Linda S. Behar-Horenstein

Mentoring Undergraduate Researchers: An Exploratory Study of Students’ and Professors’ Perceptions

Mentoring is believed to be one of the most influential factors in US efforts to encourage college‐aged students to seek careers in science, yet the role that mentoring plays in this process has not been elucidated. The researchers were interested in understanding whether the long‐held beliefs about the importance of mentoring would be revealed as what actually occurs in an undergraduate research program. They describe students’ perceptions of the mentoring process and students’ beliefs about how it impacted their experiences as undergraduate researchers and their development as scientists. Also described are professors’ perceptions of their roles and effectiveness as mentors in students’ development as scientists. A multi‐case narrative analysis was conducted of two groups, undergraduate science scholars (n=5) and mentoring professors (n=5), who were each interviewed on two occasions at the beginning and end of the first year of a funded research program. As this grounded research study shows, students and professors described student gains as increased technical expertise and communication skills. Professors suggested that they were available to students on a regular and frequent basis. However, students’ experiences suggested a contradiction. They were often mentored by postgraduates, technical assistants, and other students; their meetings with mentoring professors were infrequent and at times distant. With respect to mentoring, this finding highlights the differences between beliefs and the reality of what was delivered. Professors discussed the challenges associated with mentoring including the recruitment of and difficulty of working with students whose first language was not English and concerns about the quality of instruction from graduate students.

Women Deans: Leadership Becoming.

The term ‘leadership’ metaphorically embodies a gendered hierarchy of labour. In this study women deans’ values were found to be incongruent with the masculine discourse creating inner conflicts and alternative discourses. Data collected from 10 women deans from both male‐dominated and female‐dominated colleges were used to deconstruct leadership using a feminist poststructuralist perspective. Unlike a critical perspective, poststructuralism questions hierarchical relationships between knowledge and power, thus enabling us to understand leadership in differently shaded terms. The data portrays the multidimensional qualities of power and how women use power consciously and unconsciously to move within academic discourses.

Promoting effective school leadership: A change‐oriented model for the preparation of principals

Changes in the professional preparation of aspiring principals reflect an increased responsiveness to the work that emerging school principals are expected to perform. Currently, models of training at the university level suggest that there is a movement away from the managerial, authoritarian, and top down leadership styles that are typically associated with the science of administration (Lumdsen, 1993; Milstein, 1993; Thompson, 1991; Thomson, 1992, 1993). The transition towards collegial and empowering forms of leadership has been catalyzed by a reconceptualization of the principals role, debates about the congruence between theory and practice, and efforts to link training experiences with schoolbased practice. Attempts to ensure quality and cohesion within professional preparation programs have been authenticated by the identification of strategies to assist future leaders in acquiring domain specific skills, (e.g., a knowledge base grounded in research and interpersonal skills) (Thompson, 1991; Thomson, 1992, 1993). Efforts to align university training and actual practice are reflected by an emphasis on the development of group processing skills, collaborative leadership styles, and communication skills (Worner, 1994), participatory decision making and consensus building (Thurston, Clift, & Schacht, 1993), reflective thinking (Gordon & Moles, 1994), and mentoring (Luebkemann & Clemens, 1994; Prestine & Le Grand, 1991; Stakenas, 1994; Synder, 1994; Worner, 1994). Transitions in the professional preparation of prospective principals coincide with program changes at more global levels. First, many postsecondary educational administration programs previously accentuated

Ogbu Revisited: Unpacking High-Achieving African American Girls’ High School Experiences

How African American girls cope and excel amidst the discriminations and inequities they experience within U.S. educational systems has not been widely discussed in the body of research about African Americans’ schooling experiences. In this study, the researchers examined the applicability of Ogbu’s cultural–ecological theory to the self-described school experiences of eight high-achieving African American high school girls. Using an inductive analysis of interviews, focus groups, journal, and field notes, this article draws attention to the role that school policies and practices, caring adults play, and how the participants’ negotiated academic and racial identities contributed to their academic success.

Parenting Practices Among Low-income Parents/Guardians of Academically Successful Fifth Grade African American Children

Research investigating the relationship between parenting and academic achievement has provided conflicting results, particularly for low-income, culturally-diverse parents. Using resilience theory, the researchers conducted a case study with five low-income African American mothers. Findings suggest that educators can benefit from partnering with African American parents.

Mediated Lesson Study, Collaborative Learning, and Cultural Competence among Early Childhood Educators

Abstract Early childhood educators have competing demands that minimize their ability to utilize evidence-based practices and respond to the challenges posed by culturally diverse classrooms. Using a case study method, we studied four female early childhood teachers at a university-affiliated preschool who developed mini-research projects using a mediated form of lesson study. Findings showed that the collegial nature of a mediated form of lesson study resulted in reflective practices and increased professional collaboration among the teachers. However, there was no resultant change in the ways that the teachers used their cultural awareness in their teaching. Results have implications for teacher educators, early childhood education teachers, and preschool directors with regard to teacher efficacy and practitioner inquiry.

Creating School Change: Discovering a Choice of Lenses for the School Administrator.

Proposes a variety of different epistemological lenses for viewing the process of school change, for use by the school administrator. Applies these lenses in an actual case study depicting school change. Analyses the impact on administrative practice and training of using these lenses.

A Multidimensional Model for Analyzing Educational Processes.

We propose a multidimensional model that can be used to formulate a research agenda that aims to explore how innovations in teaching and instruction influence the science of learning within educational contexts. This model depicts the complexity of relationships between variables within: classrooms, the total school program, and inside and outside the institution that can impact student achievement. Measuring the success of schools and student outcomes cannot be determined solely by using a legislated school‐grading system test or achievement tests. To assert that the outcomes of such measures are indicators of the quality of teaching and learning is to ignore differences in classroom teaching within an institution.

Addressing Oral Health Disparities Via Educational Foci on Cultural Competence

An ever-present challenge for the oral health profession is to reduce the extent of oral disease among racial and ethnic minority populations. Adding to this complex dilemma is the linkage between oral health and systemic health. We describe enhanced cultural competency, in the context of individual cultural beliefs, values, language, practice, and health behaviors, among dental professionals, as one approach to meeting the dental care needs of the underserved. An overview and examples of teaching methods used by University of Florida dental educators to enhance student cultural competency is provided. Evidence-based evaluation results provide evidence of methodology efficacy. We conclude by describing actions that can be implemented by academic dental institutions to facilitate development of culturally competent practitioners.

When Leadership Matters: Perspectives From a Teacher Team Implementing Response to Intervention

Previous research investigating the effectiveness of response to intervention (RTI) has relied on post hoc data analyses and surveys, although few studies have explored interactions among teacher teams. Understanding the synergistic impact of teacher work within the RTI framework may have implications for how school leaders can support teacher teams and anticipate some challenges that teachers face. In this study, the authors describe a first-grade teacher team’s experiences during their second year of RTI implementation at a rural Title I school. Findings showed that participants lacked professional development opportunities, leadership support, and tangible resources. Teachers struggled with implementation as they coped with uncertainty about what their job roles were, how to manage interventions, and how to utilize data-based decision making. Teachers identified practices they believed would have supported RTI implementation. By illustrating how the teacher team worked together, the findings offer practical and authentic recommendations for school leaders. Moreover, the findings reinforce the crucial roles that the school and district leadership exercise in effective RTI implementation.