A mixed methods exploration of the relationships between the racial identity,science identity,science self-efficacy,and science achievement of African American students at HBCUs

Utilizing a Critical Race Mixed Methodology framework, the purpose of this concurrent (QUANT +qual) mixed methods study was to investigate the relationships between the racial identity, science identity, science self-efficacy beliefs, and science achievement of 347 African American college students who attend historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). The quantitative data identified several statistically significant relationships between science identity, racial identity, science self-efficacy, and science achievement. The results of a path analysis suggested that college science achievement is significantly explained by science identity (indirect effect = 0.09, p < 0.01), and marginally by racial identity measures (centrality, nationalist, and public regard), with science self-efficacy serving as a mediator. In the qualitative strand, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 students from the quantitative strand in order to corroborate the findings between the two methods. The qualitative data revealed that HBCUs facilitate the development of the constructs of interest by establishing Black racial cohesion and Black science cohesion, as well as by building students’ science cultural capital. Overall the qualitative findings corroborated several key quantitative findings.     

Social Justice and Resilience for African American Male Counselor Educators: A Phenomenological Study

In this phenomenological study, the authors interviewed 4 African American male counselor educators about their social justice efforts. Resulting themes were lifelong commitment to social justice, reaction to resistance, professional and personal support, and the meaning of social justice work. Findings suggest that social justice work can increase professional resilience for African American male counselor educators.     

Raising the achievement of African heritage pupils: a case study of good practice in British schools

The aim of this paper is to investigate how pupils from black African backgrounds are helped to achieve high standards in schools and to identify the factors that contribute to the success of raising achievement. Two complementary methodological approaches were adopted, each contributing a particular set of data to the study. First, General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) empirical investigation was undertaken to draw lessons from the last seven years by examining in detail the attainment of black African pupils in the authority. This was followed by detailed case‐study research to illuminate how the complex interactions of context, organization, policy and practice helps generate effective practice in raising the attainment of black African pupils. Five case‐study schools were selected. A structured questionnaire was used to interview headteachers, staff, governors, parents and pupils to gather evidence of African heritage pupil achievement. The main findings of the research show that in all schools black African pupils are performing above national average, and in the case‐study schools 79% of black African pupils achieved five+ A*–C GCSEs compared to 48% nationally and 57% in the authority schools. The study has also identified a number of good practices in successful schools. Among the key features that contribute to the success of raising the achievement in the case‐study schools are: African parents value education very highly and respect the authority of schools; strong leadership; effective use of performance data for school self‐evaluation; diversity in the workforce; a highly inclusive curriculum that meets the needs of African heritage pupils; a strong link with the community; well coordinated support and guidance; good parental support and high expectation of their children; and teachers’ high expectation of African heritage pupils and a strong commitment to equal opportunities. The final section gives policy implications for school improvement.     

Development of student–teacher relationships in rural early elementary classrooms

An increasing body of literature documents associations between student–teacher relationships, children's academic success, and children's social competence in school. Less is known about characteristics and processes involved in the quality of relationships between students and teachers, and little research has examined these issues with populations of young students and teachers living in rural communities. The current study examined the relationships between rural kindergarten and first-grade students and their teachers in spring of the school year, predicted by child demographic factors, child process factors, and teacher characteristics. Using a multi-level model to account for clustering of children in classrooms, children's behavior and literacy skills were examined as contributors to the teachers’ perceptions of the developing teacher–student relationship, focusing on their potential to mediate associations between more distal characteristics and teacher–student relationships. Controlling for relationship conflict in fall, boys and African American students were more likely to have relationships with teachers that were higher in conflict in spring. When behavior and literacy skills measures were added to the model, children's behavior mediated the effect of gender, such that behavior problems accounted for much of the variance in student–teacher conflict associated with gender. However, neither behavior problems nor literacy skills mediated the effects of minority status on conflict; African American students had poorer relationships with teachers regardless of behavior or literacy skills.     

The significance of faith for Black men's educational aspirations

It is uncontested that British African Caribbean men are minimally represented in elite UK higher education institutions. Even as data demonstrates that African Caribbean males are more likely to study further education than White males 1 1 Research indicates that the proportion of UK‐domiciled Black students pursuing higher education degree courses has increased since the academic year 2003/04 (ECU, 2014 ).
and that the proportion of UK ‐domiciled Black students pursuing higher education has increased since the 2003/04 academic year (ECU , 2014), the representation of Black students throughout the Russell Group remains low. 2 2 It is important to acknowledge that on the whole, undergraduate Black students are over‐represented in higher education and in 2012/13 experienced the largest increase in the proportion of all BME students attending university to 6.3% (ECU, 2014 , p. 114). However, the majority of this increase in Black student representation is accounted for in non‐Russell Group institutions, particularly at the less prestigious universities that comprise the Million+ Group. The Million+ Group comprises the following universities: Abertay University, Anglia Ruskin University, Bath Spa University, University of Bedfordshire, University of Bolton, Canterbury Christ Church University, University of Cumbria, University of East London, Edinburgh Napier University, London Metropolitan University, London South Bank University, Middlesex University, Staffordshire University, University of Sunderland, University of West London, University of the West of Scotland and Southampton Solent University ( www.millionplus.ac.uk/who-we-are/our-affiliates/ ).
Less than 3% of the entire Russell Group's student population comprised British African Caribbean students in 2011/12 and 2012/2013 (ECU , 2013, p. 203; ECU , 2014, p. 358). However, according to the 2011 Census, ‘Black’ people represent 5.5% (3.1 million) of the total UK population (ONS , 2015). For the few Black men who are successful in attaining acceptance at these exclusive universities, to what assets or capitals do these young men attribute their ability to get to and successful graduate from these institutions? Interviews with 15 Black male students who attended Russell Group universities in England and Wales were analysed and several ‘capitals’ or resources were identified as beneficial to their ability to succeed. Drawing on Bourdieu's work on cultural and social capital, this paper advances the concept of ‘faith capital’ as a unique recognised asset that six of the participants described and reflected upon as being influential on their academic trajectories. Based on findings from the ESRC ‐funded research Exploring the narratives of the few: British African Caribbean male graduates of elite universities in England and Wales , this paper discusses these six participants’ accounts of their higher education journeys in relation to how they identified faith as a resource that was influential to their academic success.     

Once the Capacity Development Initiative is Over: Using Communities of Practice Theory to Transform Individual into Social Learning

Abstract

Purpose: Capacity development for agricultural research and development is missing an opportunity. Initiatives tend to focus on developing capacity of individuals and even when the ultimate aim is social change leave the transformation of individual into social learning largely to chance. I use the lens of social learning systems, particularly concepts from Community of Practice theory, to explore how that theory can provide practical insights into transforming individual into social learning and the design considerations that would support this.

Design/methodology/approach: Using as a case study a professional development programme, African Women in Agricultural Research and Development (AWARD), I conducted a use-oriented systemic inquiry among 26 AWARD participants, with myself as informed investigator within the system of inquiry. Data from interviews and questionnaires were subjected to qualitative analysis using analytic induction with sensitizing concepts from Community of Practice theory.

Practical implications: I identify strengths and challenges, and provide five design considerations that might enable the individuals participating in a capacity development programme to continue to engage after the programme ends and self-organize for concerted action.

Originality/value: The originality of this research article is the use of the three central Community of Practice concepts of domain, community and practice as analytical tools for understanding individual and social learning among the alumni of a professional capacity development programme. This has value for designers of capacity development initiatives.     

非洲联盟在解决非洲地区冲突中的功效——以达尔富尔问题为例

非洲联盟自成立以来在解决非洲地区冲突上发挥了积极的作用.在苏丹达尔富尔问题上,非盟积极调停和斡旋,派遣维和部队,与联合国和有关国家一道为局势的缓和作出了重要的贡献,增强了非盟在解决非洲地区冲突中的地位和作用.但是,非盟在解决非洲地区冲突中也面临着很大的困难和制约,主要有维和能力不足、自身存在的问题、冲突解决机制不完善等.加强非盟在解决非洲地区冲突中的作用,需要处理好冲突干预与冲突国国家主权的关系、处理好自主解决冲突与争取外部支持的关系、处理好冲突干预与促进社会全面发展的关系.此外,加强非盟自身建设是提高非盟解决地区冲突能力的基石.     

非洲农户资源禀赋、内在感知对技术采纳的影响——基于埃塞俄比亚奥罗米亚州的农户调查

技术革新是农业发展的核心动力,技术援助是中国对非洲农业援助的重要方式。本文选取中国援埃塞俄比亚农业技术示范中心所在地奥罗米亚（Oromia）州进行农户调研,根据农业技术扩散特点对已有技术接受模型（TAM）进行调整与扩展,以埃塞俄比亚当地推广的小麦苗床拓宽技术（BBM）为例,实证分析农户资源禀赋与内在感知对非洲农户新技术采纳决策的影响。结果表明：农户资源禀赋作为外在约束对新技术采纳行为存在显著影响,其中小麦种植面积对新技术采纳具有显著的正向影响,土地规模、劳动力数量对新技术采纳具有显著的反向影响;感知有用性、感知易用性是农户对技术认知的内在约束,对农户新技术采纳决策具有显著的正向影响;感知社会规范是农户个体内化的社会约束,传统技术的社会规范对农户新技术采纳决策存在显著的负向影响。由研究结论提出,中国在非洲的农业技术示范与推广应在实施对象、前期推广、传统转变等方面做好策略准备。     

An Author as a Counter-Storyteller: Applying Critical Race Theory to a Coretta Scott King Award Book

This article analyzes the 2002 Coretta Scott King Award book by Mildred Taylor entitled The Land. The novel and its author are situated within a tradition of historical fiction written by and about African Americans. I then offer an analysis that utilizes Critical Race Theory as an interpretive tool for examining the ways Taylor embeds meanings of land ownership into the novel. In particular the following themes emerged: (1) inspiration and adoration, (2) entitlement and privilege, and (3) freedom and security. The conclusion addresses the importance of applying Critical Race Theory to literary studies as well as identifying ways to purposefully incorporate African American young adult historical fiction within today’s classrooms. In this article, the ownership of land as property is foregrounded although the term “property” is both literally and metaphorically understood in Critical Race scholarship (Harris 1993).     

Building bridges across knowledge systems: Ubuntu and participative research paradigms in Bantu communities

This paper discusses how Ubuntu as a philosophy and a methodology was used among Bantu in South Africa together with participative Western paradigms in evaluating an educational computer game. The paper argues that research among Bantu has to articulate research experiences within Ubuntu paradigms if valid outcomes are to be realised.