<p> This qualitative research study explored the career-decision making process of first-generation Vietnamese college students. The number of Vietnamese students enrolling in postsecondary education continues to be one the highest among all Asian groups. Yet, the educational attainment and graduation numbers of Vietnamese college students are much lower compared to their Asian peers. The unfamiliarity of the significance of various sociocultural values impedes practitioners to help this group of students achieve their educational goals, specifically during career decision-making process. Findings suggest culture, family, and campus support and resources contributed to first-generation Vietnamese college students&rsquo; success and career decision-making process. Implications and recommendations for policy and practice are discussed.</p>

<p> This study inquires into the peak experience of educators arising within educational encounters with students. It indicates a particular trend in education away from authoritarian modes of teacher behavior toward dialogic, empathetic relationships cultivated by teachers with their students. Also indicated is the potential for teachers to transform themselves morally, thereby creating conditions necessary for students to develop moral attitudes and behavior. By developing capacities for meditation, contemplation, and self-reflection, by developing intrapersonal and interpersonal skills, teachers enter on a path of development and actualize a truly human individuality. When self-actualization becomes a modus operando, peak experiences may give self-reflecting teachers knowledge of their own development. </p><p> A mixed-methods approach to the project was used that employed a questionnaire to: (a) establish the demographics of the sample; and (b) survey the types of peak experience that occurred within teachers resulting from educational encounters with children. The questionnaire also requested that the participant give a narrative of a peak experience. From the pool of 46 respondents, seven were chosen for interviews that ultimately clarified and enabled a deeper understanding of the narratives. The interview data and narratives were analyzed using a 3 step process proposed by Ricoeur (1986) and employed by Lindseth and Norberg (2004). The data revealed that teachers working with Steiner pedagogy have a multitude of peak experiences. These teachers use contemplative practice and self-reflection to cultivate intrinsic qualities of empathy, love, and dialogic competence. The findings also affirm that the kinds of peak experience reported by James (1901/2008), Bucke (1905/2006), Maslow (1970), and Csikszentmihalyi (1990) are definitely and extensively in evidence in the sample surveyed. Particular aspects of experience reported also included: dreaming as a mode of cognition, the prescient nature of some experiences, the prevalence of self-reflective and contemplative practices as precursors to peak and transpersonal experiences, the importance of the encounter as a condition for the emergence of such experiences within teachers.</p>

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine the implicit language attitudes of college-level instructors toward accented English and the effect of gender, teaching experience, and home language background on those attitudes. The auditory multifactor Implicit Association Test (IAT) was used to measure the implicit attitudes toward Standard, Chinese, Hispanic, and Korean accented English. For the current study, audio stimuli were embedded into the multifactor IAT, which became available for the first time in 2014. The auditory multifactor IAT generated implicit preference scores of six pairs of accented English: Standard vs. Chinese, Standard vs. Hispanic, Standard vs. Korean, Chinese vs. Hispanic, Chinese vs. Korean, and Hispanic vs. Korean accented English. </p><p> Participants (<i>N</i> = 93) included college instructors at an urban university in Florida. Statistical analysis results suggested that college instructors in this study exhibited some bias towards speakers of Hispanic-accented English, but no bias toward the other five. However, analysis of the frequency distributions of the responses showed bi-polar accent biases did exist. It was possible that the similar numbers for the polar opposites balanced each other in the statistical results of no bias. Gender and home language background had no effect on implicit preference scores. The years of teaching experience had significant effect in Hispanic vs. Korean-accented English, but not in the other five accented language pairs. However, close examination of the beta coefficient per year indicated that the relationship was weak even though the effect was significant. </p><p> Faculty, administrators, and students could use test results as a topic of discussion in faculty development, teaching assistant training, student services, and diversity training in higher education institutions. The discussions might help awareness of hidden-yet-present accent bias and prevent potential prejudice toward other accented English speakers. </p><p> The administrators need to be aware that preferences do exist toward accented English speakers. These preferences&mdash;or biases&mdash;toward an accent may be important in selecting instructors. </p>

<p> This research evaluates the usefulness of transformative experience (TE) in engineering education. With TE, students 1) apply ideas from coursework to everyday experiences without prompting <i>(motivated use);</i> 2) see everyday situations through the lens of course content <i>(expanded perception);</i> and 3) value course content in new ways because it enriches everyday affective experience <i>(affective value).</i> In a three-part study, we examine how engineering educators can promote student progress toward TE and reliably measure that progress.</p><p> For the first study, we select a mechanical engineering technical elective, Flow Visualization, that had evidence of promoting <i>expanded perception </i> of fluid physics. Through student surveys and interviews, we compare this elective to the required Fluid Mechanics course. We found student interest in fluids fell into four categories: complexity, application, ubiquity, and aesthetics. Fluid Mechanics promotes interest from application, while Flow Visualization promotes interest based in ubiquity and aesthetics. Coding for <i> expanded perception,</i> we found it associated with students&rsquo; engineering identity, rather than a specific course. In our second study, we replicate atypical teaching methods from Flow Visualization in a new design course: Aesthetics of Design. Coding of surveys and interviews reveals that open-ended assignments and supportive teams lead to increased ownership of projects, which fuels risk-taking, and produces increased confidence as an engineer.</p><p> The third study seeks to establish parallels between <i>expanded perception</i> and measurable perceptual expertise. Our visual expertise experiment uses fluid flow images with both novices and experts (students who had passed fluid mechanics). After training, subjects sort images into laminar and turbulent categories. The results demonstrate that novices learned to sort the flow stimuli in ways similar to subjects in prior perceptual expertise studies. In contrast, the experts&rsquo; significantly better results suggest they are accessing conceptual fluids knowledge to perform this new, visual task. The ability to map concepts onto visual information is likely a necessary step toward expanded perception.</p><p> Our findings suggest that open-ended aesthetic experiences with engineering content unexpectedly support engineering identity development, and that visual tasks could be developed to measure conceptual understanding, promoting expanded perception. Overall, we find TE a productive theoretical framework for engineering education research.</p>

This paper explores whether the principles of consultation can be applied to broad EP practice, with the aim of building effective partnerships with parents. Parents are an important group of service users for EPs to engage with, as, even though their right to involvement in decision-making regarding their child’s education is well documented, this group has been described as remaining on the periphery of decision making. By exploring the various models and definitions of consultation, five key principles of consultation are proposed and evaluated by parents using a rating scale, supplemented with short open-ended questions. The implications for consultation specifically, and EP practice generally, are discussed, particularly in relation to strengthening partnerships between EPs and parents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether a small group singing intervention can improve phonological discrimination, in young children. This is an important question because of the impact phonological awareness, and the precursors to it, have on later literacy. Early activities which enable children to use their voice are particularly pertinent, in light of increasing concerns over young children’s expressive language when starting school. The study was carried out in a primary school nursery class. A mixed methods design was used. Firstly, a quasi experimental method, where 18 participants, aged three to four, received singing intervention, for six sessions, in four small groups and 20 participants were randomly allocated to a control group. The participants were assessed in phonological discrimination, before and after the intervention. Secondly, a qualitative research method, where a semi-structured interview gained the views of the class teacher, in relation to any potential benefits of the intervention and the feasibility of small group singing in future practice. Thirdly, a mosaic approach was used to gather the children’s views of the intervention, underpinned by the important assumption that children are active co-constructors in the research process. Statistical analysis, using ANOVA and post hoc tests, revealed a significant gain in phonological discrimination for children in the intervention group, compared to the control group, where there was no gain. Thematic analysis revealed broader benefits of the intervention, in terms of improved communication, motivation, confidence and opportunities “to shine”. There appeared to be a value to a small singing group, that could add to existing classroom experience, and that was feasible in practice. Themes that were drawn from the mosaic approach highlighted the importance of paying attention to social learning, enjoyment and building on previous experiences when delivering the intervention. The research concluded, therefore, that both the content of the intervention, as well as the nature of the intervention, are important factors to inform practice. The discussion proposed that the wider literature provides a plausible explanation for these gains in phonological discrimination, in terms of an early common development of music and language and shared learning mechanisms, resulting in a ‘near transfer’ of similar skills. The findings are consistent with a number of studies which have found that music instruction resulted in significant gains in phonological awareness with older children, aged four to six years. Significant gains in phonological discrimination, in this study, can perhaps be best understood by considering the development of phonological awareness within a larger phonological processing system, which includes broader language development. This highlights the important relationships between sub-skills such as large scale phonological awareness (rime and syllable), articulation, and receptive language, and acquiring later reading skills. Singing, in particular, gave the children opportunities to use their voice and enjoy rhythm and rhyme and it therefore seems likely that the singing intervention was tapping into these important sub-skills. Alternative possible explanations for the gains were also discussed. Limitations of the study were described, suggestions for improvements made and recommendations for future research outlined. The study provides a fruitful start to an emerging dialogue in relation to small group singing in the early years classroom. Implications for practice include early intervention in terms of language and literacy development and potential partnerships between music specialists and early years settings to support training, resources and staff confidence.

<p> Previous research has shown that individuals with disordered eating patterns who come from a family that is high in Expressed Emotion tend to have more disordered eating behaviors and over a longer period of time. There is less research on how a person&rsquo;s perception of their family&rsquo;s expressed emotion, specifically the criticism directed at them by a parental figure, affects their disordered eating patterns. The purpose of this research was to examine whether there is a relationship between perceived criticism and disordered eating patterns, as well as whether this relationship is influenced by self-criticism. One hundred and five undergraduate college students participated in an online survey that measured perceived criticism, their self-criticism, and their disordered eating behaviors and thoughts. The results suggest that levels of perceived criticism and disordered eating behaviors and thoughts were not related to each other. However, an individual&rsquo;s perception of parental self-criticism was related to their level of self-criticism. Their level of self-criticism in turn was related to their disordered eating behaviors and thoughts, demonstrating an indirect relationship between perceived criticism and disordered eating patterns. These findings offer some potential areas of consideration for clinicians treating clients with disordered eating behaviors. </p>

<p> The purpose of this study was to describe the co-construction of three 4-H STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) learning by design programs by volunteer educators and youth participants in the 4-H Youth Development Program. The programs advanced STEM learning through design, a pedagogical approach to support youth in planning, designing, and making shareable artifacts. This pedagogical approach is a special case of project-based learning, related to the practices found in the science learning through design literature as well as the making and tinkering movements. Specifically, I explored adult volunteer educators&rsquo; roles and pedagogical strategies implementing the <i> 4-H Junk Drawer Robotics</i> curriculum (Mahacek, Worker, and Mahacek, 2011) and how that, in turn, afforded and constrained opportunities for youth to display or report engagement in design practices; learning of STEM content; strengthening tool competencies; dispositions of resilience, reciprocity, and playfulness; and psychological ownership. The curriculum targeted middle school youth with a sequence of science inquiry activities and engineering design challenges.</p><p> This study employed naturalist and multiple-case study methodology relying on participant observations and video, interviews with educators, and focus groups with youth within three 4-H educational robotics programs organized by adult 4-H volunteer educators. Data collection took place in 2014 and 2015 at Santa Clara with an educator and seven youth; Solano with three educators and eight youth; and Alameda with an educator and seven youth.</p><p> Data analysis revealed six discrete categories of pedagogy and interactions that I labeled as <i>participation structures</i> that included lecture, demonstration, learning activity, group sharing, scripted build, and design &amp; build. These participation structures were related to the observed pedagogical practices employed by the educators. There was evidence of youth engagement in design practices, STEM content learning, strengthening of tool competencies, learning dispositions, and psychological ownership - however, their expression, manifestation, and opportunities were afforded and/or constrained by the various participation structures. Furthermore, conflicts were evidenced in the use of participation structures; emphasis of educators on formal reasoning and planning versus youth preference for hands-on tinkering; and tensions amongst youth peers while engaging in design teams. Two themes emerged regarding the educators&rsquo; pedagogy: adaptations in response to structural and curricular constraints and pedagogical approach influenced by self-identification with a professional field of engineering.</p><p> This study contributes to our understanding of STEM learning through design in out-of-school time. This research helps clarify the tensions among major co-actors, youth, educator, and curriculum, as the learning environment was co-constructed and how that, in turn, afforded opportunities for youth to learn and develop. This study illuminated the complex negotiations between these co-actors and explored questions about who can and does decide the nature of the activity structures. These co-actors were not without conflict, thus suggesting that these spaces and pedagogies do not exemplify STEM teaching on their own, but neither do they preclude practices that deepen young people's interest and motivation for STEM learning.</p>

<p> Various determinants have been found to explain the donor status and giving levels of college alumni. Limited research exists on what motivates college alumni to give repeated donations to a higher education institution. The purpose of this study was to determine if commitment and trust significantly related to higher education institutions receiving repeated annual gifts from college alumni. The extent of the relationship that commitment and trust had with college alumni donating repeated annual gifts was investigated using the commitment-trust theory of relationship marketing (commitment-trust theory) as the theoretical framework. Demographic variables (i.e., gender, age, race, marital status, number of dependents in a household, annual income, highest degree earned, family legacy, and number of years since graduating) were also included and examined to assess how strongly commitment and trust predicted college alumni giving repeated annual gifts. A quantitative, correlational, nonexperimental research design was used in the study to collect and analyze data from online survey responses. The study's sample consisted of 478 college alumni that were purposively drawn from a population of 43,381 college alumni at two 4-year higher education institutions located in the southeastern region of the United States. This sample was comprised of college alumni who graduated from one of the two higher education institutions during or before 2007. Most of the study's alumni were older Caucasian females who were married or in a domestic partnership and without any dependents living in the participants' households. The majority of the alumni also reported having an annual income of more than $100,000, earning a bachelor's degree as the highest level of education and not having any family ties at either institution involved in the study. Multiple regression analyses were performed and revealed commitment and trust to be statistically significant predictors of repeated giving by the sample. A second multiple regression model showed that the demographic variables were insignificant predictors of repeated giving. Including the demographic variables contributed to very small declines in the strength of commitment and trust as predictors of repeated giving. The commitment-trust theory was found to align with the results of the study.</p><p>

<p> The aim of this survey research pilot study was to determine if there is a relationship that exists between a teacher&rsquo;s perceptions about their disciplinary style and early life exposure to adverse experiences. The method consisted of two brief questionnaires (the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire and the Behavior and Instruction Management Scale) which was completed electronically by 2,149 teachers (response rate 16.51%) practicing within the state of Maine. The Behavior and Instruction Management Scale (BIMS) is a validated measure of teacher beliefs about their behavioral and instructional management practices in their classrooms and the Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) questionnaire is a validated measure of early life exposure to adverse experiences. Previous research using the ACE questionnaire indicated a strong correlation between a high number of adverse experiences in childhood and increased risk of developing later negative health conditions, including depression, obesity and heart disease. Moreover, early adverse experiences can lead to more extreme beliefs in parenting practices including discipline. This current survey research pilot-study determined the percentage of teacher who endorsed high levels of adverse childhood experiences and a possible connection between high levels of early adverse experiences and classroom behavior management. </p><p> In this study 14.5% of teachers reported experiencing at least 4 of the 10 categories of adverse childhood experiences, which is over double the expected rate based on the original study. The results of this survey research design were correlated using Spearman&rsquo;s rho and found a very weak and statistically nonsignificant correlation of <i>r</i> = .010, <i> p</i> = .007, between a teacher&rsquo;s ACE score and their BIMS score. The significance of this study and implications for future policy and research are discussed.</p><p>