competencies. Through the building of teacher/student trust and relationships by valuing individual life experiences, competencies increase. When students feel that they are valued members of the academic community, they become vested in their learning process leading to increased attendance, scores on assignments, and higher overall grades. This is accomplished by intentional professional separation. In addition, coaching students to use inclusive non-judgmental language will also help to increase competencies. The research question (Will students who have prior experience with a topic have a greater increase in competencies?) attempts to shine light on these thoughts. Students reflecting on the subject matter and attempting to make connections to topics or curriculum also increases competencies. Also, students whose individual experiences connect with the curriculum will have increased competencies.

What Are the Experiences of College English Teaching in Heilongjiang Province, China?

Teaching reform is an important part of addressing teaching standards in China in order to ensure quality in faculty performance and implementation of student outcomes is delivered at the highest degree of excellence in colleges and universities throughout China. This chapter makes a comprehensive investigation in the field of English teaching in 20 colleges and universities in Heilongjiang Province. This chapter will focus on aspects of English teaching reform. The College English Test (CET) is a large-scale standardized test administered nationwide by the National College English Testing Committee on behalf of the Higher Education Department of the Ministry of Education (MOE) in China. The chapter will describe the role CET 4 & 6, faculty, and scientific research played in the analysis of the findings. This chapter discusses progress in the field of teaching English, addresses challenges and makes appropriate recommendations.

Virtual Teamwork and the Future Generation

Since key qualifications, such as digital and intercultural competences, are essential prerequisites for success in the working world, higher education institutions are asked to integrate soft skills competence training into their curricula. This chapter will have a closer look at global virtual teams and the educational environment with special emphasis on German higher education institutions and a European point of view, analyzing how well the young generation—Generation Y—is digitally experienced, serving for a better understanding of the challenges of teaching and developing digital communication skills for an international working environment.

A Brief History of Education in China and the United States

China and the United States have long histories of educating their populations. Currently, all children in both China and the United States are mandated to attend for a minimum of nine years, and schools are free for students. Although education in China and the United States may be accessible to all, do all groups have equal opportunities for success? While addressing this topic, some questions arise: What is the historical background of education and schools in each nation? What is the current status of literacy in both countries? Are there inequality in learning opportunities for children in China and in the United States? What are some possible reasons for unequal access to education?