Exploring How a Study Abroad and International Service-Learning Project Shaped Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of Humanizing Pedagogy

In an attempt to better prepare future teachers to fight against social injustice, support their culturally and linguistically diverse students and wrestle with social and educational complexities around the globe, many education programs have increased the number of study abroad programs and international service learning projects. In this qualitative study, we explored seven preservice teachers’ experiences related to humanizing pedagogy after participating in a study abroad program combined with an international service-learning project in a South African rural community. Analyzing multiple data sources such as interviews and reflective journals, we discovered that the preservice teachers grappled with the political, social, economic, and educational differences they encountered during the international project and wrestled with conflicting ideas and beliefs about poverty and language. They identified their relationships with students as catalysts to address these educational issues and their need to reverse systemic inequities. They built caring relationships with students in the community and developed additive perspectives the focused on the students’ community cultural capital. The preservice teachers expressed deep critical reflection and a desire to promote a more fully human educational world where students have the opportunities to enact their agency, their creativity, and their language and culture.     

USING LISTENING JOURNALS IN MATH METHODS

The purpose of this teacher action research was twofold: to learn more about preservice teachers' preconceived notions related to listening and to investigate how a listening journal assignment impacted preservice teachers' views of listening as an important aspect of discourse. The participants were enrolled in a mathematics methods course for PreK–3 (early childhood) majors during their last semester of coursework prior to student teaching. Data in the form of final reflections from participants' listening journals and researchers' field notes were analyzed. Findings suggest that the preservice teachers entered the course without truly considering listening as an important component of teaching methods related to facilitating classroom discourse. The listening journal assignment helped them begin to think more deeply about listening and the different definitions and modes of listening; however, at the end of the semester, many still wrote about their own personal journeys with listening and not about the role of listening as a key element in promoting classroom discourse and learning.     

Photovoice: understanding high school females’ conceptions of mathematics and learning mathematics

Photovoice is a participatory action research tool that is grounded in the literature for critical consciousness (Wang & Burris, 1997). Four creative high school girls who reported struggles with mathematics were given cameras and asked to take photographs to answer the following questions: (1) What is mathematics? (2) What is your ideal learning environment? (3) What things impede your learning of mathematics? Within-case and cross-case analyses of the photographs and interview responses were conducted. Each individual case was analyzed using the work of Belenky, Clinchy, Goldberger, and Tarule (Women’s Ways of Knowing, 1986) who investigated women’s epistemological perspectives. The girls were either silenced (disconnected from the mathematical knowledge of the teacher), received (lacked confidence to do mathematics independently), or “fragily” subjective (viewed mathematical knowledge as personal rather than imparted by the teacher) knowers of mathematics. The use of photovoice has the power to facilitate the nurturing of silence as it moves toward the “roar which is on the other side of silence” (Belenky et al., 1986, p. 4).     

How Does the Freezer Burn Our Food?

ABSTRACT:  Freezer burn is a common problem that significantly affects the color, texture, and flavor of frozen foods. Food science students should be able to clearly explain the causes and consequences of freezer burn. However, it is difficult to find a modern, detailed, accurate, yet concise, explanation of the mechanism and factors influencing the rate of freezer burn, suitable for classroom use. Thus, the purpose of this article is to provide students and instructors alike with such an explanation, replete with visual explanations, including 2 short animations. The animations, in QuickTime format, are available as supporting information and can be downloaded for free educational use.     

Experiencing action evaluation’s cyclic process: partnering conflict,reflection, and action

In this article, the authors describe experiences in and offer suggestions from a course entitled ‘Educational Innovation for Excellence Through Action Research, Conflict Resolution, and Organizational Learning’ – an action evaluation (AE). The class was taught using the principles of action research and AE. The authors explore the impact that the course had on the their personal perceptions and classmates’ perceptions of AE, grapple with the criteria for what constituted a shared definition of ‘success’ in the course, and offer a critical lens for viewing educational evaluation as a means to continued self-reflection or reflexivity. The theoretical framework utilized is symbolic interactionism and critical pedagogy. The process of AE, including resonance, positive disruptions, reflexivity, and conflict resolution, is discussed within the authors’ narratives. Action evaluation is revealed as the complex process of joining sometimes apparently disjointed participants as unlikely partners to create change. This study helps to fill a gap of enriching action research with narratives, by exploring AE through reflection, and by creating discussion regarding critical pedagogy and social change. Implications for a wide audience include suggested conflict resolution strategies and examples of evaluation uses for instructors in numerous classes. Recommendations for AE implementation and strategies to promote social change – including core values of democratic participation, community empowerment, and social justice – are also presented.     

Gelatin‐Filtered Consommé: A Practical Demonstration of the Freezing and Thawing Processes

ABSTRACT: Freezing is a key food processing and preservation technique widely used in the food industry. Application of best freezing and storage practices extends the shelf‐life of foods for several months, while retaining much of the original quality of the fresh food. During freezing, as well as its counterpart process, thawing, a number of critical physiochemical processes take place, including freeze concentration and freezing‐point depression. As a start to understanding the complexities associated with frozen foods, Food Science students should be able to describe and explain what occurs during the freezing and thawing of an aqueous solution. A modern cooking technique, gelatin‐filtered consommé, illustrates all of the phenomena associated with the freezing and thawing processes in a memorable, edible, hands‐on fashion.     

What Motivates Today’s Criminal Justice Student to Become an Engaged Learner?

The use of student-centered High Impact Practices (HIPs) has become increasingly popular across university and college faculty. HIPs increase student development of critical thinking, problem solving, and communication skills. HIPs also provide students the opportunity to engage in real-world application of course knowledge. While HIPs increase student engagement and intrinsic motivation, little research has explored student perception of these concepts. This article describes a pilot course offered to upper level criminal justice students that incorporated three HIPs: undergraduate research, collaborative assignments, and service/community-based learning. Semi-structured interviews were used to facilitate individual student discussion regarding their perceptions and experiences of the course related to their level of motivation and engagement as compared to traditional classes. Results indicated student expectations for the course were exceeded; students believed the course would positively impact their future career/education plans; and the HIPs motivated the students to engage more than their traditional lecture-oriented courses.