ABSTRACT
Mobile application developers rely largely on user reviews for identifying issues in mobile applications and meeting the users' expectations. User reviews are unstructured, unorganized and very informal. Identifying and classifying issues by extracting required information from reviews is difficult due to a large number of reviews. To automate the process of classifying reviews many researchers have adopted machine learning approaches. Keeping in view, the rising demand for educational applications, especially during COVID-19, this research aims to automate Android application education reviews' classification and sentiment analysis using natural language processing and machine learning techniques. A baseline corpus comprising 13,000 records has been built by collecting reviews of more than 20 educational applications. The reviews were then manually labelled with respect to sentiment and issue types mentioned in each review. User reviews are classified into eight categories and various machine learning algorithms are applied to classify users' sentiments and issues of applications. The results demonstrate that our proposed framework achieved an accuracy of 97% for sentiment identification and an accuracy of 94% in classifying the most significant issues. Moreover, the interpretability of the model is verified by using the explainable artificial intelligence technique of local interpretable model-agnostic explanations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to investigate the effectiveness of remote teacher preparation during the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically special education teachers participating at an Intern Credentialing Program in Northern California.In addition to remote teacher preparation, the study explored how intern teachers experienced delivering special services remotely, how they perceived the Intern Program prepared them compared to traditional programs, and how they experienced their preparation to become agents of change in public education. Data for this study was collected through field journals, surveys and interviews. The findings of this study revealed that Intern Teachers experienced remote Teacher Education as having more benefits than challenges, however the delivery of services to students with disabilities had more challenges than benefits. The interviews indicated that the Intern Teachers believe they are not well prepared to be agents of change.Implications of the study include recommendations to continue teacher education remotely, to develop a tool to determine student benefit from delivery of special services remotely, and to add to teacher education programs curriculum and activities that support diversity, inclusion, and belonging in the classroom through the frameworks of Emancipatory Pedagogies, Critical Race Theory, Culturally Relevant Pedagogy, Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy and Discrit. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to research the impact of mental health wellness on educational leaders. Leaders with 3 or more years of experience in positions of leadership in Southern California, at the school site and district levels, were invited to participate. Interested participants, who met the criteria, were added to a list of potential participants from which 20 were selected at random and notified. The participants were interviewed once and asked the same 10 questions. The interview was designed to elicit examples of how mental health wellness plays a role in an educational leader's life, both professionally and personally. Leaders in this study shared their reasons for becoming an educator, the path that led them to their leadership position, how mental health plays a role in their ability to perform the duties of their job, roles and responsibilities, as well as how COVID-19 has impacted their overall mental health. Through this research, it demonstrated evidence that mental health wellness is negatively impacted by the positions that educational leaders hold and it has been exacerbated by the demands that COVID-19 have placed on our country, especially our educational system. Implications for this study suggest that changes need to be made to the systems and structures within school districts to better support leaders with mental health wellness so that they can be more effective leaders for the communities that they serve. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This dissertation research study aimed to determine the predictors of early literacy skills in kindergarteners with dyslexia familial risk. The home literacy environment, preschool attendance, and parental self-efficacy are known predictors of early literacy skills, specifically letter naming knowledge, in typically developing children. Letter naming knowledge is an early literacy skill that is important to future reading achievement and outcomes. Letter naming knowledge is also a powerful pre-literacy predictor of dyslexia. Dyslexia commonly manifest as difficulties in acquiring basic reading skills and is highly heritable. The population for this study was primary caregivers of kindergarteners with a first degree relative with a diagnosis of dyslexia. Participants completed the Home Literacy Checklist, Tool to Measure Parenting Self-Efficacy via an online survey with questions regarding preschool attendance, letter naming knowledge skills, and the presence of a diagnosis of dyslexia among first degree relatives. SPSS Statistics (Version 28) was used to run descriptive statistics. The sample was comprised of 12 primary caregivers. This sample size was not appropriate for the chosen analysis of multiple regression. Using exploratory data analysis, the data was organized and summarized. Due to an inadequate sample size caused by a low response rate, no conclusions could be drawn from this data. The research questions were not answered and there were no findings. COVID-19 restrictions impacted research sites and the level of participation, with participants being less available, school closures, and mandatory quarantines, creating a difficult atmosphere for completion of this research study. As a result, the lack of data during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns led to several revisions of the research plan. The revisions involved eliminating the need for standardized test scores, using primary caregiver report to determine the level of difficulty of letter naming knowledge of the kindergarten student, and using social media to recruit participants. Recommendations for further research were comprised of ways to increase the pool of participants by expanding inclusion criteria, eliminating the use of standardized test scores, considering the length of the survey, and the use of social media along with an incentive. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked a public health crisis impacting every aspect of the world. Within education, this crisis caused leaders to navigate through unknown territory. Researchers were overwhelmed seeking to identify effective school leadership before the COVID-19 pandemic. The health crisis has unleashed a host of challenges for supporting leaders of all levels of public schools. Burnout could be a factor leading to high school principal turnover during the pandemic, but also leadership styles may affect high school principals' intention to leave their posts. While the value of transformational campus leadership is known, and there are current surveys to gather job burnout and turnover intention, there is a gap between connecting the three constructs. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictive relationship leadership style and job burnout have on turnover intention among Texas high school principals during the COVID-19 global pandemic. This study design was a quantitative survey non-experimental correlational approach. Surveys were distributed to principals through the Texas Association of School Administrators, and all responses were anonymous. The data analysis involved logistic regression for the independent variables of burnout and leadership style predicting the dichotomous turnover intention dependent variable. The overall model was not significant based on an alpha of .05, chi2(4) = 3.54, p = .471, suggesting that the leadership styles More Transformational than Norm, More Transactional than Norm, More Passive-Avoidant than Norm, and Job Burnout did not have a significant effect on the odds of observing the Desire to Stay category of Turnover Intention. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
With the adoption of the new Common Core Visual and Performing Arts Standards by the California Department of Education in 2019, there was an emphasis on creating a more inclusive and equitable arts educational experience for students through their arts educators. Unfortunately, with the majority of educators in the Visual and Performing Arts departments within California with an average of more than five years teaching experience, they obtained their knowledge of mandatory California teacher standards before the adoption took place for new common core state standards. Therefore, how are current students enrolled in these courses, specifically Historically Marginalized Students, obtaining an arts education that emphasizes inclusivity and equity? Professional development has not been provided that emphasizes equity and inclusive as well as a shift with the COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the educational system. How are students interacting with curriculum, and how arts educators looking to increase student engagement? This three-part qualitative action research study builds on a collaboratively developed lesson plan to engage a diverse art class consisting of historically marginalized students. Within this secondary visual arts classroom setting the implementation of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices consistently occurs. Second, the study explores the effectiveness of this implementation through student self-expression in the form of media influenced, design concept analysis. Third, through the analysis of completed student artifacts and reflections, understand the effect of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices through artistic self-expression. The concluding recommendations support the implementation of culturally sustaining pedagogical practices to increase authentic student self-expression. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
At the onset of widespread COVID-19 in early 2020, institutions of higher education were abruptly faced with the need to rely on educational technology as a primary mode of teaching students, referred to as emergency remote teaching (ERT). Almost overnight, there was a corresponding and urgent need for instructional designer support and expertise. The realities of sudden, ubiquitous online educational delivery may have impacted the practice, practitioners, and future of instructional design in higher education. This dissertation is composed of three studies focused on instructional designers' experiences in higher education, before, during, and following the COVID-19- associated shift to ERT.With this dissertation as a whole and within each study individually, it is possible to begin to understand what it is like to be an instructional designer in higher education: what has changed for them since the height of the pandemic;what has not changed;and most importantly, what do they need as professionals and who can provide it for them?The first study is a literature review focused on identifying the roles, challenges, supports experienced by instructional designers in higher education as captured in scholarship from 2000-2020. The second study extends the body of research outlined in the first study by taking a participatory, qualitative approach to explore the challenges experienced by instructional designers during the COVID-19 pandemic and the supports they think can help them address these challenges. The third study presents a qualitative investigation focused on the future of instructional design in higher education as envisioned by instructional designers, including exploring their ideas of the agency they possess to influence that future. Together, the second and third studies aim to update and contextualize the findings of the first study in the current post-/pandemic era. These three studies, individually and together, illuminate instructional designers' experiences in higher education during what may ultimately prove to have been a tipping point for technology-supported education and the field of instructional design in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Access and use of computer-based educational technology within K-12 schools have been steadily increasing since the 1980s (Cuban, 1993;Delgado et al., 2015;Penuel, 2006), including more school districts providing every student with a device (1:1) after the year 2000 (Gray & Lewis, 2021;Harper & Milman, 2016;Penuel, 2006;Zheng et al., 2016). Despite this steady increase in devices, information systems, and learning platforms within schools, growth of information technology (IT) staff positions has not grown proportionally with technology and has resulted in a staff capacity issue for district technology departments (CoSN, 2021;Gao & Murphy, 2016;Kentucky Department of Education, 2017). This issue was exacerbated by the emergency switch to distance learning as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which relied on devices and online systems for learning to continue and further strained the technology departments (CoSN, 2022a, 2022b;Rauf, 2020;White, 2020).Since computers were introduced to these educational institutions, schools and districts have positioned students as technical and pedagogical supports for educational technology (National School Boards Association, 2002;Van Eck et al., 2001). Commonly known as student tech teams (STTs), this type of program is still frequent today within schools and there is a wealth of practitioner-created resources on the topic. Yet, studies on these programs are absent from the decades of research on technology integration within K-12 schools (Peterson & Scharber, 2017).This dissertation was designed to fill this void within the literature, provide a foundational understanding of STTs within K-12 educational technology initiatives, and identify practical strategies for school educators and leaders. Using a philosophically pragmatic lens and an ecological framework (Zhao & Frank, 2003), this explanatory sequential mixed-methods study (Creswell & Plano Clark, 2011) explored the following research questions:* How are student technology teams structured within K-12 school ecosystems?* What is the role of student technology teams within K-12 technology integration initiatives?Results from the study indicated that STTs are structured as work- and project-based courses, assistantships, and extracurriculars that can support the technical and instructional needs of staff and students within a school or district environment. STTs also provide opportunities for students to collaborate and create by tinkering with technologies and developing products that interest them while building their digital literacy skills. No two STTs are structured the same;however, staff and students' technical and instructional needs are common programmatic focus areas across STT environments.The role of STTs within K-12 technology integration initiatives is to give students autonomy, unique experiences, and opportunities to learn while serving the school and/or district community. The role of STT, as well as the benefit to its student members, is shaped by the coaches, tech department, and administrators' intentionality and mindset related to the capacity of students. Secondly, the STT's role is also shaped by the school and district's technology, schedules, and location. The findings of this study contribute to and extend the current understanding of educational technology initiatives, student tech teams, computing education in schools, and ecological framing of educational technologies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
As the need for virtual instruction increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic, teachers faced changes in the way they had to instruct students. This sudden change impacted the delivery of information by middle school teachers who had been accustomed to the traditional (face-to-face) method of instructing their students with disabilities. This study was designed to explore teachers' perspectives on the challenges facing middle school students with disabilities in a virtual classroom during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three research questions guided the study: (a) What were teachers' perspectives on their preparation to deliver virtual instruction? (b) What strategies were implemented to serve students with disabilities in the virtual classroom?(c) What were teachers' perspectives on the benefits and challenges of virtual instruction for students with disabilities? The researcher used data from a demographic survey and interview questions from 15 special education and regular elementary, middle, and high school teachers of students with disabilities to explore the teachers' perspectives on the transition from traditional instruction to virtual instruction. Three themes evolved: Professional Development/Training in technology and adapting virtual learning to students with disabilities, Strategies to better assist these students in virtual learning, and Challenges and Benefits of teachers' transition from traditional to virtual instruction. The results of this study showed a need for professional training to provide new strategies to assist educators as they transition from traditional to virtual instruction. The study also revealed that teachers faced challenges while instructing students virtually, although teachers acknowledged some benefits. Study implications were that teachers found the transition difficult and encountered many problems with their students not experienced in the traditional classroom. Further research is needed with larger populations to explore teachers' transitions from traditional to virtual instruction, their needs for professional development and training, and means of support for students with disabilities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study examined the impact of COVID-19 restrictions on 16 LGBTQ+ individuals 16 -18 years of age in rural Washington. Data were collected using semi structured virtual interviews, an Experience Questionnaire (EQ) and the Behavioral Assessment Scale for Children - Edition 3 Behavioral and Emotional Screening System (BASC-3). A few major themes emerged from the data: changes in relationships, negative psychological impacts, resiliency, and challenges such as barriers, tensions, and routine changes. Participants found COVID-19 restrictions created barriers to accessing social outlets such as extracurricular activities, LGBTQ+ community center, and so on, as well as engaging with resources for mental and physical health. Participants reported that navigating the significant changes in routines due to school closings and social distancing measures negatively impacted their mental health. Online school, increased home responsibilities, lack of structure or routine, and pressure to maintain grades were the main stressors found to contribute to a decline in mental health. Tensions related to having differing opinions from family members were often triggered or exacerbated by increased proximity with family, due to being stuck at home. Tensions also included experiences of homophobia, transphobia, and racism. These tensions contributed to lower mental health, as many participants felt "trapped" in their own home and unable to reveal parts of their identity. Participants reported that COVID-19 restrictions also impacted their relationships positively in some ways. Some participants found that COVID-19 restrictions allowed them to get out of negative relationships, identify healthy or positive friendships, and be more intentional in their friendships. Although most participants experienced negative psychological impacts on their mental health, many were also able to identify areas of resiliency and improvement. Participants identified new methods for coping, found new and innovative ways to engage with support networks, and found that increased time alone allowed for self-improvement and unprecedented identity exploration. Results of the study add to the limited research currently available about the impact COVID-19 restrictions had on LGBTQ+ youth in rural areas and provide critical information for professionals who work with school-aged LGBTQ+ populations, especially those living in rural communities. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Intervention following alternative events is essential for continued cognitive development. Prior research has cognitive growth models and the effect of alternative stimuli on youth when given similar foundations. Following the return to school after a national pandemic and extended school closure following the COVID-19 outbreak of 2020, it is vital to determine factors to increase positive post-secondary outcomes for students. This research study examined the potential impact of student mental health on academic achievement in response to school closure following a pandemic. The research study consisted of 92 individual students and was a quasi-experimental quantitative study. Data consisted of two nominal independent variables and one scale dependent variable. The independent variables were participation in school based mental health or non-participation and the dependent variables were STAR 360 benchmark assessments in reading and math. Scaled Score and Normal Curve Equivalent were analyzed utilizing SPSS to calculate statistical significance within the data set. The data from this study indicated statistically significant growth in reading and math post-school closure as well as statistical significance in between all benchmark assessments in relation to time but no statistical significance due to school based mental health. The findings represent students who were presented with alternative stimuli and required intervention to return to commensurate cognitive growth. Following the pandemic closure, schools needed to develop additional levels of support that reconnected students to school and furthered social and emotional learning practices. Analysis of pre- and post-extended school closure data as well as the main effect of time in posttest analysis suggests that universal support over time may correlate to increased academic achievement and growth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The formulation of a sense of community (SOC) among students has received significant attention in the literature in recent years. However, digitally enhanced learning and COVID-19 have amplified the challenges vis-a-vis connecting students and making them feel involved and recognized in virtual learning ecologies for higher educational institutions (HEIs). This review examines the factors impacting students' SOC development in online and hybrid learning environments for HEIs. To provide a holistic view, we synthesize the streams of theoretical foundations on SOC for keyword search strategy and follow Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. In total, 128 empirical studies from 2015 to October 2022 are synthesized. One of the main contributions lies in disclosing the multiple levels of students' SOC formulation from a sociological perspective on HEIs. It further broadens our understanding of the dimensions, and the roles and responsibilities of key players, as well as the units involved in the social context of HEIs. The main findings reveal that HEIs should "circulate the blood" by integrating various key elements identified in pedagogy, instructor, learner, and extra-curriculum fields into the learning ecology for SOC facilitation to formulate an implicit curriculum and a more interactive, supportive, and caring environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Background: The Covid-19 pandemic caused over 38,900 deaths in the state of Ohio with a cumulative hospitalization (March 2020-July 2022) of approximately 119,500. The pandemic propelled novice nurses to quickly demonstrate knowledge and skills of high crisis patient care, such as Advance Life Support (ALS) events. This forced organizations to rapidly deploy educational interventions to support the novice nurse's delivery of high-quality emergent patient care delivery. The literature supports simulation to improve the novice nurses' self-confidence yet, the literature remains unclear regarding how simulation enhances knowledge and skill performance, especially during a pandemic. Methods: Using an experimental randomized controlled, longitudinal, pre-test, post-test design, this study examined the effects of adding an on-line Advance Life Support (ALS) patient scenario module to the current ALS program when exploring participant training experience, knowledge, and skill of the required ALS concepts (initiating cardiopulmonary resuscitation, ECG rhythm recognition, pharmacology, and team communication) during high crisis patient care situations. A convenience sample (N=27) of novice nurses who are employed at a Mid-Western health system were randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. Both groups completed a demographic questionnaire followed by participation in a video-taped, ALS high fidelity simulation and debrief for evaluation of baseline knowledge and skill performance at baseline and at three months. Between the simulations (1 month) the intervention group received the same written clinical update as the control group, plus an independent on-line patient scenario of ALS concepts. Qualitative descriptors of the novice nurse's experience of participating in high crisis simulations were explored. Results: Nine participants completed this study. Quantitative descriptive statistics for trends noted, at baseline, both the control and intervention groups scored low (Control 25% n=4;Intervention 67% n=5) for the skills of "Initiating high quality CPR).". Post intervention, the control group missed CPR resuming in less than 10 seconds after defibrillating at 150-200 joules. When assessing the participants practice areas the control group had 3 of the 4 participants in the ICU and 1 in the Progressive Care units. This missed skill item could be contributed to the oversaturation of codes, coupled with the mental exhaustion form the pandemic, could lead to missed care even during practiced repetitive skills. Quantitative data trends for knowledge and skill coupled with the participant attrition rate of 67% (n=18) led to the exploration of the experience of novice nurses participating in ALS cardiac arrest training during a pandemic. Three qualitative descriptors emerged by examining the transcripts from the simulation debriefs for all simulations: team collaboration, mental distress, and increased confidence to incorporate new skills. Conclusions: On-line independent patient scenarios provided reinforcement of ALS knowledge and skill concepts. Critical knowledge and skill team communication principles may not be reinforced when providing patient care. Simulation debriefs allow the novice nurses to apply fundamental concepts in a safe learning environment. Novice nurses need scaffolding of knowledge to grow and maintain their knowledge, skill, and confidence. Future education experiences should be designed to allow for frequent dosing of simulations with structured debriefs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of first-year seminar (FYS) course modality on first-semester GPA and second-semester retention of community college students' system-wide. For many student's community colleges serve as an affordable option for higher education. The first-year seminar course connects students to the college to create better academic outcomes. With the increase in technology the FYS course is available in three different course modalities;face-to-face, hybrid, and online. Understanding which course modality has the largest academic outcomes of FYS course will present administrators of the benefits of one modality over others. The study investigated academic outcomes of the FYS course by examining course modality at Lone Star Community College (LSC). Findings revealed no statistical differences between full-time enrolled students in any of the course modalities. Part-time students in the face-to-face FYS had higher first-semester GPA's than those enrolled in the other modalities. Results revealed students in the online FYS course modality were less likely to be retained the second semester. When predicting second-semester retention, enrollment status was a stronger predictor than course modality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This study examined the emotional costs and well-being of postsecondary students with learning disabilities (LD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) who faced a sudden shift to emergency remote teaching (ERT) during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study was conducted with 237 postsecondary students in Israel from June to July 2020. With regard to online learning, the LD/ADHD subjects reported significantly higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression and lower well-being than their neurotypical counterparts. However, no significant differences were found in emotional costs and well-being when the same students had experienced online learning prior to the pandemic. These findings have practical implications for policymakers in academia with regard to the emotional toll of online learning among students with LD/ADHD and their specific needs when facing ERT during the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the contribution of previous online learning when facing ERT. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to examine the lived experiences of K-12 school leaders who were presented with a variety of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The first primary research question was: What are the lived experiences of K-12 school leaders as it pertains to the social, emotional, and mental health difficulties and challenges while leading during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to August 2021)? Saturation was reached in this study with 8 participants, who were K-12 school leaders during the COVID-19 pandemic (March 2020 to August 2021), due to no new categories or patterns being discovered (Creswell, 2007). The research methodology was phenomenological and used interviews and an online questionnaire. From the data gleaned from the lived experiences of K-12 school leaders, who participated in the study, experience, facing the challenges, overcoming stressors, putting mitigation and preventative strategies into place, and advocating for self-care and well-being became the main themes related to the research questions. The COVID-19 pandemic exposed compassion fatigue and the extreme need to promote self-care for those in the field of K-12 school leadership during the pandemic, and for immediate and consistent access to mental health, educational and fiscal resources. The pandemic has overwhelmingly necessitated and precipitated into the lived experiences of K-12 school leaders as they faced conflict, challenges, struggle, stressors, and fatigue in the areas of social, emotional health and well-being. The disruption school leaders faced during the COVID-19 crisis, has brought forth how necessary it is for the voices of school leaders, educators and needs of the students to be heard and acted on. Findings from the data from this study provide evidence for crisis measures to be put into place for K-12 school leaders as they respond to such as a pandemic, recover from crisis, and to strengthen their resilience, faith, and promotion of self-care and well-being for any future crises. The data also support an increase in research related to school leaders and having resiliency when bouncing back from crisis. The school leader's plan always needs prepared, in sight, and ready to implement, just in case. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
COVID-19 has produced mayhem and uncertainty for educational leaders in charge of organizations. This inquiry sought to provide insight into how superintendents and assistant superintendents made sense of their environments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, sensemaking theory (Weick, 1995) was utilized as the conceptual framework to bring clarity and meaning-making for educational leaders as they led their organizations through local, state, national, and international crises. To this end, the focus of this inquiry was to gather school leader's insights into how they provided clarity to a disordered world, understood how they addressed vulnerable populations during the pandemic, recognized the role emotion played in constructing their realities, and determined if location within the state of Missouri played a role in the sensemaking process of superintendents and assistant superintendents.The researcher interviewed 23 participants in the state of Missouri and collected documents to answer the five research questions of the study. The study concluded participants made sense of the pandemic through a collaborative process using a political framework. Additionally, superintendents and assistant superintendents saw all students as vulnerable during the pandemic and expressed a variety of negative emotions. Finally, little variance occurred in superintendent sensemaking between small, medium, and large school districts. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This phenomenological qualitative research aimed to examine transformational leadership practices that cultivate an affirmative school culture amid post-traumatic events such as Covid19. The study explored the extent to which crisis management was incorporated within the school safety plan. This research was grounded in two theoretical frameworks, Bridges' (2009) Transition Model and Scharmer's (2017) Theory U, focusing on the social-emotional effects of change throughout the public health crisis. Educational leaders in the Northeastern region of the United States were interviewed. The research gathered the participant's perception of a school's culture and crisis management as a public health crisis disrupted traditional instruction and leadership.The study found that cultivating collaborative relationships rooted in shared vision and trust was fundamental to creating an affirmative school culture. Additionally, the study revealed the significance of creating culturally responsive school safety plans grounded in the historical context of the community's shared lived experiences. Finally, the research highlights how the Covid-19 global pandemic presented an opportunity for educational leaders and stakeholders to develop culturally responsive support systems and structures, which created learning partnerships. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
This causal-comparative ex-post-facto study examined the association between learning modality and academic achievement during the COVID-19 pandemic. The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment in which multiple modalities of learning, including blended and remote classrooms, were occurring simultaneously, challenging the existing practices of the in-person model, around which most K-12 education is organized. This study analyzed a total of 3,182 public and charter K-8 schools in Illinois to determine how school-level teacher assessments of Ambitious Instruction, as measured by the 5Essentials, and student performance on the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) math and reading assessments changed from 2019, prior to the pandemic, to 2021 by learning modality. The study also examined the impact of socioeconomic status and building enrollment on these changes. Although Ambitious Instruction ratings and IAR math and reading proficiency decreased across all learning modalities from 2019 to 2021, significantly greater decreases were observed among schools that chose remote learning, while in-person schools experienced the least decline. No statistically significant differences based on the socioeconomic status or size of the schools were observed, although a significant association between socioeconomic status and modality was observed, with poorer schools more likely to opt for remote learning than richer schools, suggesting that challenges to implementation may have negatively impacted the potential effectiveness of this modality. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Due to the Coronavirus pandemic and lengthy absences from the classroom, there is a need for large-scale remedial programs to support young children to "catch-up" on literacy and numeracy skills. A stratified randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the Headsprout Early Reading (HER) program as a parent-mediated digital literacy intervention. A between-groups design compared differences in reading-dependent outcome measures for 36 children assigned to one of three intervention groups: with support, without support, and waitlist-control. Children completed significantly more episodes when parents received implementation support from the researcher compared to the without support group. Children receiving Headsprout instructions demonstrated marginally greater gains than the waitlist-control group in posttest outcome measures;however, differences in reading outcomes were not significant between groups at posttesting. The current research provides tentative support for HER and importantly, highlights the importance of providing support for parents implementing interventions at home. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)