Matching Items (15)
Description
This seven-month critical performance ethnographic study explores the livedexperiences of Latinx youth artivist-researchers. The data collected through participant observations, arts-based elicitation and semi-structured interviews, artifacts, and analytic memos reveal how Latinx youth utilize artmaking towards transformational resistance. Their participation in an arts-based youth participatory action research project and intergenerational theatre ensemble I call Estrella Theatre (ET) company indicates how art and social justice-driven inquiry produce powerful benefits towards positive youth development; a transformational pedagogy that fosters critical consciousness, civic engagement, and identity construction. To illustrate these distinct yet intertwined processes, I composed an ethnodrama to show how Latinx youth in the U.S. embody transformational resistance in their lives as they traverse school, home, and community spaces. The purpose of the play is to utilize the experiences of the participants to spark critical dialogue and generate knowledge to help society understand the experiences of Latinx youth in K-12 schooling and challenge majoritarian narratives by showcasing how they combine art, research, and social justice towards educational leadership.
ContributorsDominguez, Ashley (Author) / Sampson, Carrie (Thesis advisor) / Bertrand, Melanie (Thesis advisor) / Caldas Chumbes, Blanca (Committee member) / Cammarota, Julio (Committee member) / Etheridge Woodson, Stephani (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2022
Description
Distance education has grown over the past several years due to the integration of technology and its advancements. The flexibility, convenience to the learner, and cost-effectiveness of online learning contributes to this rise in popularity (Boling et al., 2012). Consequently, U.S. colleges and universities are quickly establishing a vast array of distance learning programs and initiatives (Ernest et al., 2013; Jones & Wolf, 2010; Northcote et al., 2015). Communication in these colleges and universities among professors and students is vital, but it is especially critical in an online learning environment where social relationships are formed from the information conveyed by computer-mediated communication (Tu, 2000). Communicating immediacy between the instructor and student, facilitating reflection, and furthering discourse can build rapport while allowing the student to engage with the course content (Tu, 2000; Swan et al., 2008). Further, communication between the professor and the student enhances a sense of belonging, individuality, and intimacy in online learning environments (Boling et al, 2012). Online professors operate in a unique digital space where they provide guidance, instruction, and support to their online students without being in the same place and time. The purpose of this action research study was to explore the perceptions of undergraduate students regarding the strategies that can be used to improve the professor-student communication within the online educational setting. I explored this phenomenon using the theory of transactional distance and the social presence theory. This action research study involved the intervention of a Communication (COMM) Suite along with the participation of undergraduate students who have experienced online learning using both synchronous and asynchronous platforms. I collected data using a Likert scale survey accompanied by individual semi-structured interviews.
ContributorsMayo, Idris (Author) / Sampson, Carrie (Thesis advisor) / Henriksen, Danah (Thesis advisor) / Sutton, Jann (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
In student affairs departments in higher education institutions, supervisors are responsible for meeting the changing needs of both students and employees while staying attuned to the evolving college environment. A student affairs supervisor’s effectiveness relies heavily on social skills, particularly on the ability to communicate through an institution’s ever-changing environment. Effective communication at the management level can continually improve the institution’s ability to meet students shifting needs in educational spaces. A key component of effective communication among student affairs supervisors is offering employees feedback and coaching. Nevertheless, many student affairs supervisors are underprepared to provide feedback and coaching to their employees, especially when it includes difficult conversations. Guided by social constructivism, this survey method study is built on research related to synergistic supervision and performance management to explore the perceived practices, experiences, and needs of student affairs supervisors at Central Community College. The purpose of this study was to examine how student affairs supervisors utilize best practices, including frequent communication of feedback and coaching, goal setting, and employee development outlined in performance management and synergistic supervision theories. This study’s findings add to the current research body on student affairs supervisors' limited training and preparation within the community college context.
ContributorsWalton, Janel (Author) / Sampson, Carrie (Thesis advisor) / Basile, Carole (Thesis advisor) / Walton, Candace (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
Description
The purpose of this study was to evaluate how COVID-19 has affected college athletes physically and mentally. A survey with 36 questions encompassing gender, sport, COVID-19 symptom severity, type and duration, return to play factors, perceived social isolation, depression and anxiety was distributed to all student athletes at Arizona State University. A total of 26 athletes (84.6% female, 15.4% male) who previously contracted the COVID-19 virus participated in the survey, representing a variety of 12 different sports. The study concluded that as student athletes symptom severity increased, symptom duration increased as well. Between one day to 10 months of continued symptoms after returning to sport play was reported by one-third of participating student athletes; however, there was no indication that vaccination status, obtaining a negative COVID-19 test, or obtaining medical clearance prior to returning to sport play after contracting COVID-19 affected if symptoms persisted or not after returning to play. Most (92.3%) athletes reported higher levels of perceived isolation, and as social isolation scores increased, depression scores increased. Abnormal anxiety symptoms were reported by 30.8% of student athletes, and as depression scores increased, anxiety scores increased as well. Study results and further research can be utilized to improve and refine gradual return to play protocols, enhance methods of communication and integration during mass social isolation, and greater assess depression and anxiety prevalence in student athletes.
ContributorsHanley, Breanna (Author) / Larson, David (Thesis director) / Ross, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
Does holding class outdoors have a restorative impact for students? An experimental case study was done at an elementary school in Phoenix to explore this question. A group of 2nd grade students were given a cognitive assessment to measure concentration following exposure to different learning environments, i.e. their classroom and schoolyard. Results indicate that holding class outdoors may have a restorative influence on children's capacity to direct attention.
ContributorsJustesen, Alexandra (Author) / Vanos, Jennifer (Thesis director) / Ross, Allison (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Sustainability (Contributor) / School for the Future of Innovation in Society (Contributor) / School of Complex Adaptive Systems (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description
This three-article dissertation is a qualitative exploration of language ideologies and discourse regarding the English language’s role in Puerto Rico’s (PR) education, politics, and culture. Centering the perspectives of civically engaged youth (CEY) and adhering to critical and decolonial theoretical frameworks, I explore how Puerto Ricans conceptualize the English language and its value at macro, meso, and micro levels. The first article provides a history of English language policies in PR. I perform a thematic analysis of archival newspaper data, political platforms, and politician and educational professional discourse to gain a nuanced understanding of the historical and current sociolinguistic discourse around English in the archipelago. I find that PR politicians use English as a bargaining tool to garner support, while they ignore the citizenry’s educational needs. Many educators, parents, and researchers have first-hand knowledge of the public education system’s dire needs that must be addressed to ensure successful language education programs. This knowledge is ignored by PR’s politicians.
To explore language ideologies regarding English from a mid-level view, I interviewed twelve CEYs to understand their perceptions, ideals, and experiences regarding English language use in PR. I then interpreted the language ideologies that inform CEYs’ interactions with, and perspectives of, the English language. I find that CEYs have complex, fluid, and nuanced beliefs about the English language. With these beliefs, they make room for resisting the traditional dichotomous views between English/Spanish that constrain us to Western ways of thinking, and they create opportunities to affirm their own knowledge and experiences as legitimate.
In the third article, I explore English language use at a micro-level. This involves examining English language use in activism and community work organizations’ official websites and social media platforms. I find that organizations use English not only in nominal ways (to refer to technology terms, United States (US) institutions and more) but also in complex and engaging ways such as citation of Black and Decolonial scholars and disseminating protective language.
ContributorsRodríguez-Martínez, Sara (Author) / Anderson, Kate T (Thesis advisor) / Sampson, Carrie (Committee member) / O'Connor, Brendan (Committee member) / Carroll, Kevin (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2024
Conceptualizing social capital and active transportation to school through a social-ecological model
Description
Active transportation to school (ATS) has received an increasing amount of attention over the past decade due to its promising health contributions. Most of the existing research that surrounds ATS investigates factors from the physical environment as well as factors from the individual perspective that influence walking and biking to school. This research attempts to add to the existing knowledge by exploring the impact that social relationships within the neighborhood have on ATS.
A model, based on social ecological theory, was presented and tested to examine elements thought to influence ATS. A logistic regression analysis was run to determine the odds of students walking or biking based on the influence of each construct within the model. Results indicated that the physical and socio-cultural constructs were directly and significantly related to ATS behavior while the construct of safety had an indirect effect. These findings support the idea that there are several factors that operate within and across different ecological levels to influence the mode of transportation to school. Therefore, programs to promote ATS should involve multi-level strategies. In addition to the physical environment, interventions should address interpersonal relationships within the family, school, and neighborhood.
A model, based on social ecological theory, was presented and tested to examine elements thought to influence ATS. A logistic regression analysis was run to determine the odds of students walking or biking based on the influence of each construct within the model. Results indicated that the physical and socio-cultural constructs were directly and significantly related to ATS behavior while the construct of safety had an indirect effect. These findings support the idea that there are several factors that operate within and across different ecological levels to influence the mode of transportation to school. Therefore, programs to promote ATS should involve multi-level strategies. In addition to the physical environment, interventions should address interpersonal relationships within the family, school, and neighborhood.
ContributorsRoss, Allison (Author) / Searle, Mark (Thesis advisor) / Knopf, Richard (Committee member) / Kulinna, Pamela (Committee member) / Rodriguez, Ariel (Committee member) / Todd, Michael (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2015
Description
This study investigates Black male students' perceptions of their teachers' curricular expectations in mathematics classrooms. Curriculum in this study refers to what knowledge students are expected to learn, and the manner in which they are expected to learn it. The topic of this dissertation is in response to persisting and prevailing achievement disparities experienced by secondary Black male students in mathematics. These disparities exist at the school, district, state, and national level. Utilizing an action research methodology, multiple cycles of data collection led to the final iteration of the study, collecting strictly qualitative data and drawing from critical race methodology to address the three research questions.
The three research questions of this study seek to address how Black male students perceive their mathematics teachers’ curricular expectations, what practices they have found to be effective in meeting their teachers’ higher curricular expectations, and to determine how they view the reform practices as part of the intervention. Research questions were answered using one-on-one and focus group interviews, classroom observations, and student journals. An intervention was developed and delivered as part of the action research, which was an attempt at curriculum reform influenced by culturally relevant pedagogy, warm demander pedagogy, and youth participatory action research.
Findings from the qualitative methods, led to four assertions. The first assertion states, despite achievement disparities, Black male students care very much about their academic success. Second, a primary factor hindering Black male students’ academic success, as communicated by participants, is what they are learning and how they are learning it. Speaking to teachers’ expectations, participants believe their teachers want them to succeed and think highly of them. Additionally, participants preferred interactive, enthusiastic, and caring teachers, even if those teachers are academically demanding. Finally, participants found learning mathematics addressing a problem that affects them, while incorporating components that address their invisibility in the curriculum, increased relevance, interest, and academic self-awareness.
The three research questions of this study seek to address how Black male students perceive their mathematics teachers’ curricular expectations, what practices they have found to be effective in meeting their teachers’ higher curricular expectations, and to determine how they view the reform practices as part of the intervention. Research questions were answered using one-on-one and focus group interviews, classroom observations, and student journals. An intervention was developed and delivered as part of the action research, which was an attempt at curriculum reform influenced by culturally relevant pedagogy, warm demander pedagogy, and youth participatory action research.
Findings from the qualitative methods, led to four assertions. The first assertion states, despite achievement disparities, Black male students care very much about their academic success. Second, a primary factor hindering Black male students’ academic success, as communicated by participants, is what they are learning and how they are learning it. Speaking to teachers’ expectations, participants believe their teachers want them to succeed and think highly of them. Additionally, participants preferred interactive, enthusiastic, and caring teachers, even if those teachers are academically demanding. Finally, participants found learning mathematics addressing a problem that affects them, while incorporating components that address their invisibility in the curriculum, increased relevance, interest, and academic self-awareness.
ContributorsMichael, Junior (Author) / Chen, Ying-Chih (Thesis advisor) / Liou, Daniel Dinn-You (Committee member) / Sampson, Carrie (Committee member) / Bertrand, Melanie (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
The purpose of this study was to understand how community members within a segregated school district approached racial inequities. I conducted a ¬nineteen-month-long ethnography using a critical Participatory Action Research (PAR) approach to explore how members in a community activist group called Eliminate Racism interacted and worked with school district officials. My goal was to identify and examine how community members addressed racially inequitable policies and practices in the Midwestern city of Pinecreek (pseudonym) in the context of a school district that had undergone two school desegregation lawsuits. I conducted 32 interviews with 24 individuals, including teachers and school leaders, parents, and community members.
This study answers three research questions: (1) What strategies did the community activist group use to influence local education policy for addressing racism in the schools? (2) How did community participation influence local education policy? (3) What were the motivating factors for individuals’ involvement in issues of local school segregation? To answer these questions, I used concepts from Critical Race Theory and Social Capital Theory. I employ Putnam’s and Putnam and Campbell’s social capital, Warren’s civic participation, Bonilla-Silva’s color-blind racism, Yosso’s community cultural wealth and religio-civics. My analysis shows that the community group used the social capital and community cultural wealth of its members to create partnerships with district officials. Although Eliminate Racism did not meet its goals, it established itself as a legitimate organization within the community, successfully drawing together residents throughout the city to bring attention to racism in the schools.
The study’s results encourage school and district leaders to constantly bring race to the forefront of their decision-making processes and to question how policy implementation affects minoritized students. This research also suggests that strategies from this community group can be adopted or avoided by other antiracist groups undertaking similar work. Finally, it provides an example of how to employ critical PAR methods into ethnography, as it notes the ways that researcher positionality and status can be leveraged by community groups to support the legitimacy of their mission and work.
This study answers three research questions: (1) What strategies did the community activist group use to influence local education policy for addressing racism in the schools? (2) How did community participation influence local education policy? (3) What were the motivating factors for individuals’ involvement in issues of local school segregation? To answer these questions, I used concepts from Critical Race Theory and Social Capital Theory. I employ Putnam’s and Putnam and Campbell’s social capital, Warren’s civic participation, Bonilla-Silva’s color-blind racism, Yosso’s community cultural wealth and religio-civics. My analysis shows that the community group used the social capital and community cultural wealth of its members to create partnerships with district officials. Although Eliminate Racism did not meet its goals, it established itself as a legitimate organization within the community, successfully drawing together residents throughout the city to bring attention to racism in the schools.
The study’s results encourage school and district leaders to constantly bring race to the forefront of their decision-making processes and to question how policy implementation affects minoritized students. This research also suggests that strategies from this community group can be adopted or avoided by other antiracist groups undertaking similar work. Finally, it provides an example of how to employ critical PAR methods into ethnography, as it notes the ways that researcher positionality and status can be leveraged by community groups to support the legitimacy of their mission and work.
ContributorsWinn, Kevin (Author) / Fischman, Gustavo E (Thesis advisor) / Berliner, David C. (Committee member) / Powers, Jeanne M. (Committee member) / Sampson, Carrie (Committee member) / Bebout, Lee (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
Description
There has been an ever-increasing demand in the United States to produce educated science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) professionals. Because more women and minority students have begun their higher educational preparation at community colleges, these institutions have been uniquely positioned to support these students and increase the number of STEM graduates. Nevertheless, to attain this commendable goal, community college staff and faculty members will need to redouble their efforts to provide active and sustained programs and interventions to support and assure student persistence in STEM fields.
To address the problem of practice, the researcher engaged in a variety of validating practices to influence women and minority students’ intent to persist in a STEM degree. Thirteen, first-year women and minority students participated in the study. Validation theory (Rendón, 1994) provided a framework to inform the intervention and forms of validation. The validating practices included two advising visits and intentional email communications to students in their first semester at community college.
A mixed methods approach was employed to examine two objectives: (a) the types of validation students experienced in their first semester and (b) the influence of validating advising practices on intention to persist in STEM. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, n.d.) guided study efforts in relation to the second objective. Data gathered included survey data, interviews, email communications, and researcher journal entries. Results suggested students experienced academic and interpersonal validation by in-class and out-of-class validating agents. Although not all experiences were validating, students were validated to a greater extent by their academic advisor. Because of validating advising practices, students in this study developed confidence in their ability to be capable college students. Students also felt motivated and expressed intentions to persist toward a STEM degree.
The discussion focuses on explaining outcomes of the four research questions by connecting to the extant literature. In addition, limitations of the study are presented. Finally, implications for practice, implications for future research, and lessons learned are also shared.
To address the problem of practice, the researcher engaged in a variety of validating practices to influence women and minority students’ intent to persist in a STEM degree. Thirteen, first-year women and minority students participated in the study. Validation theory (Rendón, 1994) provided a framework to inform the intervention and forms of validation. The validating practices included two advising visits and intentional email communications to students in their first semester at community college.
A mixed methods approach was employed to examine two objectives: (a) the types of validation students experienced in their first semester and (b) the influence of validating advising practices on intention to persist in STEM. The Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB; Ajzen, n.d.) guided study efforts in relation to the second objective. Data gathered included survey data, interviews, email communications, and researcher journal entries. Results suggested students experienced academic and interpersonal validation by in-class and out-of-class validating agents. Although not all experiences were validating, students were validated to a greater extent by their academic advisor. Because of validating advising practices, students in this study developed confidence in their ability to be capable college students. Students also felt motivated and expressed intentions to persist toward a STEM degree.
The discussion focuses on explaining outcomes of the four research questions by connecting to the extant literature. In addition, limitations of the study are presented. Finally, implications for practice, implications for future research, and lessons learned are also shared.
ContributorsSanchez, Nuria Maria (Author) / Buss, Ray (Thesis advisor) / Sampson, Carrie (Committee member) / Lara, Ernest (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020