The Influences of Family and Place on Rural Adolescents' Educational Aspirations and Post-secondary Enrollment.

Despite the large contingent of students living in rural areas, existing research on the processes that precede the college enrollment of rural adolescents is limited. With a particular focus on gender, this study investigated rural adolescents' perceptions of family and place and how these perceptions related to their educational aspirations and subsequent college enrollment using a nationwide sample of rural adolescents (N = 3456; 52.5% female). Female adolescents reported higher academic achievement, educational aspirations, parental expectations, and family responsibility and enrolled in two-year and four-year institutions at greater rates compared to male adolescents, who reported significantly higher rural identity and perceptions of job opportunities in the rural community. Utilizing a multiple group moderated mediation approach, the results provided evidence that adolescents' increased perceptions of their parents' educational expectations were associated with increased educational aspirations and college enrollment and that adolescents' increased perceptions of job opportunities in their rural community were associated with decreased educational aspirations. In addition, the results showed that gender moderated the relation between perceptions of job opportunities in the rural community and postsecondary enrollment. These findings highlight how the developmental resources of family and place relate to adolescents' educational aspirations and subsequent postsecondary enrollment.

Mentoring and Development Resources Available to New Doctorally Prepared Faculty in Nursing.

AIM: This study examined faculty mentoring practices and strategies currently in place in nursing programs. BACKGROUND: Mentoring is a critical component of organizations and can be especially important in times of organizational change. Schools of nursing are experiencing rapid organizational shifts with increases in retirement and the proliferation of Doctor of Nursing Practice-prepared faculty. METHOD: Deans and department chairs of baccalaureate and higher degree programs across the United States participated in a web-based survey. RESULTS: Results from the survey suggested that the vast majority of nursing programs had practices and strategies aimed at mentoring faculty that were based on the traditional mentor-protégé approach. Few programs differentiated their mentoring practices depending on the type of doctoral education or anticipated roles of the faculty member. CONCLUSION: Our research highlights the fact that nursing programs still employ traditional methods of faculty mentoring. Recommendations for nursing programs are discussed.

Hiring Intentions of Directors of Nursing Programs Related to DNP- and PhD-Prepared Faculty and Roles of Faculty.

This study surveyed administrators of associate degree in nursing (ADN) and bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) programs across the United States to identify hiring intentions and describe the roles and responsibilities of DNP- and PhD-prepared faculty members. The final sample included 253 ADN and 229 BSN programs. ADN programs were neither intentionally hiring nor looking to hire doctorally prepared nurse faculty. Deans and directors of BSN programs reported an average of 3 openings for the next academic year, 2 projected for new PhD-prepared faculty and 1 for a faculty member with a DNP. Schools have made varying decisions regarding the type of appointment (tenure or nontenure track) for DNP-prepared faculty members. Challenges that DNP-prepared faculty members encountered in meeting the role and promotion expectations in their schools focused predominantly on scholarship.

Hiring and incorporating doctor of nursing practice-prepared nurse faculty into academic nursing programs.

Semistructured interviews were conducted with 15 deans and directors of nursing programs across the United States to gain an understanding of how Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)-prepared nurses seeking academic positions are hired and used in schools of nursing. Interviews sought to gain information regarding (a) differences and similarities in the roles and responsibilities of DNP- and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)-prepared faculty, (b) educational advancement and mentoring of DNP-prepared nurse faculty, (c) recruitment of doctorally prepared nurse faculty, and (d) shortages of nursing faculty. DNP- and PhD-prepared nurse faculty are hired for varying roles in baccalaureate and higher degree schools of nursing, some similar to other faculty with master's degrees and others similar to those with PhDs; in associate degree in nursing programs, they are largely hired for the same type of work as nurse faculty with master's degrees. Regardless of program or degree type, the main role of DNP-prepared faculty is teaching.

Familial and Economic Influences on the Gender-Related Educational and Occupational Aspirations of Rural Adolescents.

Economic, occupational, and social shifts in rural economies have influenced nuanced changes in the educational and occupational aspirations of rural adolescent women and men. However, there is limited contemporary research that examines the aspirations of rural adolescents at the beginning of the 21st century. Drawing on a sample of 8,756 rural adolescents in the United States, we examine how familial, geographic, and economic variables influence gender-related differences in educational and occupational aspirations. Findings revealed significant gender differences, favoring girls, in youth's educational aspirations, occupational aspirations, and aspirations for nontraditional careers. Results highlight the importance of contextual variables such as parental expectations, family income, and motivation variables in predicting gender-related aspirations of rural youth.

Promotive peer contexts of academic and social adjustment among rural African American early adolescent boys.

This study investigated the social network system of African American early adolescents (N = 237) in rural, low-wealth schools, specifically in terms of networks with norms strongly favoring effort and achievement. Networks with norms favoring effort and achievement were more likely to be central to the social system at the end of the school year. Subsequent analyses focused on boys (n = 103) and the effects of affiliation in networks with norms that strongly favored effort and achievement. Twenty-four percent of boys sustained membership in these networks and experienced greater school valuing and likeability, but reduced admiration among peers, net of scores at the beginning of the school year. The results of the study stand to inform both an understanding of positive peer group affiliations of minority boys and intervention work with this population by clarifying developmental mechanisms that contribute to positive school adaptation among rural African American boys.