Associate Editors for the Emperical Research Section are Dr. Anne Jefferson, Ottawa University, Canada; Brian Trautman, Fielding University, California; and Dr. Kevin Ludlum, Texas Tech University, TX. This section is designed for actual research studies that authors have conducted. Authors believe that the results of their research will move the content field in which their research was conducted will move the field forward.
Dr Anne L. Jefferson is Full Professor of Organizational Studies, Human Relations, and Education Finance Policy at the Faculty of Education,
University of
Ottawa.
She has over 150 publications and presented over 70 papers across Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and China.
She was the Founding Editor of the
Journal of Educational Administration and Foundations and continued to serve as its Editor for the Journal’s initial six years (1985-1991).
In addition, Dr Jefferson has served as Director of the American Education Finance Association, Member of the
NationalCenter for Education Statistics Technical Planning Panel for the United States Department of Education and Executive Director for the Canadian National Consortium of Scientific and Educational Societies.
Brian Trautman is a doctoral student and student leader in the Educational Leadership and Change (ELC) program at Fielding Graduate University. His academic expertise and areas of interest include theories of teaching, learning and curriculum, feminist/indigenous worldview studies, structural inequality and diversity issues, decolonizing and reconstructing epistemologies, critical systems theory, and conflict resolution and peace building methodologies. Brian's professional background and experience includes student services administration and adjunct teaching. Brian lives in Albany, New York, USA with his wife, Karrie, and twin sons, Gavin and Ethan.
Empirical Research Resident Block-rotation in Clinical Teaching Improves Student Learning
Volume 8 Issue 3 - Aug 8, 2010 - 3:31:33 PM
By Ralitsa B. Akins, MD, PhD, Gilbert A. Handal, MD
In 2007, a new block-rotation in clinical teaching was
implemented for the third-year residents in the pediatric residency program at
Texas Tech HSC in El Paso, Texas. We describe the design and implementation of
this rotation, as well as its impact on student learning and satisfaction.
During 2.5 academic years, the teaching residents supported the experiences in
the pediatric clerkship of 129 medical students. Evaluations of teaching
residents and clinical teaching rotation, as well as written feedback indicate
improved student learning and satisfaction. Our clinical teaching rotation
presents a structured approach to “teaching residents to teach” with an ample
time for practice of the new skills and discovery of resident own teaching
style. We recommend the implementation of teaching block-rotations to augment
training experiences and student learning.
Empirical Research Full-day Kindergarten: Ontario
Volume 8 Issue 3 - Jul 27, 2010 - 8:03:31 AM
By Anne L. Jefferson
January 2010 the Premier of
Ontario announced the province was introducing full-day kindergarten as of
September 2010. The transition
would be over a five year period with 39 schools phasing in full-day learning
for four and five year olds at the start of the 2010-2011 school year. What is full-day kindergarten? Miller (2005) provides a clear
explanation: “A full-day
kindergarten program is a program in which a child attends school each weekday
for approximately six hours. Two other types of programs are half-day
kindergarten programs, in which the child attends school each weekday for 2½-3
hours in either the morning or the afternoon, and alternate-day kindergarten
programs, in which the child attends school every other weekday” (p.1). Up to this point in time, the latter
two types of programs were operating in the province of Ontario. So, why the change?
The authors describe a strategy to
inform and improve teaching while promoting students’ growth as effective
learners of leadership. They use Kolb’s theory of experiential learning as an
interpretive framework for analyzing students’ work to encourage them to build
on their dominant modes while strengthening less developed ones. A close
description and analysis of two student papers about their own work experiences
reveals a strategy of responsive teaching and reflective practice to promote
students’ learning about their leadership skills.
The
present study identifies school factors associated with stronger enactment of
the family and community involvement requirements in
No Child Left Behind Act. In particular, the study provides
critical information on the role of partnership enactment and shows that
principal and district support for parent involvement are needed in order for
schools to increase the degree to which they meet the requirements for
No Child Left Behind. This study also
confirms the importance of principal leadership and support for successful
student learning and improvement of schools.
In this paper, longitudinal
2-year data are examined to answer the question: What school processes are
associated with changes in schools’ enactment of
No Child Left Behind (NCLB) family and community involvement
requirements from one year to the next? The study spans over 2 years and draws
upon selected schools in the United
States. Schools were sent the annual
end-of-year survey to complete and return to the researcher. Analyses suggest partnership
efforts within schools benefit from a school-wide organizational approach. Principals
are critical to a school’s ability to more effectively implement parent
involvement activities and programs. The district support for partnerships is
crucial for meeting the demands for parent involvement in the NCLB law.
The purpose of this
paper is to evaluate higher education leadership styles and practices in
Tunisia using the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) Excellence
Model. The research is guided by a survey questionnaire administered to all
leaders of the higher education institutions at the University of Sfax.
The findings revealed
that leaders are not yet ready to travel toward excellence since some gaps
persist in their practices and behaviors.
