<p> Schools of social work are facing a challenge of a lack of social workers with a doctorate to fill faculty positions expected to open due to faculty retiring. There is also a need for more ethnic diversity among social work faculty and schools are struggling to recruit and retain more faculty. This qualitative study used phenomenological methods to explore the factors that 20 Black women attribute to earning their doctorate degree in social work. It used Tinto&rsquo;s theory of graduate persistence, critical race theory, and Black feminist thought to contextualize the findings.</p><p> All of the participants were first generational doctoral students. Two factors motivated them to earn their doctorates (1) influence of family, friends and mentors and (2) their desire to help others. Findings also revealed that participants encountered a number of internal and external obstacles during their studies. While these obstacles delayed many of the women, they did not stop them. The women perceived these obstacles to be connected to their race, gender, and class. All of the women prevailed against the obstacles they encountered utilizing internal supports such as their faith and determination. They also relied on external supports from those with whom they had interpersonal relationships, including family, friends, and their institutions. These findings suggest that having support from their institution and encouragement from their family and friends served as a protective factor to the obstacles they encountered. These findings also outline the dichotomy of finances in this study. Overall 90% of participants received some type of funding for their, however all of accumulated financial debt in pursuit of their doctorate. Based on the findings of this study the following suggestions are made for schools of social work. A) Address issues of institutional racism by providing mentorship training courses for faculty. B) Conduct research to test the effectiveness of recommendations outlined in this study. C) Provide more training and resources to prepare Black women who aspire to pursue their Ph.D. in social work.</p><p>

<p> This study explores the role of interracial parents in the development of racial identity in their mixed race children by examining how conversations surrounding race in a mixed race family relate to the ways children in that family racially identify. In addition, the study explores how parents&rsquo; understandings and perceptions of their own racial identity and their child&rsquo;s racial identity affect the way their child feels about race. Semi-structured interviews were conducted on self-identified interracial parents and their mixed race children between the ages of 4 to 9 years old based on themes regarding mixed race identity including family&rsquo;s identity, racial awareness of the child, dual socialization, and sociocultural factors. This study found that parents early experiences growing up, phenotypic expression of parent and child, current political climate, stereotypes and influence of schools had related to the ways in which parents discussed race with their children. More research must be done on mixed race identity, particularly outside of Black/White dichotomies.</p><p>

This thesis addresses the topic of the education of the emotions in the context of a rapidly transforming South African society. It attempts to reconfigure the conceptual landscape in terms of which we think about rationality, social transformation and education, and contests the intellectual and instrumental prejudice in the currently dominant ways of thinking about education. It reclaims a sense of what it would be to think of education in terms of cultivating humanity, as a key to the profound transformation of the South African society. It argues that the emotions should be relocated in our conception of transformation and education, because without it, education will fail to assist South African society to transform into a society where most people are able to live improved quality lives. The thesis comprises three distinct parts. The first part consists of an account of a particular cognitive theory of the emotions, as developed by Martha Nussbaum in her book, Upheavals of thought. The Intelligence of Emotions (2001). This theory is then applied in Part 2 to examine the complexities of social transformation in South Africa at the more profound, personal level. This investigation is presented as a narrative and comprises the perspectives of the author, who is a white Afrikaner female, who grew up in South Africa in the heyday of Apartheid. In the final part, the concept of ‘education for transformation’ is discussed. It is argued that, in order for education to enhance the social transformation of South Africa, social transformation should be conceived according to a fundamental aspect of Rousseau’s political philosophy, namely that the ideal society comprises two reciprocally related spheres, the political and the personal sphere. Part 3 argues that ‘education for transformation’ should be conceived according to a conception of transformation, which acknowledges this double-layered texture. It further argues that ‘education for transformation’ should primarily be concerned with transformation at the personal level, since, according to Rousseau’s philosophy, this dimension is fundamental to ensuring the stability and legitimacy of the political order. However, built on the main insights of Part 2, this thesis also argues that personal transformation is only possible within a framework of rationality, which acknowledges the emotions as constitutive elements of rationality itself. Essentially, this thesis is about the conception of human being, which should be esteemed as the most fundamental and crucial element of successful social transformation.

<p> Parental roles and societal definitions of the concept of &ldquo;parent&rdquo; have changed over the history of U.S. public education. Concomitantly, there has been a marked debate among experts about the importance and effectiveness of parental involvement in education. In addressing this issue, research has concentrated on both the focus (what) and locus (where) of parental involvement but has seldom addressed the conjunction of focus and locus. This expert judgment study on parental involvement in adolescent education expands on the contemporary context of the parental role and offers a framework that demonstrates this multifaceted, contemporary view. This hypothesis-generating, two-phase study relied on Repertory Grid technique to develop a set of social construals shared by 22 individual case study participants, teacher experts who teach adolescent students (Grades 7 through 12) on Long Island. The second phase used an anonymous, online survey asking a larger sample of teacher experts (<i>n</i> = 238) to determine which social construct poles best describe ideal and typical parental behaviors in terms of effective parental involvement. Latent class analysis revealed heterogeneity in teachers&rsquo; experiences with typical parents but a shared, homogenous view of ideal parental behaviors. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed systematic patterns in degree level and school type to predict class membership in the latent classes describing typical parental involvement behaviors. This detailed analysis of the expert judgments and conceptions of teachers about effective parental involvement in adolescent education concluded with implications for educational theory, research, policy, and future practice.</p><p>

<p> School officials know very little about adjudicated youth&rsquo;s experiences after re-entering school. Moreover, the research literature defining and describing school culture as a whole is weak and treats school culture as monolithic. This qualitative study seeks to understand school re-entry culture through the voice of high school students who have reversed the school-to-prison pipeline. This study utilized semi-structured interviews and photovoice research methods. </p><p> Data analysis revealed a school counterculture that exists for students re-entering school. The findings in this study describe a school counterculture of repurposing safety to act on students&rsquo; behalf when facing a potential injustice and repurposing of facilities for privacy and autonomy. When describing reengagement in school, participants noted belonging and acceptance as defining school; help from teachers was critical. The participants also highlighted how the culture of mainstream school requires the practice of catching-up, which for re-entering students, is a very different experience than students who hold significant social and cultural capital. </p><p> The findings in this study contribute an understanding of culture, as a problematic construct. This study proposes that culture should be described and examined as a mosaic of diverse cultures. In addition, using McLaren&rsquo;s (2003) definition of culture helps us see how re-entering students maintain their position in society through the practices, values, and norms in mainstream school determined by dominant culture.</p><p>

<p> Many studies have examined private higher education in China as a roughly whole since 1978, or treated the most significant sector of China&rsquo;s private higher education system, the independent college, as a transient phenomenon, while its development has led to a constant progression of private higher education since the late 1990s. This paper adopted the theory of institutional isomorphism and explored how intertwined coercive, mimetic, and normative forces rooted in a dynamic socioeconomic, political, and cultural context shaped the evolution of the independent college in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces in China from 1999 to 2005. The study amplified the progression of the independent college as well as private higher education through a systematic lens, and provided profound examination of this complex social progress that pulled and pushed this evolution of the independent college.</p><p>

<p> With a considerable focus to increase America&rsquo;s degree completion rates amongst our diverse population, higher education policymakers and researchers have examined the college access, persistence, and completion rates of first-generation students. However, minimal research has addressed the heterogeneous student population through a gendered or intersectional lens. To provide nuance to first-generation scholarship and identity development, the dissertation employed a narrative inquiry approach to examine the meanings five first-generation women made as they understood their intersecting identities within unique institutional contexts. Findings from the study are the following: the women defined themselves as individuals with multiple identities and not solely on their first-generation status; the saliency with which individuals associated with a first-generation identity varied; an initial identity conflict regarding first-generation status catapulted the women&rsquo;s understanding of other social dimensions and allowed them to transition from processing each identity in isolation to an intersectional conception of self; identity development was an evolving process with the saliency of social dimensions fluctuating based on temporal and situational contexts; and some women were not adequately challenged to reflect on their gender identity. The conclusions from the study will add to the knowledge base not only on first-generation students, but undergraduate women&rsquo;s <i>advantaged</i> experiences, and identity intersectionality within higher education.</p><p>

<p> This study sought to fill the gap in the literature concerning intrinsic motivation in elementary students in Grades 4&ndash;6 by examining 155 elementary school students and in-depth interviews with three elementary grade teachers. This study used data collected from the self-report survey called the Children&rsquo;s Academic Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (CAIMI) and from three in-depth elementary school teacher interviews. The study sought to answer the following questions: Is there a difference in student intrinsic motivation levels based on grade level? Do elementary school males and females differ in his or her intrinsic motivation in Grades 4-6? Is there a difference in intrinsic motivation within the subject areas of reading, math, social studies and science? Is there a correlation between a child&rsquo;s intrinsic motivation level and his or her academic performance? What are examples of things that teachers do to promote intrinsic motivation in his or her students, and to what extent are they implemented? The findings of this study indicate that there is not a significant difference with the intrinsic motivation between the grade levels or between the genders. A student&rsquo;s intrinsic motivation within the subject areas of reading, math, and social studies was relatively the same, however, there was a significant statistical difference in science. There was a correlation between a student&rsquo;s intrinsic motivation level and his or her academic achievement in science. Lastly, based upon the data collected and the teachers&rsquo; interviews, four recommendations on how to foster intrinsic motivation in students in Grades 4&ndash;6 were made. Keywords: motivation, intrinsic motivation, extrinsic motivation, elementary, reading, math, science, and social studies.</p><p>

<p> There are approximately 28,000 to 55,000 undocumented enrolled in postsecondary institutions in the United States (Passel, 2003). In order to achieve their educational ambitions despite the structural social, socioeconomic, political, and legislative barriers facing them, undocumented students utilize various resources they have at their disposal. Minoritized populations, specifically undocumented Latino students, have employed individual and collective agency in overcoming structural racism and barriers enacted to maintain the status quo. This study of eight undocumented Latino student activists in Virginia and Washington reveals the various forms of resources available undocumented Latino student activists and documents how these students utilize them to navigate the barriers they encounter, shape the undocumented student social movement, and achieve their educational aspirations. This study seeks to uncover what resources undocumented Latino student activists have at their disposal and how the usage of said resources impacts policy formation on an institutional, state and national level. </p><p> The study seeks to uncover whether undocumented students utilize their available funds of knowledge to achieve their educational goals and navigate through the barriers they encounter. The study finds that undocumented Latino student activists utilize their funds of knowledge in agriculture, business, construction, mechanics, music, and religion to develop strategies to navigate through educational, financial, institutional, and intrapersonal barriers they encountered. This application of funds of knowledge and community cultural wealth to student activism moves the debate from a deficiency narrative that has long permeated higher education research to an agency narrative. </p><p> This study provides valuable insight into the increase of undocumented Latino students&rsquo; participation in activism and how one can best aid undocumented Latino student activists. Through the thematic narrative analysis, the lived history and stories of undocumented Latino student activists from Washington and Virginia are woven together to unveil individual and collective routes to educational attainment and activism on behalf of undocumented students. </p><p>

<p> African American high school students are underrepresented in study abroad programs, and their lack of intercultural skills and international understanding can impede their personal and professional development, and limit their career opportunities. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative case study was to explore the influence of intercultural experiences through study abroad and immersion programs on African American high school students&rsquo; intercultural competence. The conceptual framework drew on 2 theories: Bennett&rsquo;s development model of intercultural sensitivity and Kolb&rsquo;s experiential learning. Data from interviews and focus groups with 13 African American high school students, 2 parents, and 2 teachers as well as documents and field notes from a Northeast United States urban high school addressed the research questions pertaining to how students perceived travel abroad that fostered intercultural competence skills as well as how teachers and parents perceived students&rsquo; personal development. Findings resulted from provisional codes used to identify pattern of codes, and central themes that indicated predeparture seminars and reflective practices enhanced intercultural skills. The portfolios suggested that most students became more reflective and accepting of cultural differences after their sojourn abroad. Recommendations based on the findings suggest increasing homestay experiences and planning and predeparture trainings. Future research is needed on how to attract more male African American students to such programs. The findings may contribute to positive social change by encouraging investment in homestay study abroad and immersion programs with adequate preparation and planning at inner city high schools that might foster intercultural competence skills.</p><p>