Volume 3, Number 3, Fall 2008
Walden University’s Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) Cyberspace Chapter is
proud to announce the third issue of the Journal of Educational
Practice for Social Change (JEPSC).
proud to announce the third issue of the Journal of Educational
Practice for Social Change (JEPSC).
Jennifer King
Pullman
Pullman
Current Issue
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About the Authors:
| Donna Broide has shown a commitment to lifelong learning earning two bachelor’s degrees and a Masters degree in Public Administration with a specialty in Health Service Administration beginning in 1982. Aspiring to assist others to pursue academic excellence, she furthered her educational background earning two Doctoral degrees from 2004-2007 including a Ph.D. in Education and a degree as a Doctor of Physical Therapy. As a Director of a Physical Therapist Assistant Program in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, she inspires her students to make a difference in the lives of others as she promotes educational and medical social change. Her research interests include single parent child rearing practices, year old son Andrew, who continues to be the impetus for her motivation to do all that she does. Author's summary: Since the 1970s, there has been a significant increase in the number of children raised in single-mother-headed households with boys underachieving academically. Mothers’ education has a positive influence on academic achievement of children. However, minimal research has focused on single professional females raising male children. Using the human ecology and self-efficacy theories, a grounded theory qualitative study explored what approaches and strategies single professional mothers utilize to facilitate academic motivation in their male children. The two main research questions explored are what processes and challenges did single professional mothers utilize to raise academically motivated males and how does a professional single mother’s education assist her to raise an academically motivated male. The study interviews 10 single professional female participants who have raised or are presently raising male children. Through open coding, axial coding, and selective coding, the findings indicated raising an academically motivated male child is dependent on prioritizing education, including instilling the value of learning; studying academics daily and providing academically stimulating activites, having financial resources, and being a role model. Spending time with the child and instilling discipline and responsibility are additional variables noted. This study recommended policy makers to provide financial incentives to single mothers to pursue a college degree. It also offered single professional mothers approaches to facilitate academically motivated males, thereby enabling millions of male children raised by single mothers to become motivated, productive, and creative contributors to the society. Jennifer King Pullman has been an educator for over 20 years, teaching students from pre-school through college in both general and art education. Her work in urban districts inspired a passion for helping so- called failing students achieve positive self-esteem, success, and impressive accomplishments through art education, in academic as well as artistic arenas. Jennifer graduated with a B.A. from Stockton College (Studies in the Arts), then received her master's in Education from Marygrove College as she wove together her two loves, art and teaching. In 2007, she completed her Ph.D. in Education with a self-designed specialization in Art Education K- 12 from Walden University. She currently teaches art at Atlantic City High School in NJ, and heads the Community Arts Collaboration, linking art students with community projects to advance their success as young artists, and to support positive social change in the community through art events and projects. Jennifer also serves as a mentor for beginning art teachers, and writes about the challenges and amazing opportunities of learning through the arts. Author's summary: This paper turns the spotlight on art education, an area of education that is frquently overlooked, yet has the capacity to engage students' problem solving skills, tap into higher level thinking, and ignite creativity unlike any of the traditonal school "basics". With arts programs being pushed aside and eliminated in order to address standardized test-driven "back-to- basics" mandates, there is an urgency to establish what art education's value really is for our students. A clearer definition and articulation of art education's value was sought through an interpretive case study of K-8 students conducted by the author, and this research is described within this paper, along with the findings from the study and their implications for practice. Special consideration is given to art's value in urban schools for the inner-city students targeted by supposed "experts" who advocate back-to-basics teaching for the struggling "at-risk" students who most frequently fail high- stakes standardized tests. A subsequent investigation of urban students in grades 9-12 is also discussed in this venue. The ties between art education and positive social change emerge in the discussion. Helen Y. Sung has been actively working as a school psychologist for over 18 years in the public school system, five years in Chicago, Illinois and 13 years in Cupertino, California. She is a bilingual and bicultural school psychologist who has worked with parents and students from bicultural backgrounds for over ten years in her private practice. She received her Ph.D. in Education from Walden University in July of 2007. Her research interests include cultural influence on emotional intelligence, emotional well-being of all students, global understanding of psychological well- being, and promoting proactive strategies to support the whole child. Authors' summary: In today’s fast paced global society, children are impacted the most. This article investigates the change in student population over time through the eyes of 19 veteran teachers. Participating teachers reported that our societal change led to change in family dynamics, challenges to teaching, and diverse population. Children’s difficulties with behavior, attitude, emotions, and learning can be observed in the classrooms. This qualitative ethnographic study supports the need to include emotional intelligence in education. |
Donna Broide
Helen Y. Sung
This issue of the JEPSC
features three papers:
Full Texts in .pdf format:
ISSN 1942-566X