Twenty years of research on college students: Lessons for future research

Based on a comprehensive review of the last twenty years of research on the influences of college on students, this article discusses conceptual and methodological recommendations for enhancing future assessment and college impact studies. The recommendations deal with isolating net college effects, studying the timing of change, estimating college effect sizes, examining indirect and conditional effects, and the potential benefits of qualitative approaches. Areas for future inquiry are also identified.Presented at the Annual Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Louisville, KY, May 13–16, 1990.     

U.S. and Israeli young women’s future perceptions

The current study investigated the content of future perceptions among 47 U.S. women and 48 Israeli women. Thematic analysis was used to explore participants’ qualitative responses. Women’s responses covered a wide range of topics, and were categorized into ten key themes: (a) work, (b) family/relationships, (c) property, (d) residence, (e) education, (f) general quality of life, (g) leisure, (h) pro-social activities, (i) multiple role management, and (j) religion. Results demonstrated the role of nationality in the process of exploration and future perceptions. Implications for research and practice are discussed.     

ACTT now: A collaboration reshaping teacher technology training

Conclusion While the FBMP has had to go through many of the growing pains that often come with a new program, it is continuing to develop to meet the changing needs that teachers have in regards to both technology training and implementing technology-infused lessons within their daily classroom activities. As uncertified teachers work toward their particular subject area credentials, they are also working to develop the skills that will make them into the types of teachers that will be better able to help their students experience many of the technological advancements that may provide them with the skills necessary to compete in an ever-changing marketplace. While the goal is to create a teaching staff grounded in the belief and understanding that technology has the potential to fundamentally change how teachers teach and students learn, the FBMP recognizes the fact that teachers themselves are all moving on their own integration continuum. Some are just starting to become familiar with different technological applications, and others are already manipulating technology and using it effectively to benefit their own subject area lessons. Helping teachers move along this continuum is the overarching goal of the program, and by providing a systematic structure for both training and support, the FBMP is working to revamp the educational process in Brunswick County and ultimately raise the standards of both teachers and students across the County as a whole.     

Learning To Read Each Other: Black Female Graduate Students Share Their Experiences at a White Research I Institution

This paper uses Black Feminist Thought to explain the lived experiences of three Black female graduate students at a White Research I institution. Through mentoring from Black female professors, the students received instrumental and psychosocial support that helped them to navigate through their graduate level work. Common themes of identity, community service missions, and empowerment provides a thread that ties the student’s narratives together. We close by offering some suggestions for further research on the Black graduate experience and mentoring Black graduate students. Meca R. Williams, Denise N. Brewley, R. Judith Reed and Dorothy Y. White are affiliated with University of Georgia. Rachel T. Davis-Haley is affiliated with University of New Orleans.     

The pedagogical potential of drawing and writing in a primary science multimodal unit

In consideration of the potential of drawing and writing as assessment and learning tools, we explored how early primary students used these modes to communicate their science understandings. The context for this study was a curricular unit that incorporated multiple modes of representation in both the presentation of information and production of student understanding with a focus on the structure and function of carnivorous plants (CPs). Two science teacher educators and two first-grade teachers in the United States co-planned and co-taught a multimodal science unit on CP structure and function that included multiple representations of Venus flytraps (VFTs): physical specimens, photographs, videos, text, and discussions. Pre- and post-assessment student drawings and writings were statistically compared to note significant changes, and pre- and post-assessment writings were qualitatively analysed to note themes in student ideas. Results indicate that students increased their knowledge of VFT structure and function and synthesised information from multiple modes. While students included more structures of the VFT in their drawings, they were better able to describe the functions of structures in their writings. These results suggest the benefits for student learning and assessment of having early primary students represent their science understandings in multiple modes.