“Ain't nobody gonna get me down”: An Examination of the Educational Experiences of Four African American Women Labeled With Disabilities

This study used qualitative research methods to explore the educational experiences of four African American women with disabilities, revealing how each participant developed a critical consciousness in response to the dominant ideology surrounding the discourses of African American, woman, and disabled. The development of a critical consciousness led participants to counter the oppressive nature of their educational experiences by engaging in acts of resistance. Recommendations are made with regard to how K-18 educators might support and capitalize upon students' critical consciousness to facilitate equitable classroom communities.     

The “I” and the “ME” of criminology and criminal justice students: Symbolic interaction in an educational setting

This study examines the self-concept of criminology and criminal justice students, vis-`a-vis the perceptions held of them by non-criminology and criminal justice students, using a framework of symbolic interactionism. The data in this study were obtained from a sample of both criminology and criminal justice students and non-criminology and criminal justice students attending a large state university in north Texas. The findings reveal a lack of consensus among perception patterns held by criminology and criminal justice students and non-criminology and criminal justice students. Implications regarding the future of criminology and criminal justice education follow.     

In defense of the “quantoids”: More on the reasons for the quantitative emphasis in criminal justice education and research

This article critiques DiCristina's (1977) JCJE article concerning the quantitative emphasis in criminal justice curriculums. I argue that he (1) overlooked one of the more profound merits associated with quantitative research when he proposed that both methods should receive equal attention, (2) underestimated the contribution quantitative methods have made to policy, and (3) confused theoretical problems with methodological problems when he evaluated the connection between quantitative methodology and crime control policy.     

A Memoir of Co‐Mentoring: The “We” that is “Me”

The author’s academic journey in learning to mentor and be co‐mentored involved three rites of passage. In this reflective essay (invited paper), the author acknowledges his most influential co‐mentors—former dissertation supervisees and long since colleagues—who helped form the “we” that is him. The first phase coincided with a constraining time in research and supervision. The author co‐published only a few journal articles and mainly with one mentee. During his second stage in Toronto, Canada, he experienced an exponential increase in co‐publication. This was a natural extension of mutually beneficial working relationships and successful doctoral defenses. Like a trusted friend, a mentor can guide his or her charges as they set out to discover and realize the potential within. The responsive form of learning in partnership enacted a version of collective action among equals. The author became a collaborative arts‐based‐educational researcher‐mentor: a hyphenated collection of selves. Since having returned to Australia, he co‐mentors early career academics seeking to publish and use writing as and for their professional development.     

“It had no voice to it”: Sydney Pollack's film translation of Isak Dinesen's out of Africa

Through a thematic analysis, this study investigates the rhetorical implications of Sydney Pollack's translation of Isak Dinesen's autobiographical texts. Specifically, the essay argues that Pollack's film uses strategies of transference, redefinition, antithesis, and displacement to renarrate Dinesen's writings, resulting in a depoliticized romantic adventure. These strategies marginalize, or mute altogether, pivotal elements of Dinesen's texts and life, including her complex voice and unconventional beliefs regarding the role of women, of race, and of colonialism. The consequence of Pollack's translation is a film narrative that honors patriarchal norms and cinematic conventions while fundamentally misrepresenting Dinesen and her life stories.     

“English is not easy,but I like it!”: an exploratory study of English learning attitudes amongst elementary school students in Taiwan

In response to the growing needs of proficient English speakers, the Taiwan Ministry of Education officially included English in standard elementary school curriculum since 2001. English courses at elementary level were extended from the fifth grade to the third grade since the fall of 2005. It is significant to examine whether the educational reform has positively affected students’ learning attitudes. Through focus group interviews and questionnaire survey at six elementary schools, this study explores students’ attitudes towards learning English and ways of instruction. Results indicate that students generally have strong interests in English‐speaking people and desire to spend time in English‐speaking places. A majority of students enjoy learning English through games, and compliments from teachers or parents boost their learning motivation. The finding also reveals that English education in Taiwan seems to have directed students towards a narrow viewpoint of foreign cultures since many students associate foreigners with English‐speaking people only. Finally, many students experience learning English at cram schools, which indicates the important role cram schools play in students’ extracurricular learning.     

Inter‐disciplinary but not Undisciplined: Writing the history of Aboriginal “education”

The history of Australian Aboriginal peoples sits uneasily on the margins of Australian history in much the same way as Aboriginal peoples themselves exist on the borders and interstices of the society that has colonised them and dispossessed them of their lands and cultures. The history of education likewise, sits somewhat on the margins of the discipline of history. The history of Aboriginal education, therefore, has never been a large field of study, though a handful of individuals have made important contributions.

This article will consider some of the reasons for the current position of the study of how Aboriginal peoples have learned and been taught in the past and will suggest that there are a number of inter‐related reasons for the limitations of both research and analysis within the field. Some of these limitations stem from the discipline itself, others from the subject. They will be discussed using examples from research with Australian Aboriginal and Canadian First Nations peoples and with regard to some recent publications in Australia and New Zealand.     

Validation of Approaches to Studying Inventories in a Norwegian Context: In Search of “Quick‐and‐Easy” and Short Versions of the ASI

Four validation studies of different versions of the Approaches to Studying Inventory (ASI) were performed by means of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Six samples of undergraduate students participated (N = 4,038), drawn from different bachelor programs in selected university college departments. The results gave limited support to the 18‐item ASI originally promoted by Gibbs et al. in 1988, whereas a modified version of the 32‐item edition showed acceptable psychometric properties, as did two shortened versions of the Approaches and Study Skill Inventory for Students (ASSIST). A restructured “quick‐and‐easy” 18‐item ASI emerged as reasonably valid and robust, and can be recommended as a research instrument and a practical evaluation tool in higher education. Considerations related to shortening the ASI are also discussed.     

“Tell me about”: a logbook of teachers’ changes from face-to-face to distance mathematics education

Educational Studies in Mathematics - In 2020, the emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic brought a drastic and sudden change in teaching practices, from the physical space of the classrooms to the...     

“Why am I here?”: A phenomenological exploration of first-generation college student experiences in STEM majors within a predominantly white institution

First-generation college students (FGCSs) are a growing population in undergraduate education. Research on FGCS primarily focuses on the challenges and barriers they encounter in college. While important, this literature offers a limited view of FGCS as learners. Moreover, minimal literature has examined these students' lived experiences within sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This study explores the learning experiences of FGCS (N = 17) in undergraduate STEM programs at a mid-sized, private, predominantly white institution. Guided by the frameworks of intersectionality and social cognitive career theory, the researchers utilized a qualitative, phenomenological research methodology to hear the perspectives of FGCS to and to identify problematic higher educational structures in STEM. Findings point to an elitist stance underlying STEM programs based in general disciplinary norms that restricted FGCS access to STEM majors and careers across social, academic, and professional elements of the academic experience. FGCS who were multiply minoritized based upon race, gender, and social class experienced the compounding of marginalization, and academic success and persistence came at a personal cost. Students also reported relying predominantly on personal strengths and motivations to overcome elitism in STEM rather than on institutional supports. Findings also highlight the variation in the first-generation experience and identify the unique barriers FGCS encounter within STEM fields. Implications for dismantling inequitable structures for higher education in STEM attending to the social, academic, and professional inclusion of FGCS.     

Utilizing mythic criticism in contemporary narrative culture: Examining the “present‐absence” of shadow archetypes in spider‐man

This paper conducts a reading of the popular film Spider‐Man by examining the use of shadow archetypes in the portrayal of the Green Goblin. The Gram Goblin character provides a complex representation of villainy in a modem popular narrative. Utilizing cultural definitions of shadow in mythology, this paper discerns that the Goblin incorporates two traditional portals of access to the shadow, the mirror and the mask. These two symbols allow the audience access to the shadow, but at the same time allow the shadow to remain elusive. Ultimately, I argue for the use of polysemic analysis, particularly hermeneutic depth, in mythological criticism. By positioning mythic criticism as a way of understanding polysemy in contemporary narrative, we are able to ascertain patterns of mythic context rather than mythological retellings in narratives.     

“Teachers are works in progress”: A mixed methods study of teaching residents’ beliefs and articulations of teaching for social justice

Teacher candidates’ beliefs about teaching for social justice affect the ways in which they act with students, schools, and communities. There is a growing body of research on teacher candidates’ beliefs of teaching for social justice, however there is limited research on larger samples over the course of teacher preparation. This mixed method study examines the beliefs and articulations of teaching for social justice of two cohorts of teaching residents who completed an urban teacher residency program. Findings suggest that residents developed nuanced ways of articulating and generally left the program endorsing ideas related to teaching for social justice.     

“I’d be expecting caviar in lectures”: the impact of the new fee regime on undergraduate students’ expectations of Higher Education

The introduction of the new tuition fee regime in the UK has resulted in growing concerns about the impact on students’ expectations of their university experiences (e.g. Jones in Perspectives 14(2):44–48, 2010). This is coupled with reports from those such as the OIA (Office of the Independent Adjudicator (2012) Annual Report. Accessed on July 22, 2013. Retrieved from, http://oiahe.org.uk/media/88650/oia-annual-report-2012.pdf) which detailed the rise in the number of student complaints year on year. The current study explored undergraduate psychology students’ (N = 62) expectations and derived experiences of Higher Education through a series of focus groups. In particular, a focus on students’ perceptions of level of support, contact time, and resources were explored. These were undertaken both before (n = 21) and after (n = 41) the introduction of the fee rise, to provide a cross-sectional comparison of the potential changes. Thematic analysis of the narratives indicated minimal support for the idea that increased tuition fees had heightened expectations in Higher Education. Additionally, although there were some discrepancies between students’ expectations and experiences, particularly in relation to level of support and contact time, this did not have a detrimental impact on satisfaction of their University experiences. This was related to the fact that these experiences exceeded their original expectations. One noteworthy finding however, suggested that higher tuition fees were related to greater expectations of graduate employability. The implications of this are discussed, as well as the implications of student satisfaction (using models such as the Student Satisfaction Index Model; Zhang et al. in Int J Bus Manag 3(9):46–51, 2008), for institutional policies of recruitment and retention.     

“You get what you need” : A study of students’ attitudes towards using Wikipedia when doing school assignments

In traditional classrooms, a textbook was often the only source of knowledge available; in stark contrast, today's classrooms have an infinite number of knowledge sources available through the Internet. Nevertheless, a range of studies suggest that students systematically favor Wikipedia in their school-related literacy practices. The present study investigates this tendency among students in upper-secondary school, using a survey with multiple choice and open-ended questions. The main finding suggests that students favor Wikipedia because the site provides them with what they need, being fast, flexible, and easy to use. At the same time, students are aware of credibility issues associated with Wikipedia. A discrepancy between students’ positive attitudes to including Wikipedia in their school-related literacy practices and their teachers’ lack of approval of this knowledge source is discussed.     

“We Really Felt Part of Something”: Participatory learning among peers within a university teaching‐development community of practice

This paper examines the pedagogic learning of a group of new lecturers at an international research intensive university who were participants on a formal teaching development programme. The lens of situated learning theory is utilised to gain new insights into the learning arising from the development programme but also to reveal certain limitations to pedagogic learning in academic workplaces. Initially, it is shown that academic practice can be construed as socially situated and distributed in specific contexts and that learning thus requires participation in communities of practice. While examining the functioning of teaching development cohort groups as communities of practice, further components of situated learning theory are utilised to more fully understand new lecturers’ social learning than has hitherto been the case. The lecturers’ experiences of learning as social meaning‐making and as legitimate peripheral participation are therefore examined. Furthermore, experiences of learning as a process of identity transformation are investigated. Conclusions are drawn which demonstrate the interplay of social and individual learning in the process of becoming an academic teacher.

Cet article examine les apprentissages d’un groupe de professeurs en début de carrière participant à un programme formel de développement des compétences pédagogiques au sein d’une université de recherche à caractère international. L’approche théorique de l’apprentissage situé (situated learning) est utilisée afin de mettre en lumière les apprentissages découlant de ce programme, mais aussi de soulever certaines lacunes associées aux apprentissages pédagogiques ayant lieu en milieu de travail universitaire. Initialement, il appert que la pratique universitaire (academic practice) puisse être envisagée comme un phénomène étant situé et distribué socialement à l’intérieur de contextes spécifiques; l’apprentissage requiert dès lors la participation à des communautés de pratique. Alors que l’examen du fonctionnement de ces cohortes de développement pédagogique s’effectue du point de vue des communautés de pratique, des composantes additionnelles de la théorie de l’apprentissage situé sont utilisées en vue de mieux comprendre l’apprentissage social des professeurs que ce qui était le cas auparavant. Les expériences des professeurs relativement à la découverte de sens social (social meaning‐making) et à la participation périphérique légitime (legitimate peripheral participation) sont ainsi passées sous la loupe. De plus, les expériences d’apprentissage envisagées comme un processus de transformation d’identité sont examinées. Les conclusions tirées tendent à démontrer l’interaction entre les apprentissages sociaux et individuels au sein du processus de développement de l’enseignant universitaire.     

“It is complicated!”: Practices and challenges of generic skills assessment in Vietnamese universities

Contributing to a lack of studies related to generic skills (GS) assessment, especially in non-Western university contexts, this article reports a study that explored practices and challenges of assessing students’ GS in the Business Administration programmes in six Vietnamese universities. Content analysis of interviews with 41 teachers of skills subjects and specialised subjects revealed that teachers were organising different formative and summative GS-assessment activities. Unfortunately, the analysis indicated that their GS-assessment practices were fragmented across subjects in the curriculum. Teachers’ beliefs regarding their roles in the university, teachers’ expertise and several contextual factors were found to influence their assessment practices. The article argues that leadership should be exercised more effectively in order to remove obstacles and engage teachers with assessing GS, which will yield washback effect on students’ learning of these skills.     

The Value of a “Core” Business‐‐a Case Study of the Involvement of an Australian University in Vietnam: 1993‐1998

This article describes how two dovetailing processes led Swinburne University of Technology of Melbourne, Australia, to the setting up of business studies programmes in Vietnam. One of the processes was the increasingly felt need in Australia to make higher education more cost efficient that stimulated the identification and the exploitation of non‐governmental sources of funding. The other one was the decision, taken in 1986 by the Vietnamese government, to move progressively to a market‐based economy. Thus the Vietnamese government created a demand for increasing numbers of professional workers schooled in Western concepts of business management, accounting, administration, etc. The Swinburne University of Technology responded to this demand in a number of creative ways by setting up collaborative course programmes in some of the major cities of Vietnam.