International Forum of Teaching and Studies (IFOTS)

IFOTS JOURNAL: ISSN-P 1555-872X, ISSN-E: 2834-5525
International Forum of Teaching and Studies (IFOTS) provides an academic exchange forum for scholars, educators, and professionals to disseminate research on theory building and practice-based information on education. This peer-reviewed journal publishes biannually and particularly dedicates to the development and improvement of teaching within international contexts since 2004.

Library of Congress Web site

Current Issue Vol 19, No 2, 2023

Authors

Gabriele Strohschen, a native of Berlin (FRG), completed her studies at Northern Illinois University in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies. She worked in Chicago's historically disenfranchised communities until joining joined DePaul University as director for the graduate programs at the School for New Learning in 2003. Dr. Strohschen conducted action research, program design and evaluation, and teacher training in Germany, Czech Republic, Kenya, China, Mexico, Thailand, and around the USA. In Afghanistan, she completed a program evaluation project for the Afghan Ministry of Education’s Women Literacy Project, funded by UNESCO, with Dr. Elazier. Retired from DePaul University with the title of professor emerita, she collaborates with community residents, organizations, institutions of higher education, students, artists, and activists in social justice projects, virtually around the world and locally at her Pilsen Storefront in Chicago. She provides program and resource development along with teacher training services and is currently spearheading the development of an international advocacy and training institute for the education of adults. “Dr. G.” has been working with American Scholars Press since its inception. gstrohsc@depaul.edu

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Authors

Dr. Evette Simmons-Reed is an Assistant Professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis graduate program in the Department of Special Education at Ball State University. She obtained her Ph.D. in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis from The Ohio State University in 2013. She is an accomplished educator, author, researcher, curriculum developer, community leader, and social justice advocate. Dr. Simmons-Reed is the Program Director for the Disability in Postsecondary Settings Graduate Certificate Program with an emphasis in Autism, and the Director and Co-Founder of the CAPS2 Mentor Program for Autistic College Students at the Ball State Center for Autism Spectrum Disorder (CASD) at Ball State University. Prior to joining the faculty at BSU, she was the Program Manager in the Special Education and Transition Department at The Ohio State University Nisonger Center, a University Center of Excellence on Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). easimmonsree@bsu.edu

Lamaiya Lancaster is Dance and Yoga faculty and the Performing Arts Community Engagement (P.A.C.E.) Program Coordinator at the College of Lake County and Artistic Director of L-Theory Collective Dance Company. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Cultural Studies at Columbia College Chicago, Graduate Degrees in Adult and Community Education and in Executive Development for Public Service, and is a Doctoral Candidate at Ball State University, all of which inform her dedication to inclusion through equitable access to community engagement in the Art of Dance. She has presented on dance and diversity, the evolution of American Social Dance, and Black Dance in America at universities and conferences across the country and American cultural centers in China. She brings a unique perspective to the stage, studio, and beyond, identifying as a visually impaired, African-American female Dance Educator navigating the ever- changing world of professional dance, dance education, and community programming. dnc2xs@gmail.com

Dr. Ruby Cain is Associate Professor of Practice, Honorata, at Ball State University, Department of Educational Studies and past Director of master’s degree and Graduate Certificate in Adult and Community Education and Master Degree in Executive Development for Public Service. She is Co-Founder and Director of It Is Well With My Soul, a community program focusing on racial healing via ancestral and cultural research, publication, and presentation. Her research agenda encompasses transformative/collaborative online learning, racial equity, social justice, and community mobilization. Dr. Cain has published articles, presented at conferences, and is active in many social advocacy initiatives, regionally and nationally. Words that she lives by, “If you are not a part of the solution, you are a part of the problem.” rcain@bsu.edu

Abstract

Using the methodology of critical autoethnography and theoretical frameworks of Black Feminist Thought and Critical Dis/Ability Race Theory (DisCrit), three African American women faculty collaborated on documenting and sharing their experiences and impact in predominantly White institutions. The authors shared their personal narratives; core identities; intersectionality of cultural and sub- cultural identities and experiences (race, gender, abilities, generation/age, discipline, skills, expertise, faculty classification, critical consciousness, etc.); hegemonic institutional culture that focuses on compliance vs. inclusion and outcomes; and their support systems and strategies employed to do more than survive and aim to thrive.

Keywords

African American Women Faculty, Black Feminist Thought, Dis/Ability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), critical autoethnography, cultural identities, gender, predominately white institutions (PWIs)

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Authors

Dr. Frederick V. Engram Jr. is an Assistant Professor of Higher Education at Fairleigh Dickinson University. Dr. Engram is a qualitative researcher who grounds his work in critical race theory which he uses to make sense of the African American experience with racism in higher education and the criminal justice system. He is known as being a disruptor of oppressive systems. His work can be found in media outlets such as Blavity, Forbes, and Diverse Issues in Higher Education. Dr. Engram is a widely requested keynote speaker and all requests should be submitted through e-mail at f.engram@fdu.edu. Connect with Dr. Engram via Twitter @VanCarlito2003 or Instagram @dr.engram19.

Abstract

The election of former President Barack H. Obama allowed for the false ideology of post-racialism to become mainstream. Fast forwarding to 2016, many thought we were thrust backwards into time. The reality is that racism and anti-Blackness have been mainstays in the American fabric and remain a constant even when people pretend to be unaware of it. What we have learned is that racism is as essential to the United States as oxygen is to humanity. If we truly reside in a time where we have surpassed race and racism, why are there are so many racists? I am not referring to faux reverse racism or equating anti-racism or naming racism as racism. I am specifically referring to actual racism which is rooted in and maintained by whiteness as an American system. Bonilla-Silva (2010) once asked how it were possible to have such a high degree of racial inequality in America where most white people claim that race/racism is no longer a problem. The answer? Racism never left us, and it is waging war in every aspect of our democracy from education to politics and healthcare.

Keywords

anti-Blackness, anti-racism, higher education, post-racialism

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Authors

Dr. Rona Robinson-Hill is an African American female Associate Professor in the Department of Biology as a science educator at Ball State University (BSU). Before joining Ball State University, she served 16 + years as a secondary science teacher at a gifted public secondary school. and as a research scientist for 15+ years at Washington University and St. Louis University. Dr. Hill trained hundreds of diverse students in STEM and motivated more than 70 % of her students to choose STEM as a college track and profession. At BSU she is the principal investigator of the BSU Training Future Scientist Program. This program is responsible for: producing the pedagogy for elementary and secondary pre-service teachers (K-12); provides summer paid internships to diverse undergraduates and junior & senior high school students; and facilitates summer STEM camps in  collaboration with Girls STEM Institute. rmrobinsonhi@bsu.edu

Abstract

What does it look like when an African American female public-school teacher shows her students on the first day of class that she loves them and believe they can learn? The Training Future Scientist (TFS) program began in an eighth-grade science class in a gifted middle school in the Midwest and was implemented for almost 17 years. The research question was, How did participation in the TFS program with an African American female science teacher impact the 15-female students’ future? The rationale for this project was to share with the research community the benefits of the TFS pedagogy I implemented that produced future scholars. I added to the project to share how the TFS pedagogy is being implemented today to train future elementary and secondary teachers in the elementary and secondary science methods courses I implement at a predominately White university in the Midwest. The results from this study were from 15-female students who responded to a five-question survey distributed to them in person or virtually to determine how the TFS pedagogy impacted their life and future academic aspirations. The students realized the TFS skills were effective which they agreed will allow them to be successful in school and life.

Keywords

science pedagogy, female adolescents, self-efficacy, African American female philosophy of teaching, Training Future Scientist (TFS)

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Authors

Seth Black is serving his 7th year as the Director of Career and Technical Education (CTE) with Hampton City Schools. Before his current position, he taught Business & Information Technology courses for twelve years, serving as CTE instructional leader, and CTE Advisory Council teacher representative for five years. He has been involved with Hampton City Schools’ “The Academies of Hampton” model from its birth and remains very active helping ensure continuous growth and improvement. He has attended many professional learning experiences including Association for Career and Technical Education Vision (ACTE), Virginia ACTE, Virginia Association of Career and Technical Education Administrators , National Career Academy Coalition, Academies of Nashville Site Visits, Ford Next Generation Learning Elevate, and 2018 Virginia Peninsula Chamber Foundation's LEAD Peninsula program. These experiences provided great insight on the importance of powerful partnerships for great community- connected learning. sablack@hampton.k12.va.us http://www.hampton.k12.va.us/departments/cte/cte.html

Kenneth Elazier is an adult educator and assistant professor of practice for Southern Illinois University’s extended campus at Naval Air Station-Oceana, VA. He is also an adjunct instructor at Hampton University, William & Mary University, and in competency-based programs at DePaul University. As a  certified, K-12 special educator; he has developed and administered School-to- Work programs for the Chicago Public Schools and the Illinois Department of Rehabilitation Services. He has conducted professional development seminars for teachers of the Paul Simon JobCorps Center in Chicago and for Adult Educators for the State of Georgia. As a certified Master Trainer, he conducted corporate train-the-trainer seminars throughout the United States and Canada for Langevin Learning Services, Inc., and provided training program evaluations in Africa, Thailand, and for UNESCO in Afghanistan. Ken is also a published co-author of several professional journal articles, book chapters, and books. kenneth.elazier@siu.edu

Abstract

An emerging trend eliminating the bachelor’s degree requirement for hiring and promotion will have a positive effect for service members entering public sector jobs. For example, the governor of Maryland recently removed the bachelor’s degree requirement for promotion into professional job classifications, and approved advancement and promotion through demonstrable knowledge and skill sets (Hudson, 2022; Lederman, 2022,). In Arizona and Florida, the state legislatures removed the bachelor’s degree requirement for teaching in their public schools (Kyaw, 2022). Service members without undergraduate degrees are now eligible to apply their relevant military knowledge, skills, and abilities that directly correlate to job duties for hiring and promotion. The rationale for this new trend is, at least in part, pragmatic--there is a shortage or critical need for skilled employees, regardless of formal education credentials. Government agencies, education districts, and other organizations that apply a competency-based approach will be well-positioned to adapt to this advancement opportunity for non-degreed candidates and expand organizational access to this untapped pool of skilled talent. To take advantage of this talent pool in addressing its teacher shortage, the Hampton City Schools Career and Technical division’s competency- based program will partner with the Hampton Roads Workforce Council to train service members through the Skillbridge program to become career and technical education teachers.

Keywords

competency-based evaluation and instruction, DoD SkillBridge, HyFlex, Metagogy

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Authors

Professor Olusegun Felix Ayadi is the JPMorgan Chase Endowed Professor of Finance, a former Interim Associate Dean, and Interim Department Chair in the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University, Houston, Texas. He received the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in finance from The University of Mississippi. He has been a visiting professor, doctoral dissertation examiner, and external assessor to several universities and institutions worldwide. Professor Ayadi has served on many university governance committees. In 2017, he was selected as a Carnegie Visiting Fellow at the University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria. Professor Ayadi was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in 2012 at Covenant  University in Ota and 2022 at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. His research has appeared in several academic journals, such as the Journal of Banking and Finance, Global Finance Journal, American Business Review, International Journal of Financial Analysis, and Journal of Multinational Financial Management. He serves a second term as Interim Chair of the Department of Accounting and Finance at Texas Southern University. Olusegun.Ayadi@tsu.edu

Dr. Mammo Woldie completed a Ph.D. in Statistics from Oklahoma State University. He has been a full-time faculty member at the Jesse H. Jones School of Business, Texas Southern University for several years. He is currently a full professor with graduate faculty status. He has taught all business statistics and quantitative courses in the Department of Business Administration. He has published in several academic journals and presented papers at professional meetings. Mammo has served on the Faculty Senate/Assembly at Texas Southern University. He has also served on many University and Houston community committees. He was a former Chairman of the Department of Business Administration. Mammo.Woldie@tsu.edu

Dr. Jakeun Koo earned a Ph.D. in management from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is an associate professor of marketing at Hanyang University. He has field experience as a marketing researcher at Nielsen Company. His articles are published in journals such as Psychology & Marketing, International Journal of Advertising, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, and Journal of Sport Management. Dr. Koo’s research interests include sponsorship- linked marketing, advertising effectiveness, marketing analytics, and sports marketing. His major lecture fields include marketing analytics, marketing research, marketing communication, and business statistics. Jakekoo@hanyand.ac.kra

Dr. Anthonia Chinwenma Allagoa -Warren is a Visiting Assistant Professor at the Jesse H. Jones School of Business at Texas Southern University, where she has been a faculty member since 2015. Anthonia obtained her Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D.) in urban planning and environmental policy at Barbara Jordan School of Public Affairs. She is an AACSB scholarly academic (SA) conferral for the Post-Doctoral Bridge Program from Florida. Her scholarly academic status was conferred in management, marketing, entrepreneurship, and international business. She has certification in business analytics from Harvard Business School. She teaches management principles, business statistics, human resources, organizational behavior, operational management, marketing (undergraduate and graduate), and introduction to business, government and society, and management information systems (MIS) for undergraduate students. Anthonia.Warren@tsu.edu

Abstract

This article tests the impact of three different group formation methods (student- formed teams, randomly selected teams, and teams formed through students’ thinking style) on academic performance in an undergraduate course in statistics within a Historically Black University in Texas. Group 1 is made up of groups  whose members are randomly selected with Excel’s RAND function. Group 2 is made up of students’ self-selected groups and Group 3 is made up of groups formed based on students’ self-reported results from the Hemispheric Dominance Inventory Questionnaire. Average group scores from a problem-solving case in business statistics are analyzed using ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance tests. The results suggest that team performance can be improved when team members are randomly selected.

Keywords

active learning, group performance, Historically Black College or University (HBCU)

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Authors

Professor Chen Chen is currently teaching at the School of Foreign Languages, Guangdong University of Technology, Guangdong, China

cherry2050@163.com

Abstract

With the rapid development of globalization, cross-cultural communication has become increasingly important in international affairs. In international publicity translation, due to the cultural differences between China and English-speaking countries, translating Chinese culture-loaded words into English is a major challenge. Based on the concept of Chinese culture-loaded words, this article analyzes the C-E translation dilemma of culture-loaded words from the perspective of publicity and discusses the translation strategies of Chinese culture- loaded words in the translation of publicity, aiming at providing effective theoretical and practical guidance for translators and international communicators in the process of conveying the cultural meaning of culture-loaded words.

Keywords

Chinese culture-loaded words, publicity translation, translation strategies

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