Educational Leadership

A mail questionnaire study involving 3,000 Texas educators was undertaken to describe the effects of certain Texas education reform policies as they relate to teacher burnout. Focus was on determining how the production of teacher-required paperwork and mandated student achievement testing influence teacher burnout. An initial mailing resulted in 700 responses. In response to a second mailing to 230 of the non-respondents, 97 additional responses were received. Scales incorporated into the study included the Mandated Tests Scale, Paperwork Scale, Burnout Scale, Pupil Control Ideology, and Locus of Control. The study also included a telephone interview component. Fifty-one psychological and demographic predictor variables were added to the regression equation to account for variance in the Emotional Exhaustion Factor of the Teacher Burnout Scale. Results indicate that: (1) paperwork is a factor in burnout of Texas teachers; (2) educators are not totally opposed to the mandated testin...

This study investigates the responses of teachers in Texas to a state-mandated pupil testing program. Based on literature reviewed, it was expected that effects of the mandated tests would relate to teacher burnout and account for differences in teachers' feelings of control over curricular, teaching, and professional decisions. The responses of approximately 797 randomly selected teachers were collected by questionnaire, telephone interviews, and *

Since the passage of House Bills 246 and 72, Texas teachers have expressed frustration with the sudden and dramatic increases in the amount of paperwork required of them, complaining that the extra time required for noninstructional duties cuts into both instructional and personal time, and that the paper work created by this legislation is largely irrelevant to instruction. This study examines the extent to which teachers' frustration with paperwork is creating a burnout problem among Texas teachers. A series of questionnaires were sent to 3,000 randomly selected teachers from the Texas Education Agency's 1985 list of educators. A total of 700 usable questionnaires were returned. These questionnaires provided data about: (1) paperwork, divided into three subscales-frustration, independence, and coping; (2) burnout, divided into two subscales-emotional exhaustion and personal accomplishment; (3) locus of control; (4) pupil control ideology; and (5) demographic data. The attitudes toward paperwork accounted for the largest amount of emotional exhaustion, followed by locus of control. These questionnaire data were supplemented by qualitative data from a telephone survey of 40 randomly selected teachers along with written comments mailed in by hundreds of respondents. All the findings '72

The Global-World HIV/AIDS Alliance (GHAA) is a collaboration of representatives from civil society, faith-based organizations, institutions of higher education, and government agencies who are pooling resources specific to their respective organizations' missions to assist with enhancing education and early treatment for HIV/AIDS in marginalized and medically underserved communities worldwide. The Alliances' partnerships are divided into five geographically oriented operational groups (called clusters), which are the Africa Regional Cluster, Asia Regional Cluster, Europe Regional Cluster, Latin-Caribbean Cluster, and United States Cluster. The purpose of this collaborative effort, which relies on the expertise and services of agencies and institutions from 26 countries, is to mobilize experts from various fields to share lessons learned about effective (and ineffective) strategies for reaching those most neglected, to ultimately realize a decline in HIV/AIDS infection and de...

Abstract - Objective: This study is an overview of the most current state of the US prison system relative to incarcerated women, focusing specifically on the risks of HIV and opportunistic diseases that affect women’s health and lacking concerted interest in understanding and addressing women’s specific needs by policy-makers and managers of our prison facilities. Methodology: Conducted by an interdisciplinary team of socio-behavioral scientists in epidemiology, social work, policy, and education, the study relies on the most updated research data provided by federal and state government agencies, hospital registries, biomedical, public health, and socio-behavioral databases, relevant and peerreviewed research studies published in journals and other accepted information sources, using a comparative national and global approach to the subject of female prisoners and the impact of infectious diseases. Conclusions: This study confirms, strengthens, and validates many previous less def...

In-service teachers across the globe are expected to integrate technology in their respective instructional content area.  The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning building-level support for technology integration.  Participants in the study were asked to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss how they were taught to use, transfer and integrate technology into instructional content areas for digital learners of the 21st Century.  The findings of the study revealed that in-service teachers have had varying experiences in building-level support for technology integration. In-service teachers cited concerns with the building-support levels in terms of seamless technology integration in the classrooms that related to adequate web-based interconnectivity to make use of available educator tools for their discipline, proper acclimation of equipment tools adopted by the school district, and lack of computer resource...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning the effectiveness of technology training from a teacher education preparation program to in-service professional development. The findings of the study revealed that inservice teachers have had varying degrees of technology experiences from their teacher education preparation programs to professional development training ranging from no experience to applicable experiences to help foster transition into classroom teaching and learning. An effective training system in teacher education programs should be implemented to ensure that, with the presence and introduction of new technology in the classroom, the teachers are equipped with newly developed skills. The technology skills that in-service teachers placed the most value on achieving related to the technology tools associated with their discipline of teaching. The skills of the teachers should be aligned with the technology integr...

EFL learners' writing is one of the most concerned fields in language teaching and learning. This study approached English major learners and Non-English major learners' writing process with the help of Inputlog and Range program. The obtained data were processed in SPSS 21 and subsequently analyzed from the following three aspects: time allotment, words produced in the process and production, and ratio and proportion. Results reveal that EFL English major learners are significantly more competent in writing than Non-English major, but their pause and revision pattern differ radically. From the results, some pedagogical implications are proposed for teaching writing and future researches.

Flipped classroom has been claimed as an effective solution to many problems existing in traditional teaching
like increasing engagement and triggering positive learning attitude. However, the influence of flipped classroom
on student learner's empowerment remains unidentified, though empowerment is believed to be a significant
indicator of active learning. This study aimed to probe into the relationship between flipped classroom and
student perception of empowerment in English writing courses in China. After one semester's experiment, the
data analysis revealed that there is significant difference between experiment class and control class over
empowerment. It can be tentatively concluded that flipped classroom can promote more learner perception of
empowerment than traditional classroom.

EFL learners' writing is one of the most concerned fields in language teaching and learning. This study approached English major learners and Non-English major learners' writing process with the help of Inputlog and Range program. The obtained data were processed in SPSS 21 and subsequently analyzed from the following three aspects: time allotment, words produced in the process and production, and ratio and proportion. Results reveal that EFL English major learners are significantly more competent in writing than Non-English major, but their pause and revision pattern differ radically. From the results, some pedagogical implications are proposed for teaching writing and future researches.

He teaches geotechnical engineering courses, including foundation engineering, unsaturated soil mechanics, geoenvironmental engineering, advanced soil mechanics, and soil dynamics. His expertise is in innovative levee testing and protection, bio-mediated ground improvement, sustainable infrastructure and geo-environmental area. He has been PI of more than fourteen major research grants from federal and state agencies with total funding amounts of $3.6 Million. Dr. Li is the author or co-author of more than 87 peer-reviewed published articles. He got numerous faculty excellence award and Richard S. Ladd Standards Development Award from ASTM.

Flipped classroom has been claimed as an effective solution to many problems existing in traditional teaching like increasing engagement and triggering positive learning attitude. However, the influence of flipped classroom on student learner's empowerment remains unidentified, though empowerment is believed to be a significant indicator of active learning. This study aimed to probe into the relationship between flipped classroom and student perception of empowerment in English writing courses in China. After one semester's experiment, the data analysis revealed that there is significant difference between experiment class and control class over empowerment. It can be tentatively concluded that flipped classroom can promote more learner perception of empowerment than traditional classroom. Keywords : Flipped classroom; Learner empowerment; English writing

In-service teachers across the globe are expected to integrate technology in their respective instructional content area.  The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning building-level support for technology integration.  Participants in the study were asked to participate in semi-structured interviews to discuss how they were taught to use, transfer and integrate technology into instructional content areas for digital learners of the 21st Century.  The findings of the study revealed that in-service teachers have had varying experiences in building-level support for technology integration. In-service teachers cited concerns with the building-support levels in terms of seamless technology integration in the classrooms that related to adequate web-based interconnectivity to make use of available educator tools for their discipline, proper acclimation of equipment tools adopted by the school district, and lack of computer resource...

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of in-service teachers concerning the effectiveness of technology training from a teacher education preparation program to in-service professional development. The findings of the study revealed that inservice teachers have had varying degrees of technology experiences from their teacher education preparation programs to professional development training ranging from no experience to applicable experiences to help foster transition into classroom teaching and learning. An effective training system in teacher education programs should be implemented to ensure that, with the presence and introduction of new technology in the classroom, the teachers are equipped with newly developed skills. The technology skills that in-service teachers placed the most value on achieving related to the technology tools associated with their discipline of teaching. The skills of the teachers should be aligned with the technology integr...

African Americans in the southern United States continue to be disproportionately affected by HIV. Although faith-based organizations (FBOs) play important roles in the social fabric of African American communities, few HIV screening, care, and PrEP promotion efforts harness the power of FBOs. We conducted 11 focus groups among 57 prominent African American clergy from Arkansas, Mississippi, and Alabama. We explored clergy knowledge about the Ending the HIV Epidemic: A Plan for America (EHE); normative recommendations for how clergy can contribute to EHE; and how clergy can enhance the HIV care continua and PrEP. We explored how clergy have responded to the COVID-19 crisis, and lessons learned from pandemic experiences that are relevant for HIV programs. Clergy reported a moral obligation to participate in the response to the HIV epidemic and were willing to support efforts to expand HIV screening, treatment, PrEP and HIV care. Few clergy were familiar with EHE, U = U and TasP. Many...

Mississippi has some of the most pronounced racial disparities in HIV infection in the country; African Americans comprised 37% of the Mississippi population but represented 80% of new HIV cases in 2015. Improving outcomes along the HIV care continuum, including linking and retaining more individuals and enhancing adherence to medication, may reduce the disparities faced by African Americans in Mississippi. Little is understood about clergy's views about the HIV care continuum. We assessed knowledge of African American pastors and ministers in Jackson, Mississippi about HIV and the HIV care continuum. We also assessed their willingness to promote HIV screening and biomedical prevention technologies as well as efforts to enhance linkage and retention in care with their congregations. Four focus groups were conducted with 19 African American clergy. Clergy noted pervasive stigma associated with HIV and believed they had a moral imperative to promote HIV awareness and testing; they...

Background Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) has the potential to reduce transmission of HIV among Black cisgender women in the Southern United States (U.S.); however, national data suggests that PrEP initiation is lowest in the South and among Black women compared to other U.S. regions and white women. This study applied intersectionality and PrEP multilevel resilience frameworks to assess how socio-structural and clinical contexts shaped PrEP persistence among Black cisgender women in Mississippi. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight Black cisgender women in Jackson, Mississippi. This sample was purposively recruited to include PrEP-initiated Black cisgender women. Results Six themes identified that shaped PrEP care among Black cisgender women: (1) internal assets, (2) sole responsibility to HIV prevention, (3) added protection in HIV serodifferent relationships, (4) financial issues, (5) trust and distrust in the medical system, and (6) side effects. Black c...