Black Students Research Articles

Evaluating the Impact of America's College Promise Act of 2018 on Higher Education Access for Nontraditional Black Students: A Policy, Governmental, and Political Insight

Evaluating the Impact of America's College Promise Act of 2018 on Higher Education Access for Nontraditional Black Students: A Policy, Governmental, and Political Insight

The influence of ethnicity on assessments and academic progression in a midwifery degree

Background/Aims Midwifery degrees require students to study for 3 years, during which they are assessed both academically and in practice placements. This study's aim was to explore year-by-year associations between assessment grades and students' ethnicity as they progressed through their degree. Methods Retrospective data collected at a single university in the UK were analysed using descriptive statistics. The cohort and variables were stratified by student ethnicity, year of study and assessment grades given for academic work and placement practice assessments. Results While Black, Asian and minority ethnic students started with lower practice assessment grades in year 1, this improved such that there was no difference in attainment by year 3. In contrast, university academic grades were consistently lower for Black, Asian and minority ethnic versus White students, and this pattern did not change throughout the degree programme. Conclusions The likely factor in lower final degree outcomes among Black, Asian and minority ethnic students is not from practice assessments but academic performance. Targeted interventions that recognise different learning styles and educational experiences in the university environment may address and improve this inequality in attainment.

What COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Disparity Reveals About Solidarity

What COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Disparity Reveals About Solidarity

Mentoring for Admission and Retention of Black Socio-Ethnic Minorities in Medicine: A Scoping Review.

Despite numerous mentoring strategies to promote academic success and eligibility in medicine, Black students remain disproportionately underrepresented in medicine. Therefore, we conducted a scoping review to identify the mentoring practices available to Black pre-medical students, medical students and medical residents, specifically the mentoring strategies used, their application, and their evaluation. Between May 2023 and October 2023, the authors conducted a literature review. Studies that described a mentoring strategy applied among Black learners were eligible for inclusion, and all years of publication were included. Two reviewers screened each article using the Covidence tool, and conflicts were resolved by a third author. All reviewers extracted the data to summarize the various mentoring practices. After screening 6292 articles, 42 articles met the criteria for full review. Of these, 14 studies were included in the study. Mentoring practices for Black students included peer mentoring, dyad mentoring, and group mentoring. Mentoring was typically offered through discussion groups, educational internships, and didactic activities. Evaluation of mentoring programs took into account (1) pass rates on medical exams (eg, MCAT, Casper), (2) receipt of an invitation to a medical school admissions interview, (3) successful match to a competitive residency program, and (4) a mentee's report of the overall experience and effectiveness of the program. This review is the first, to our knowledge, to focus on mentoring strategies implemented among Black learners in medicine. The results will inform mentoring strategies adapted for Black learners and will therefore address the underrepresentation of Black students in medicine.

Group Counseling for Black Male Students: A Strengths-Based Approach

The American School Counselor Association calls for counselors to utilize multitiered systems of support to minimize gaps. Specifically, Tier 2 interventions provide a method to address equity issues and foster growth. Black male students experience the greatest disparities in schools; therefore, school counselors should consider culturally affirming, strengths-based groups to meet these students’ needs. This practitioner research outlines an intervention resulting in participants’ decreased discipline referrals and enhanced social/emotional skills.

Trauma exposure and associated sleep problems in Black adolescent and young adult students attending an alternative high school.

Given the dearth of literature examining the link between trauma exposure and sleep among youth and young adults of color, the current study examined the association between individual types of trauma exposure, accumulation within subtypes of trauma exposure, and overall cumulative trauma exposure with sleep problems in a sample of Black students attending an alternative high school. Participants were recruited from an alternative high school in a large, southeastern city in the United States, of which all students qualify for free/reduced lunch. The sample included 101 students (53% female) ages 16-24 (M = 17.86 years, SD = 1.36) who identified as Black. Participants reported a high rate of trauma exposure (M = 6.03 unique traumatic experiences, SD = 2.63). Linear regression models showed that exposure to more overall cumulative trauma and to interpersonal loss was significantly associated with higher levels of insomnia symptoms. Threats to health were significantly related to daytime sleepiness. Other threats to safety were associated with restless legs syndrome symptoms. Adolescence and young adulthood are a time of complex sleep-related issues. Black youth and young adults have elevated risk of trauma exposure and sleep problems; therefore, targeted assessment and intervention are warranted. Clinicians and researchers addressing sleep in youth and young adults, and those working within alternative school settings, should also consider a trauma-informed lens to optimize outcomes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Hanging by a Thread: The National Memorial for Peace and Justice and the Complexities of Memorializing and Mourning Lynching in America

BrANCH's Harriet Tubman essay prize seeks to reward the best undergraduate essay or research project by Black, Asian, or other minority ethnic students based in the UK. The prize is generously cosponsored by the Royal Historical Society.

Belonging in Engineering for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Students: Promising Results From an Educational Intervention in an Introductory Programming Course

Belonging in Engineering for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous Students: Promising Results From an Educational Intervention in an Introductory Programming Course

Longitudinal examination of the advisor–advisee relationship among Black and Latinx STEM graduate students.

Longitudinal examination of the advisor–advisee relationship among Black and Latinx STEM graduate students.

Towards Anti-Carceral Leadership: Remaking Public Schools to Refuse Black Students’ Surveillance, Containment, and Control

The social movement for #PoliceFreeSchools (and the adjacent campaign on college and university campuses called #PoliceFreeCampuses) welcomes an opportunity to reimagine school discipline and safety in contradistinction to current carceral forms. Scholars have moved away from notions of “school to prison pipeline” by demonstrating the many ways schools are organized as carceral spaces (e.g., school-prison nexus). A conceptual framework of Anti-carceral leadership is put forward in this paper to underscore the need for a leadership paradigm that actively refuses the logics of the carceral state (e.g., social control). The paper underscores how the logics of antiblackness may sustain mechanisms of social control in education policy intended to undo racialized harm. The tensions of be(com)ing an anti-carceral leader and its significance for undoing technologies of punishment, confinement, and constraint that reinforce schooling as a site of Black pain and suffering are discussed.

Promoting students’ interest through culturally sensitive curricula in higher education

AbstractPrevious studies have emphasized culturally sensitive curricula in the context of enhancing minoritized students’ education. We examined the relationship between second-year higher education students’ perceptions of the cultural sensitivity of their curriculum and both majoritized and minoritized students’ interest in their course. A total of 286 (228 F) students rated the cultural sensitivity of their curriculum on six scales using a revised version of the Culturally Sensitive Curricula Scales (CSCS-R), the perceived quality of their relationships with teachers, and their interest. The CSCS-R widened the construct with two new scales and showed better reliability. Ethnic minority students (n = 99) perceived their curriculum as less culturally sensitive than White students (n = 182), corroborating previous findings. Black students perceived their curriculum as less culturally sensitive than Asian students. There were no significant differences between ethnic minority and White students on interest or perceived quality of relationships with teachers. Five dimensions of cultural sensitivity (Diversity Represented, Positive Depictions, Challenge Power, Inclusive Classroom Interactions, Culturally Sensitive Assessments) and perceived quality of relationships with teachers predicted interest. Ethnicity did not. Ensuring curricula and assessments represent diversity positively, challenge power and are inclusive may support students’ interest while reflecting an increasingly diverse society.

Natural moisturising factor constituents in South African nursing students.

The majority of South African healthcare workers are Black Africans with dark-pigmented skin. Studies on how the markers of skin barrier function and natural moisturising factor (NMF) compare between dark and light-pigmented skin are limited. Quantifying NMF in a nursing student population during their practical training at university may provide valuable insight into their potential susceptibility to skin conditions associated with low NMF. The objectives of this study were to quantify and compare NMF content of Black African, Mixed Race and White nursing students from their dominant dorsal hand. Forty-nine White, 32 Black African and 5 Mixed Race nursing students participated in this study. Tape strip samples were collected from the participants' dominant dorsal hand and NMF content was measured, including histidine (HIS), pyrrolidone carboxylic acid (PCA), trans-urocanic acid (t-UCA) and cis-urocanic acid (c-UCA), as well as cytokines interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1α) and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA). No statistically significant differences in PCA, t-UCA, c-UCA, IL-1α or IL-1RA were found between Black African and White nursing students. HIS was significantly (p = 0.001) higher in White nursing students when compared to Black African students. The ratio of tot-UCA/HIS was significantly higher in Black Africans (p = 0.0002) when compared to White nursing students. No significant differences were established in NMF content between White and Black African nursing students, other than HIS which was significantly higher in White students than in Black African students. Different HIS levels between the racial groups suggest variation in histidase activity which may be related to skin pH and pigmentation. This finding may suggest that nursing students at the beginning of their careers may have similar susceptibility to skin diseases related to NMF.

Empowering Urban Educational Leadership: Exploring the Nexus of Educational Leadership, Teacher Compensation, and Socioeconomic Equity in an Urban School District in a Mid-Atlantic State in the United States of America

This study examined teacher leadership, the intricate interplay of culture, education, and the college board race gaps in SAT scores, and their collective impact on academic performance within the Baltimore City Public Schools. The study specifically explored the correlation between teacher salaries and academic achievement while considering persistent factors such as poverty, which consistently hindered academic success for predominantly Black and Brown students, as many seasoned teachers are exiting and too few are joining the profession. Ineffective leadership and inadequate teacher compensation, compounded by the challenges of poverty, were identified as major contributors to below-average academic performance in the urban public school system. Emphasizing teacher salaries, the research highlighted the linear relationship between salary increases and the growing issue of poverty among educators when adjusted for inflation. The meta-analysis conducted underscored the pivotal role played by effective leadership and quality education in enhancing student achievement and fostering socioeconomic growth. The study contended that educational and teacher leadership at the intersection of culture are imperative for adapting to 21st-century economic, technological, and societal transformations. The findings underscored the importance of addressing socioeconomic disparities among educational leaders to improve academic outcomes in urban public schools. Achieving fair compensation, resource accessibility, and fostering professional growth are crucial for attracting and retaining excellent educators, thereby creating an ideal learning environment for all students. The research provided a comprehensive framework for evidence-based parameter estimations in computational modeling, providing informed strategies to address challenges in urban public-school systems.

Helping High-Achieving, Low-Income, Black Students Gain Admission Into America’s Elite Colleges: Considerations for School Counselors

The recent decision by the United States Supreme Court to limit affirmative action in college admissions could make it even more challenging for academically talented students of color to gain access to competitive schools. The importance of school counselors in guiding and supporting these students is now more crucial than ever. This qualitative study aimed to determine what school counselors need to know, do, and believe to help academically talented, Black students from low-income households gain admission into highly selective colleges and universities. Three broad themes and 10 subthemes emerged from the data analysis. The themes were (a) knowledge and awareness, (b) mindsets and beliefs, and (c) habits and practices. Implications for school counselor practice, training, and research are discussed.

TRANSLATION AS A PEDAGOGY IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF ENGLISH SECOND LANGUAGE IN A RURAL UNIVERSITY

English proficiency among black South African learners and students has been found to be generally difficult to attain despite English being used as the sole medium of instruction in schools and at universities. To mitigate the issue, this paper explores the use of translation pedagogy as an approach in enabling bilingual students to utilise their linguistic repertoire as a tool not only to enhance their English Second Language development but to also give recognition to their first language. The contribution of the study is made significant by the fact that available related research has largely been conducted at kindergarten and school level leaving a gap in the higher education environment. An observational qualitative data collection methodology was conducted in which a university lecturer presented a lesson prepared by the researcher. The participants were bilingual in a predominantly African language speaking university community in a rural area of South Africa. The use of students’ African language (IsiZulu) was observed to enhance their English vocabulary which in the process saw them participating freely in both languages throughout the lesson. The main finding of the study is that English competency can be enhanced with the learners’ home language in a carefully prepared lesson that draws from translation pedagogy.

(Re)presenting race: an analysis of special education textbooks for engagement with race and ethnicity

ABSTRACT Introductory special education textbooks are significant for their role in shaping pre-service teachers’ understanding of the field by providing access to information at a time when prospective teachers are beginning to formulate their pedagogical and philosophical beliefs. They serve as the foundation on which students build and frame their knowledge of the field. By analyzing 4536 pages from 10 special education textbooks using content and discourse analysis, this study explores how special education textbook authors incorporate critical perspectives of race and ethnicity into their discussions. The findings reveal the deployment of deficit discourse about Black and Brown students and the absence of an analysis or naming of the intersecting oppressions Black and Brown students face in school and society. Findings also reveal a strategic coopting of racialized experiences using analogies to emphasize the significance of ableism. Recommendations for teacher educators, researchers, and textbook authors are provided.

Stitching Narratives: Poetic Autoethnography of Black Women’s Mentorship in Academia

This study utilizes collaborative poetic autoethnography to explore the mentorship experiences of three Black women doctoral students at predominantly White institutions (PWIs). Through a series of poems, the research illustrates the nuanced challenges and resilience in seeking guidance within spaces that often marginalize their voices. This writing centers intersectionality as a theoretical framework, illuminating the complex dynamics of identity as they intersect with academia. The poetic narratives serve as a way for expressing the lived realities of these students, highlighting the lack of Black women mentors and the consequent need to navigate a system not built with them in mind. The study calls for a reimagined mentorship that is acutely responsive to the multifaceted identities of Black women in academia, advocating for increased representation and intentional support.

Diversity of PA cohorts during the evolution to an entry-level master's degree.

This study evaluated the racial and ethnic diversity of physician associate/assistant (PA) graduating cohorts during the profession's transition from a standard undergraduate degree to an entry-level master's degree. Using all existing program reports from the Physician Assistant Education Association (1985-2019), we explored potential associations between changes in tuition, degree types offered, and racial/ethnic makeup of graduating cohorts. We observed a strong negative association between Black students and graduates versus increasing tuition and the rise of master's level programs. More equitable opportunities for joining the PA profession may be needed.

From Desegregation and Integration to Diversity and Inclusion: The Environment Was Just Ice

The process of desegregation at Southern schools of pharmacy was long and arduous. Despite persistent protests, struggles, and lawsuits, many schools of pharmacy did not graduate their first Black students until the 1970s. The School of Pharmacy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill unintentionally desegregated in 1962 when its first Black student, William Wicker, was inadvertently admitted. His personal story and those of his fellow pioneers in desegregation, Mona (Boston) Reddick and James Barnes, provide valuable context to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts. The historical proximity of desegregation affords the pharmacy profession only one or two generations of Black pharmacists trained during an era when Southern pharmacy education was broadly available. These stories personify the legacy of segregation, confront the ongoing impact of structural racism, and meaningfully inform conversations about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in pharmacy education.

‘… They're talking to you as if they're kind of dumbing it down’: A thematic analysis of Black students' perceived reasons for the university awarding gap

AbstractIt is widely acknowledged that there is an awarding gap in higher education, with proportionally more White students achieving a good honours degree compared to their minoritized ethnic counterparts. Furthermore, the gap is largest between Black and White students, hence necessitating initiatives to understand the perspectives of Black students on perceived reasons for the awarding gap. Thus, the present study aimed to explore the perspectives of Black undergraduate Psychology students through the use of qualitative methodology. Sixteen participants took part in two focus groups, which were transcribed verbatim, and thematic analysis was employed to analyse the data. Self‐determination theory provided a framework for contextualising the findings. Three main themes emerged, with participants describing being exposed to signals of unbelonging such as negative racial stereotypes and microaggressions. Within this theme, they discussed their responses to these signals of unbelonging, such as conforming to perceived White norms in an effort to belong and feel ‘normal’. Participants also highlighted the role played by parental influence and relationships on their academic experience. They also discussed experiences with university tutors that were deemed unfavourable. Together, the racialised experiences identified threatened the fulfilment of their needs for competence, autonomy and relatedness. It is thus imperative that higher education institutions actively engage their Black and minoritized ethnic students in order to understand their experiences and foster a sense of belonging at university. Furthermore, the findings regarding parental influence provide an opportunity for structural redress through widening participation efforts and adequate pastoral support.