Changing Student Population Research Articles

Willingness to adapt plays key role in supporting success of changing student population

Much has changed in higher education, especially since the pandemic, but some things about the student affairs profession remain the same, according to Karl Brooks, Ed.D., Vice President for Student Affairs at Oakton College, a two‐year community college in Illinois. “At the core, our work centers around supporting students and their development, providing timely services, and helping them develop their learning experiences,” said Brooks, who has worked in student affairs for 33 years. “We continue to celebrate an inclusive environment where all can feel connected and pursue their aspirations and goals, as we help them to meet those aspirations and goals,” he added.

“Reimagining education for our dreamchasers”: creating a humanizing education space through culturally relevant teaching for Latin(x) and black elementary students

PurposeThis paper aims to explore how one elementary school administrative team responded to their changing student populations to include Latin(x) within their black community. The responses included looping practices, relationship building with families and culturally relevant pedagogies. In particular, this paper considers how the three aspects of the change worked together toward the goal of providing its students with quality educational opportunities and enhancements.Design/methodology/approachThe research presented here is part of a longitudinal (four-year) qualitative study where ethnographic approaches to data collection were adopted.FindingsThe four-year immersion in the values of culturally relevant pedagogy created a reciprocal growth in understanding among the teachers and the students of the black and Latin(x) populations, sustained the overarching ideas of deep family connections and contributed to asset-driven curriculum.Originality/valueA national trend shows rapid changing demographics where Latin(x) families are moving into black neighborhoods and schools. This change in schools’ student populations finds educators facing new challenges in addressing the educational and cultural needs of two minoritized populations. This research adds to the existing scholarship by documenting how one school shifts their learning atmosphere to deeply engage students in culturally relevant pedagogies.

Effective Assessment in a Block Pedagogy

Block mode of delivery, also known as intensive mode, has increasingly been adopted by courses in higher education institutions (HEIs) in recent years. This surge has been attributed to the efforts of HEIs to adapt to the changing student population, which involves a diverse student population, as well as the evolving education landscape, recently impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The distinctive nature of a block delivery model, and the impact of demographic, contextual and disciplinary factors on assessment performance makes an evaluation of student achievement in a block pedagogy a critical area of focus. The study presented here explores the impact of different types of summative assessment on student achievement in a block mode of delivery implemented across the different courses in a UK-based HEI. This is achieved using a quasi-experimental design, involving independent sample t-tests. The study firstly compared first and second year students’ grades in modules where summative assessment had been adapted for block, with students’ grades from the same modules that were traditionally taught in the previous year; and secondly examined the impact of different types of summative assessment in block delivery on students’ grades. Results indicate that adapting the type of assessment for block delivery had no statistically significant difference on students’ final grades. However, when comparing different types of summative assessments in block delivery, students achieved higher grades in time-constrained and multiple summative assessments, compared to single final essays (p<0.001 and Cohen’s d>0.5). The results from this study indicate that the type of summative assessment has an impact on students’ academic success and, therefore, this should be at the heart of staff training and curriculum design when adopting block delivery.

School-wide positive behaviour interventions and support in Dutch schools for special education

ABSTRACT This study explores teachers’ experiences with School-Wide Positive Behaviour Interventions and Support (SWPBIS) at three special education (SPED) schools type 4 in the Netherlands. These SPED schools focus on supporting children with mental health difficulties or challenging behaviour. In 2014, an Act was introduced in the Netherlands with the aim of mainstreaming students with special educational needs (SEN) meaning they are educated in an inclusive environment with students who do not have such needs unless the nature and degree of those needs are such that they warrant a more specific support measure or intervention, which mainstream education cannot cater for. As a result, the manifestation of problem behaviour of students in SPED schools became more complex and intense. Based on 25 individual interviews and three group interviews with 40 SPED teachers, results indicate they experienced a safer and predictable school climate due to SWPBIS. In addition, teachers mentioned positive developments concerning team building, staff turnover and coping with a changing student population. More specifically they mentioned more open and positive communication, a sense of belonging and loyalty to their colleagues, and a shared commitment to their students in comparison to the situation prior to the introduction of SWPBIS. Staff also emphasised this approach contributed to a shared language. The development and dialogue on shared school values and the teaching of behavioural expectations as rules and procedures across school settings supported new staff-members to more easily integrate this with organisational routine and school culture and this contributed to a more predictable and safer environment for their vulnerable students.

Reframing my practices: reconsidering post-secondary World Language education

ABSTRACT As our post-secondary landscape evolves to address the needs of the next generation of learners and future educators, it is important to explore the potential conflict between the teaching methods employed by teacher educators and what we ask our pre-service teachers to enact. Amid the challenges facing many teacher preparation programs (including World Languages) are a changing student population, declining enrollments, limited budgets, teachershortages, and overall changes in post-secondary education. Theneed for curricular change in post-secondary programs is long-standing. Publishing accounts of our classroom practices contributes to the professional dialogue and knowledge base, modeling for our future educators the application of best practices in our profession. This self-study explores the classroom practices of one experienced World Language educator, using the National Standards for Foreign Language Learning and TELL project as frameworks, and contributes to a gap in the research on post-secondary World Language teaching and teacher development.

The Pandemic and Higher Education

None of the papers presented here reflects on the Pandemic situation. In due time, journals will be filled with research papers on the effects and workings of the Pandemic for academics, students and organizations in higher education. One general theme will be if the changed contexts for teaching and learning we have seen in the time span from February/March 2020 until the present situation will throw significant light into how the future will be. In a report presented by the US organization EDUCAUSE, well before the pandemic, the following trends were foreshadowed:
 In the social domain, wellbeing and mental health, demographic changes and equity and fairness will be high on the agenda. In the technological domain, AI, new digital learning environment, and leaning analytics and privacy questions will cause concern. In the economic domain, cost, adjustment to the labour market and climate change will take foreground. In the political domain, decreasing funding, estimation of value of higher education and political polarization will need attention. Finally, the dynamics of higher education itself will influence our path to the future: changes in student population, alternative pathways to education and online education.
 None of these forecasts anticipated the demands of a rapidly evolving pandemic globally. The latter points of the list provided by EDUCAUSE have been the focus of this journal over the last 17 years. We have seen trends come and pass, and watched trends oscillate with the shifts of fashion. In our experience we see that global actors take over the market: Blackboard, Moodle and Canvas. ZOOM and Webex are winning similar positions and a host of add-ons and potentially brilliant contenders try to gain the same advantages. One example comes to mind: one software – no name mentioned – cost a Norwegian institution nkr 30 000 for a license for a studentbody of 40 000 – before the pandemic. After the pandemic, the price for a smaller institution with a studentbody of 15 000, has risen to nkr. 350 000. Another example: the realization of strict GDPR regulations in Europe hampers the use of software in significant ways. The main VLE/LMS-configurations are affected by the different GDPR-arrangements in US vs. other continent and states. The global market for educational software are seriously affected by the globalization and the escalating disharmonies in international collaboration. It does not help that some providers act like profiteers at this time and age.
 In this edition of our seventeenth volume we offer five articles. In the first, Marcia Håkansson Lindqvist of Mid Sweden University, contributes with an analysis of one Swedish one-to-one laptop initiative. Her take is on how parents conceive of this phenomenon. She describes how the initiative was a mixed blessing, and one sees easily its applicability to the present condition for most student. In the second paper, Rob Miles, of the United Arab Emirates University, has written the paper: “Identifying the contradictions in the technology enhanced language classroom”. It contains an account of a theoretically sophisticated – and highly critical research project in a region not often reported from in Northern academic journals. The paper questions the positive impact of a 1:1 laptop initiative in a context quite different from the Swedish example. Tor Jørgen Schjelde and Ingrid Nilsen Lie of Tromsø University, the Arctic University, present the third paper: “The impact of emotions on learning and motivation in producing and presenting digital stories.” Digital stories have been a strong interest for this journal over the years, and their paper opens new avenues of research into the role of emotional engagement in the production – and reception of digital stories. Three authors, Reidun Lied, Hanne Maria Bingen of VID specialized University and Simen A. Steindal of Lovisenberg Diaconal University College present the paper: “Collaborative Online Learning Using a Blended Learning Design for a Physiology Course in Nursing Education”. It describes an implementation of Salmon’s model for online collaborative learning in a blended learning context for part-time nursing students. Salmon’s model is widely used and is here contesting its applicability for this group of students. Last, Brita Bjørkelo of Norwegian Police University College/University of Bergen, Aslaug Grov Almås of Western Norway University of Applied Sciences and Ingrid Helleve of the University of Bergen present their joint paper: “Perceived adequate education in ethics:A way to tap into ethical Social Networking Sites awareness?”. It provides a very good argument for applied training in ethical issues in teacher training also will prepare them for counteracting illegitimate student use of Social Network Sites.

Nontraditional Students’ Experiences With Food Insecurity: A Qualitative Study of Undergraduate Students

As higher education continues to see a changing student population, there is clear evidence that food insecurity is a real concern on college campuses. The need to increase food availability and access on campuses is critical to the retention and educational experiences of students. Eight students participated in interviews about their experience with food insecurity. This study also examined the lived experiences of students who encountered food insecurity. From the analysis of interviews, 15 sub-themes emerged, organized into four broad themes. The first three themes offer the voices of students who expressed the physiological, psychological, and academic impacts of food insecurity. The final section shares the coping strategies and consequent difficulties of food insecurity as these students manage their food situations. Sub-themes included coping strategies, physical and mental strain, compounded financial challenges, stigma, campus support, commitment toward degree completion, adverse academic implications, high food costs, and the feeling of isolation or lack of socializing. An important recommendation drawn from these findings is for higher education institutions to consider establishing a variety of food relief initiatives that address the issue of student hunger, especially for nontraditional student learners, and to challenge policies preventing students from getting the support they need.

Curriculum design from theory to practice: preparing Japanese students to study abroad using content‐based language teaching

This paper documents the design, implementation and evaluation of a content‐based language teaching (CBLT) curriculum for an English for Academic Purposes (EAP) programme at a Japanese university. The aim of the programme is to prepare students for study abroad in Anglophone universities in a two‐year time frame. This curriculum redesign project integrated second language learning theory with backward design curriculum development theory in an institutional setting where administration mandates and changing student and faculty populations impacted the process. The curriculum team conducted a needs analysis with multiple data sources, implemented the curriculum, and then, conducted an evaluation utilising various sources. The needs analysis revealed several surprises, countering faculty and curriculum designers’ intuition. Likewise, conflicting student and faculty feedback in the evaluation of the curriculum posed difficulties for drawing conclusions about the curriculum’s effectiveness. The university context, with its emphasis on academic freedom and research, requires adjusting theoretically based processes used in compulsory education levels, such as adopting an adaptable approach to curriculum design. As more universities require faculty to write and revise curricula, the authors call for more tertiary‐level curriculum design case studies that illustrate successes or shortcomings for curriculum design theory in the face of real‐world challenges.

Towards social justice in highly complex schools in Catalonia, Spain

This study investigated social justice from the point of view of school directors, teachers, and parents. We chose two schools that were undergoing major demographic changes because of increased immigration into Catalonia, Spain. They were both classified as “schools of maximum complexity” because of their socio-economic characteristics. The research questions focused on how directors, teachers, and parents give meaning to social justice and what actions they take to achieve it. Teachers and principals adopted practices that have been described in leadership literature as transformational, such as building trust and challenging the process; they only occasionally showed transformative practices like those described by Santamaria (2014) as applied critical leadership (ACL). They were motivated by seeing the needs of migrant families and students with special needs. They seriously considered social cohesion and believed that all students should be given the same opportunities and treated fairly. While these principals wanted to guide teachers to see their work in new ways and develop practices to address the needs of a changing student population, they did not reflect on the connection between day-to-day problems and the larger social system. This critical perspective is essential to ACL.

‘I wish I knew how to socialize with native speakers’: supporting authentic linguistic and cultural experiences for Chinese TESOL students in the UK

ABSTRACT TESOL postgraduate students come to the UK from China seeking an authentic environment in which to develop their English language skills and learn about their host culture. This paper provides a substantive review of the historical context of higher education in China, including its Confucian cultural heritage, and shows its evolution from a system of rote learning to one increasingly embracing critical thinking and active classrooms. Significant previous studies on the Chinese international student experience in Western academic contexts are then presented. Applying this, we present a needs analysis conducted at a British university to elucidate perceived missing adaptation support and the resulting programme, demonstrating what was successful and providing best practice recommendations for other universities looking to enhance sociocultural support for this changing student population. Our goal is to assert the need for Western higher education to acknowledge the changing profile Chinese international students, specifically postgraduates, will have upon matriculation.

THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGING

Higher education is engulfed in change. At the same time that institutions of higher education are endeavoring to transform themselves by integrating information and communication technologies into curriculum delivery, student profiles are changing. Low income-ethnic populations are among the fastest growing segment of 18–24 year old students; male enrollments are lagging in comparison to female; and the “digital natives” have arrived. Also, as the Internet provides students with access to a myriad of global educational opportunities, the potential for serving virtual foreign students increases. These changes present challenges and opportunities to institutions of higher education, which strive to serve their constituents through fully online and blended learning formats and aspire to extend education to new markets as well. This paper raises implications for online learning related to changing student populations. It presents two fundamentals crucial for ensuring student success, as well as, access in an online environment. Finally, it recommends two change strategies.

Multigenerational classrooms in higher education: equity and learning with technology

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to discuss potential challenges learners from different generations may have with current instructional methods using educational technologies in the classroom. The authors hope to create awareness to help improve equity in learning opportunities and assist educators in understanding the needs of multigenerational classrooms.Design/methodology/approachIn a narrative review of the literature, the authors present the current findings of the literature on generations in higher education and concerns for equity in learning opportunities.FindingsIt is commonplace in undergraduate programs for learners of multiple generations to attend classes together and research has shown that historical context and generational experiences affect the values, attitudes and learning preferences of each generation. Therefore, higher education institutions should be aware of the demographic profile of their students, as well as the external populations from which they may recruit students, to ensure they are cognizant of the needs of these populations and can provide equality in learning opportunities.Practical implicationsTo assist with the needs of this changing student population, university leaders must consider generational characteristics to ensure equity in learning opportunity. Specifically, university leaders and educators in the classrooms will need to adapt and adjust for a changing student population providing instruction that meets the needs of multiple generations of learners, often within one classroom.Originality/valueOften when we think of diversity in the classroom we think of age, gender, race or even culture. Today we must add diversity in generations. Unlike other equity issues in education such as access (McLaughlin, 2010), educators may not be considering the equity in the design of their instruction to provide equitable learning experiences based on a learners’ knowledge and skills established by their experiences with technology. The lack of knowledge and skills a learner has with technology based on their experiences may create barriers to their ability to understand and complete instructional content involving technology (Wager, 2005). To ensure all learners can be successful, educators should strive to provide equality in learning opportunities when designing instruction including technology.

Pedagogical Digital Competence—Between Values, Knowledge and Skills

The fact that the education provided by universities and university colleges is becoming ever more digitalized has resulted in new challenges for university teachers in providing high-quality teaching and adapting to the needs of changing student populations. Digitalization has increasingly introduced a new dimension in teachers’ pedagogical skills and competences which we have chosen to call Pedagogical Digital Competence (PDC). The purpose of this paper is to discuss and define this new dimension, based on literature and concepts from neighboring areas. As our purpose is to define a concept, the discussion is of a theoretical nature and does not include a comprehensive literature survey. The discussion results in the following definition of PDC: “Pedagogical Digital Competence refers to the ability to consistently apply the attitudes, knowledge and skills required to plan and conduct, and to evaluate and revise on an ongoing basis, ICT-supported teaching, based on theory, current research and proven experience with a view to supporting students’ learning in the best possible way”. Pedagogical Digital Competence thus relates to knowledge, skills and attitudes, and to technology, learning theory, subject, context and learning, and the relationships between these. PDC is thus a competence that is likely to develop the more experienced a teacher becomes.

Mental health issues and the university student

Young adults enter college with many challenges - complicated family dynamics, identity issues, and extreme pressure to succeed, among others. Students may also have mental health difficulties, ranging from adjustment disorders to mood disorders, and growing numbers of them are seeking help on campus. But these students are also resilient and eager to learn, stepping onto campus with hope for a new and better phase of life. Doris Iarovici, a psychiatrist at Duke University Counseling and Psychological Services, sees in college and university mental health services an opportunity for mental health professionals to bring about positive change with young people during a crucial period of their development. Dr. Iarovici describes the current college mental health crisis and narrates how college mental health services have evolved along with changes in student populations. She discusses students' lifestyle problems and psychiatric concerns, using case vignettes to explore a variety of interventions. Included are discussions of substance abuse, relationship difficulties, eating disorders, depression and anxiety, and culture clashes. Problems uniquely addressed in this book include sleep disturbances and perfectionism. An essential component of the volume is a guide to making emergency assessments, from risk classification and hospitalization to public safety and communication within and outside the campus community.

The Intersection of Inquiry-Based Science and Language: Preparing Teachers for ELL Classrooms

As teacher educators, we are tasked with preparing prospective teachers to enter a field that has undergone significant changes in student population and policy since we were K-12 teachers. With the emphasis placed on connections, mathematics integration, and communication by the New Generation Science Standards (NGSS) (Achieve in Next generation science standards, 2012), more research is needed on how teachers can accomplish this integration (Bunch in Rev Res Educ 37:298–341, 2013; Lee et al. in Educ Res 42(4):223–233, 2013). Science teacher educators, in response to the NGSS, recognize that it is necessary for pre-service and in-service teachers to know more about how instructional strategies in language and science can complement one another. Our purpose in this study was to explore a model of integration that can be used in classrooms. To do this, we examined the change in science content knowledge and academic vocabulary for English language learners (ELLs) as they engaged in inquiry-based science experience utilizing the 5R Instructional Model. Two units, erosion and wind turbines, were developed using the 5R Instructional Model and taught during two different years in a summer school program for ELLs. We analyzed data from interviews to assess change in conceptual understanding and science academic vocabulary over the 60 h of instruction. The statistics show a clear trend of growth supporting our claim that ELLs did construct more sophisticated understanding of the topics and use more language to communicate their knowledge. As science teacher educators seek ways to prepare elementary teachers to help preK-12 students to learn science and develop the language of science, the 5R Instructional Model is one pathway.

STUDYING TO BECOME A SOCIAL WORKER: EXAMINING THE MOTIVATIONS OF, AND CHALLENGES FACING, STUDENTS AT AN OPEN DISTANCE-LEARNING UNIVERSITY

Unisa represents the only dedicated distance-education institution in South Africa offering open and distance learning to a diverse and changing student population. The student profile reveals a large number mature students and a dramatically increasing number of full-time school leaving students enrolling at this institution. This is because the academic offerings at Unisa are considerably more affordable than those at its counterparts both in the public and private higher education sectors (Unisa 2015 Strategic Plan, 2006:8-10).

Suburban School Districts and Demographic Change

Purpose: Suburban school districts have undergone significant demographic shifts over the past several decades. The research literature to date, however, has yet to explore how suburban district leaders are responding to such changes, or examine the factors that shape response. In this article, we apply a “zone of mediation” framework to examine how the leaders of one large and rapidly changing suburban school district in Texas responded to its changing student population. In our analysis, we consider the technical, normative, and political dimensions of this district’s response to demographic shifts. Research Methods/Approach: We conducted an in-depth qualitative case study of a large and rapidly changing district in the San Antonio Metropolitan area, which we named “Southern Independent School District.” Our data included interviews with 28 district-level and community actors and interviews with 26 educators across three “focus” schools that were undergoing particularly rapid demographic shifts. Findings and Implications: We found that Southern Independent School District’s response to demographic change focused intensely on technical changes in curriculum and instruction. Such technical changes we found were explicitly adopted to address the needs of the increasing proportion of low-income students and students of color within the district. At the same time, we illustrate how the district failed to address the more challenging normative and political dynamics within the district. This failure, we show, placed significant limits upon the technical reforms that were adopted.

Gaming across cultures: experimenting with alternate pedagogies

PurposeHigher education is influenced, to an increasing extent, by changing student demographics. This requires educators to design and deliver learning systems which will enhance students’ learning experience with innovative, real world and engaging resources. The authors predict that transformations in the learning systems will increase as higher learning institutions seek to add educational value. The authors maintain that current pedagogies in cross‐cultural education are insufficiently adapted to student learning‐style needs. This problem is particularly noticeable in one cross‐cultural setting. This study aims to explore games, as an alternate pedagogy, to enhance learning systems.Design/methodology/approachStudents’ feedback formed the primary qualitative data for this study. The paper develops a conceptual model which provides an organised framework to manage intercultural differences, using games. The Mapping, Bridging, Integrating (MBI) model creates an opportunity for students to appreciate differences and understand the model's implications for their careers in international management.FindingsParticipants’ responses to the games were overwhelmingly positive. Participants’ responses indicated games as a preferred method for developing the intercultural competence, team work, decision making and self awareness skills essential for business and entrepreneurship.Practical implicationsThere is a growing need to consider and align the relationship between education, the increasing cultural diversity in student populations, and the learning and teaching styles of a changing student population in order to enhance the extent of expected knowledge transfer.Originality/valueIn this study, the authors adopted a qualitative approach to trialling the use of games in a cross‐cultural context with the view to reducing international cross‐cultural barriers and developing skills in intercultural competence, self awareness, collaborative working and decision making. This study shows the need for alternative, more integrative models of education comprising elements of complexity that fit with an increasingly complex world.

Changes in student populations and average test scores of Dutch primary schools

This article focuses on the relation between student population characteristics and average test scores per school in the final grade of primary education from a dynamic perspective. Aggregated data of over 5,000 Dutch primary schools covering a 6-year period were used to study the relation between changes in school populations and shifts in mean test scores. Path analysis findings indicate that changes in student populations bring about instant changes in school averages. However, the impact of these changes is strongly mitigated by the effects of school results in the past. This reveals long-lasting effects of student population characteristics via past performance and explains the relative stability in raw output measures over time to a considerable extent.

Language Program as Ecology: A Perspective for Leadership

A language program is a delicate and intricate system of interacting resources or components, which, like a biological ecology, is in a constant state of evolution and change. The interactive system making up the program’s internal culture is connected ecologically to the external environment. The ecological model is introduced as a useful perspective on a language program, with examples given of the impact of change on program structure and functioning and of the interlocking decision areas for program development. Faculty are central to the culture, operation, and decision-making of the language program ecology and have a key role to play in interacting with changing student populations and other areas of program change.