It is imperative that those who provide personal therapy to others be well-adjusted in their personal and professional lives and possess a keen and accurate perception of wellness. Yet, persons drawn to careers in counseling often have unresolved psychological issues. Counselor education programs should have a systematic way to evaluate and improve wellness in their students. Studies addressing the well-being of counselors-in-training, their perception of wellness, and their need for self-care are lacking in the professional literature. This study, therefore, examined the relationship between psychological well-being and perceived wellness in a sample (N = 97) of graduate students in a CACREP-accredited counseling program. Based on person-centered theory, the participants' psychological well-being was measured with the Scales of Psychological Well-Being (SPWB), and their perception of wellness with the Perceived Wellness Survey (PWS). Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant relationship between psychological well-being and perceived wellness. Adding a self-assessment tool to counselor education and, thus, facilitating the students' best possible psychological functioning has positive social-change implications: Considering that 57.7 million individuals sought mental health services in 2006, at a cost of {dollar}68.1 billion, working toward greater well-being of counseling students will help them provide the best therapeutic care to their future clients.

Doctors in a Northern California community reported that medical assisting students did not use medical terminology in context, could not think critically, and faltered in decision making and problem solving during their internships in medical offices. The intent of this instrumental case study was to investigate the gap between current methods of lecturing and active-learning projects designed to engage medical assisting students in learning medical terminology, forming critical thinking skills, and developing decision-making techniques. Informed by a constructivist theoretical framework, data were collected regarding the teaching methods of 4 medical instructors through interviews and classroom observations. Documentation from the doctors and nurses whom graduates served upon matriculation was also reviewed. Open coding of data resulted in emerging themes. Findings showed that instructors were unsure how to implement activities to promote critical thinking, active learning in the classroom, and decision-making skills for students. As a result of this research, a 3-day professional development workshop for college instructors was developed, focusing on critical thinking and problem-based learning activities. This study may contribute to positive social change when medical assisting students graduate with the ability to use medical terminology in context, think critically, and provide satisfactory patient care, thus bringing valued expertise to patient care and offsetting the national shortage of labor in this sphere.

Higher education has recently experienced a shift from an input-based accountability system (curriculum and instruction) to one that is now output-based (assessment). Faculty members are the intermediaries who prepare curriculum and instruction to meet the requirements of teacher education departments and to demonstrate results through the achievement of students. The purpose of this study was to understand how adjunct and full-time faculty members experience participation in a public university teacher education department and if faculty members' experience of participation influences instruction. Theories of systems, teacher education, faculty work, and communities of practice formed the study's conceptual framework. Data for the interpretive phenomenological case study included 7 interviews of adjunct and full-time faculty as well as key artifacts and observations of 2 faculty meetings. The data were coded using first- and second-order constructs and analyzed to answer the research question. All full-time faculty members believed their participation in the department affected their instruction whereas the adjunct faculty members did not. Moreover, faculty members had distinct trajectories in a community of practice that may or may not be tied to their status as adjunct or full-time. Increased facilitation of these faculty trajectories by deans and chairs may result in better utilization of faculty professional skills and knowledge. This study's findings may increase knowledge by higher education leadership about their faculty's community of practice and thus create positive social change through the improvement of instruction by faculty and through it, student achievement.

No description available.

Postconflict governments and counterparts have collaborated to provide skills training to communities as a critical postconflict development strategy. In these undertakings, the role of community members remains largely undefined. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive case study was to understand the perceptions held by rural community members regarding the role they played in influencing government's policy priority for technical and vocational education and training (TVET) as a local human development strategy in postconflict Liberia. The conceptual framework was based on human capital theory and concepts of motivation and achievement. Fourteen participants were purposefully selected for the study. Data were collected from interviews, focus group discussion, and documents and analyzed using constant comparison. Results indicated that increasing human capital, restoring self-esteem, encouraging civic participation, and building peace were among the community members' motivations for establishing a skills training institution. Leadership, advocacy, and ownership were major roles community stakeholders played in establishing their local skill training institution; voluntarism and collaboration were found to be strategies for support to the local TVET initiatives. Findings have positive social change implications for facilitating community-initiated TVET programs for youth employment as well as informing TVET policies in countries transitioning from conflict to development.

Secondary school students in Nigeria face challenges regarding their oral health. Few researchers have investigated oral health knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors in Nigerian populations. The purpose of this study was to assess the level of oral health knowledge, behaviors, and practices among secondary school students in Enugu State, Nigeria, in relation to their oral health status. The theoretical framework of this study was based on the health belief model. A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from 12 secondary schools in Enugu State, using a close-ended questionnaire as well as oral examination (dental caries and periodontal diseases) of the students who attended junior secondary (JSS) I, II, and III classes. A total stratified sample of 671 students was included in the study. Bivariate nonparametric tests and logistic regression were used to analyze the data. According to the results of the study, the levels of dental caries and periodontal diseases were relatively low. However, only one fourth of the students had received professional fluoridation, and almost 50% of the participants had never visited a dentist. Students from a missionary school had lower levels of periodontal diseases than those from public schools, with an odds ratio of 0.612 (95% CI [0.402, 0.934]). Students from JSS III class tended to have a lower level of periodontal diseases than those of JSS I class (OR: 0.567, 95% CI [0.363, 0.886]). The social change implications of this study can be the development and incorporation of oral health promotion programs into the school curriculum. These programs may increase the adoption of preventive oral health strategies by students, such as regular dental attendance, to maintain their good oral health for a life time.

Online learning has revolutionized higher education in the United States. In 2007, there were 3.9 million students taking at least 1 online course. Assessment in online instruction is a new experience for teachers because of the recent advent of online course delivery. Current research on online learning does not address instructor experiences with learning assessments. This gap may contribute to online instructors being inadequately prepared to teach online. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore online instructors' experiences with assessments in their undergraduate social science courses. The study was guided by constructivism as well as theories associated with assessment for the college classroom. The main and secondary research questions focused on the participants' experiences with assessment in the online learning environment and the challenges and benefits of assessment in that learning environment. Data were collected with in-depth, semistructured interviews and analyzed via Moustakas's modification of van Kaam's method. The main themes are: (a) instructors use a combination of assessment practices, (b) changes to assessments are based on student feedback, and (c) academic honesty. The present study promotes positive social change by providing members of the online learning community with a better understanding of instructors' assessment processes, as well as the challenges and benefits those instructors face in assessing learning in online classes, all of which may contribute to improved instruction for online students.

Universities must retain satisfied employees to enhance productivity and reduce turnover. Leadership represents one of the fundamental factors in job satisfaction. The purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between perceived academic administrator leadership styles and the satisfaction of faculty members. The independent variables were the transformational, transactional, and passive/avoidant leadership styles of academic administrators as evaluated by faculty members. The dependent variable was job satisfaction of full-time faculty members. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire was used to identify the leadership style of an administrator as perceived by faculty members. Spector's Job Satisfaction Survey was used to assess a faculty member's level of job satisfaction. One hundred four participants from a state university in Florida completed the online survey. A logistic regression model was developed, and the statistically significant correlations indicated that (a) faculty members who identified transformational leadership as dominant had increased job satisfaction, (b) faculty members who identified transactional leadership as dominant had increased job satisfaction, and (c) faculty members who identified passive/avoidant leadership as dominant had decreased job satisfaction. Based on a 95% significance level, there was a significant relationship between the 3 leadership styles and job satisfaction. Using this model, academic leaders can take further action by refining their leadership styles on the basis of their faculty members' indicated preferences. The study results may contribute to social change by making academic administrators aware of effective leadership models that promote higher job satisfaction among faculty in universities.

Current literature suggests the institution of higher education is exploring its identity and role in society, much like the emerging adults who enroll in their programs as traditional aged undergraduates. Literature also reveals that society is asking undergraduate institutions to meet the diverse needs of its students and prepare them for adulthood and life long learning. However, research also highlights the need for students to be educated for participation within an interconnected and complex global society able to facilitate positive social change. Using a developmental lens, this interpretive case study addressed these current needs through interpreting perceptions of undergraduates and recent graduates about their learning within a student organization focused on global social justice. Data were gathered through 15 survey responses, 8 individual interviews, and a focus group of recent graduates as well as a reflexive journal by the researcher, a former faculty advisor of the student organization. All data were coded for emergent themes and evidence of developmental tasks of emerging adulthood and transformative learning. Findings indicated participants of this study experienced sustained transformative learning as undergraduates as a result of engagement in global social justice activism within a student organization. These findings draw attention to the role played by developmental tasks of identity exploration and commitment in undergraduate learning, the potent contributions of a student organization to academic learning, and the transformative power of undergraduate engagement in global social justice awareness and activism for positive social change.

While Black women have etched a place for themselves as leaders within colleges and universities, few have advanced to the most senior levels of postsecondary administration and they remain underrepresented in those type of roles (Gamble & Turner, 2015; Jackson & Harris, 2007; West, 2015). Scholarly research has explored Black women’s experiences as institutional leaders (Davis & Maldonado, 2015; Smith & Crawford, 2007; Waring, 2003); yet the phenomenon of executive-level higher education administration, specifically as it relates to Black women’s perspectives, is not well known (Enke, 2014; Jean-Marie, Williams, & Sherman, 2009). Moreover, research that directs attention to Black women’s unique leadership experiences as executive-level leaders within a Predominantly White Institution (PWI) is scarce (Gamble & Turner, 2015; Mosley, 1980; West, 2015). This transcendental phenomenological study examined the perceptions of Black women’s leadership experiences in their roles as executive-level higher education administrators at a PWI and strategies they used to cope with their experiences. Black Feminist Theory, which centers the narratives of Black women and explores how intersecting oppressions impact their everyday lives, was used to frame the study. Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews and a review of relevant documents were used to collect the voices of four Black women executive-level leaders. Data collected were analyzed using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological method of analysis and synthesized to reveal an essence of the experience of an executive-level higher education administrator at a PWI from the Black woman’s vantage point. Results indicated the meaning ascribed to the experience of being an executive-level higher education administrator were rooted in: Knowing Who You Are, Developing as a Leader, Engaging in the Rules of the Game, Building Relationships, and Navigating Bias and Conflict. Further, Finding Strength through Spirituality, Relying on Family and Friends, Pursuing Enjoyable Activities emerged as strategies used to manage the phenomenon. This study offers a unique view into Black women’s lived experiences and their perspective on leading at a PWI as an executive-level higher education administrator. Findings contribute to building transformative change at colleges and universities by providing insight and knowledge about the experiences of Black women in higher education administration.