This action research study explores the impact of Street Law's deliberation lessons on the self-efficacy of students participating in the We the People: the Citizen and the Constitution program (WTP). This study takes place at an Arizona high school and is grounded in cooperative learning theory, constructivist theory and self-efficacy theory. A sequential Quantitative → Qualitative MMAR study was used to have qualitative findings complement the quantitative analysis by offering a deeper understanding of the indicated changes in self-efficacy. Pre- and post-surveys served as the quantitative data while focus group interviews, student work samples, and open response questions provided qualitative data. The WTP students participated in four deliberation lessons designed by Street Law. These lessons were implemented to assess whether they could enhance students' confidence and skills in engaging in deliberative processes and civil discourse. The results of the study indicate a significant increase in students' confidence in deliberation and civil discourse following the implementation of the deliberation lessons (p=0.0326). This finding suggests that incorporating structured deliberation activities can effectively enhance students' self-efficacy in engaging in meaningful discussions and participating in civil discourse. This study contributes to the growing body of literature on civic education and civic skills by demonstrating the effectiveness of using deliberation lessons to increase students’ confidence in deliberation and civil discourse. The findings of this study underscore the value of providing students with opportunities to learn, practice, and develop the civic skills necessary to engage in American democracy as informed and participatory citizens.

Each year, the existing cohort of elementary teachers at The American School participate in a professional development program. This program includes both academic and social adaptation resources and support for teachers within the school community. Previous to this research study, the program mostly included training on academic programs, assessment strategies that align with the policies and resources for teachers to explore to support their curriculum. Most teachers requested training on the standards and assessment practices as the school made strategic shifts toward new pedagogical practices. Glaringly absent from this training was any support with the cultural transition for teachers, most of whom have not worked within a Mexican school setting with a largely Mexican family demographic. This action research study draws from theories of decolonization, postcolonialism, culturally relevant pedagogy, cultural mindset and critical whiteness studies. This case study took place during the second semester of the 2022-2023 school year at The American School, in Torreón, Mexico. Four international elementary teachers were randomly selected to participate in the study and agreed to engage in all elements of the data collection over the course of two months. Data collection included teacher classroom observations, multiple collective biography sessions, a focus group and individual interviews. The results from this study demonstrated that a colonial mindset heavily influenced teachers' decisions and beliefs about their work, sense of power within the classroom and how they interact with their students. Additionally, the research suggests that there was a dominant teacher-centered approach to pedagogical practices, and this reinforced traditional and Eurocentric values. Finally, an analysis of teacher emotions suggested elements of both white fragility and white fatigue centered around conversations of race, culture and oppression. The conclusion of this study includes a discussion of recommendations for future training, with the hopes of the patterns demonstrated in the cases studied.

Experiential learning has gained the attention of higher education institutions, specifically business schools, as a way to bring the business world into the classroom. It has become a fundamental methodology for designing business schools' curricula that promotes 21st-century skills like problem-solving, creativity, and teamwork. This study evaluates an experiential learning-based undergraduate business program and its signature entrepreneurship course. The goal is to understand how the entrepreneurship course and its experiential learning component, design sprint, influence first-year students' entrepreneurial mindset, creative self-efficacy and teamwork self-efficacy. Additionally, this study aims to understand the perceptions of first-year undergraduate students of their experiential activities and how they make sense of these experiences. This action research study draws from theories of learning and psychology, such as Experiential Learning Theory (ELT) by Kolb (1984, 2015); mindset theory by Dweck et al. (1995) and Dweck (2006); self-efficacy by Bandura (1977, 1997); and figured worlds by Holland et al. (1998). These theories support the research questions by emphasizing the collaborative nature of learning, how beliefs about learning, intelligence, and capabilities influence an individual's behavior, and how the environment shapes an individual's interpretation of the world. This mixed-methods action research study combines quantitative data in the form of a pre and post-intervention survey. The qualitative data was gathered from interviews that focused on understanding the experiences of participating students and their perceptions of their learning after the intervention workshop. Additionally, qualitative data included a feedback survey after the workshop to learn students' perceptions of the intervention activities. The results of this study suggest that experiential learning activities support students' growth of their creative skills and help them view entrepreneurship from a user-centered perspective. Additionally, results suggested that short-term experiential projects tend to inhibit students from growing in their teamwork skills as they focus all their attention to their project. Lastly, results suggest experiential learning programs can become a space for collaboration, skill development, and motivated students. However, it can also lead to students feeling frustrated and alienated due to the professional codes permeating experiential settings. The study concludes with several implications for practitioners.

All high school students deserve access to experiences that will help shape their perspectives of post-secondary options. They also deserve adequate preparation for said experiences. Minimal consideration is given to how to prepare low-income Latinx high school students for success in internships. Thus, this mixed-methods action research study utilized a Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) framework to investigate a semester-long internship preparation course. It explored how students recognize and develop navigational capital from the Community Cultural Wealth (CCW) framework as well as Career Decision Self-Efficacy (CDSE) while preparing for a subsequent internship. Data analysis and its triangulation were derived from participants’ interviews and a focus group, as well as surveys from the treatment group and control group. Results suggest that the intervention was successful in preparing participants for an internship and increasing their CDSE, but results were inconclusive on whether navigational capital was affected.

This study addresses the problem of low-income, first-generation college students who are academically successful, but choose to leave college before finishing due to financial constraints. This study investigates their lived experiences as well as the effects of a peer mentorship program where incoming, first-year, low-income, first-generation college students are paired with a trained peer mentor from a similar background. Together the pair jointly explore available financial resources and troubleshoot barriers to access. This study draws on four primary theories: Social Cognitive Theory, Intersectionality, Community Cultural Wealth, and Critical Pedagogy. This mixed methods action research study uses multiple types of data: individual interviews, focus group, photo elicitation, demographic questionnaires, and pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Findings indicate increases in self-efficacy for and knowledge about accessing financial resources after participating in the program.

Individuals of Latinx origin are the largest minority group in the United States, and the fastest growing enrollment demographic in institutions of higher education. Yet, the achievement and opportunity gap that is demonstrated by Latinx students compared to their White counterparts continues to widen. Latinx individuals often experience cultural barriers in postsecondary education, especially in the academic advisor relationship. This study aims to help academic advisor leaders learn the Latinx undergraduate student experience in an effort to improve cultural competence in working with this population, and grow their leadership practices to help their direct reports working with Latinx students. The data for this research were collected via an action research study using observations, document analysis, and semi-structured interviews as data collection methods. The findings indicate that learning through testimonios and personal narratives grows awareness and appreciation for Latinx individuals, but also strengthens workplace relationships. This correlates with improved leadership practices and cultivating an environment of inclusivity. The study’s participants experienced the emotional impact of engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion work and vocalized a strong desire to continue learning about work in this space. The findings indicate the need for additional professional development in learning about the Latinx student experience, and additional resources dedicated to engaging in diversity, equity, and inclusion work in the university.

This study utilized a Culturally Responsive Teaching training and bi-weekly collaboration sessions to improve the connectedness between teachers and their Latino male students. Three first-year teachers and 21 students participated in this study to learn how teaching practice and student classroom experiences changed as a result of the innovations. The findings showed teachers modified their planning and teaching and demonstrated more frequent culturally responsive teaching behaviors at the end of the implementation period. Participating students also showed increased classroom engagement and stronger relationships with their teachers, in addition to feeling more valued and included in the classroom. This study highlights effective structures and practices in areas such as cultural responsiveness implementation, teacher collaboration processes, teaching evaluations, and professional development models.