We grow accustomed to easy explanations for the difficulties encountered in U.S. Schools. Educational Researchers offer perspectives that challenge widely held assumptions. Here is an article that provides an alternative point of view worth considering! — Ed Prof
Eduardo Porter
Published online November 3, 2015 in the New York Times —
Permalink for this article: http://nyti.ms/1XNl5KY
Eduardo Porter
Published October 20, 2015
“The charge that welfare will become a way of life reproducing itself down the generations is also dubious. Before welfare reform in 1996, some four in 10 Americans on welfare were on it for only one or two years. Only about a third were on it for five years or more.”
Here is an invitation from Tom Lucey of the Action in Teacher Education Journal (by way of the AERA Qualitative Research SIG).
The editing team of Action in Teacher Education, a national peer reviewed journal that publishes scholarship relating to research in teacher education (pre- and in-service) and pedagogy, seeks reviewers for manuscripts submitted to the journal. We are looking for teaching and research faculty from across research methodologies and areas of expertise with the time, and willingness to conduct rigorous analyses of submissions and provide constructive feedback that informs editors and authors about manuscripts’ strengths and weaknesses.
Those interested should send an email providing their (1) name, (2) title, (3) affiliation, (4) research foci, and (5) methodological expertise to ActionTE@ilstu.edu. This is a journal of the Association of Teacher Educators.
If you are a member of AERA, be sure to check the aera.net website for additional opportunities for reviewing conference paper proposals as well as journal manuscripts. –Edprof
The Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions (at the Illinois Institute of Technology) hosts an extensive collection of codes of ethics across many different fields. A valuable resource for professional studies scholars, researchers and practicing professionals in all fields.
4researcher.org — provides a variety of resources for researchers aimed at fostering career success. The site promises “practical advice for working researchers.” Created by the 3-C Institute for Social Development in Cary, North Carolina. Worth a look! — EdProf
The New York Times has published a series of articles and commentaries on the relatively small number of women and girls who pursue scientific careers. This September 3, 2013 article offers an overview of the problem and some of its possible origins.
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/03/science/mystery-of-the-missing-women-in-science.html?smid=pl-share
In seeking to explain girls’ persistent aversion to science, researchers argue that standard surveys won’t reveal hidden impulses or negative thoughts. People may say they consider women the equals of men, but as Jo Handelsman and her colleagues at Yale University reported last year, simply substituting the name Jennifer for John lowered both men’s and women’s estimation of an aspiring scientist’s résumé.
Small details can have serious consequences. Women do worse on standardized math tests when asked to indicate their sex. When they are told men and women do equally well on such tests, their performance improves. Students show greater gains when they are taught that the mind, like a muscle, gets stronger with work, as opposed to being told that talents are fixed and you’re born either quick or slow.
A New York Times article last fall reported on the persistence of gender bias in the sciences. A byproduct of differential experiences in the sciences is that they may undermine women’s confidence. As a consequence, women in the sciences may be less likely to pursue opportunities for advancement within their institutions. (see Bias Persists for Women of Science, a Study Finds)
In the widely read Lean In: Women, work and the will to lead, Facebook CEO Sheryl Sandberg (2013) discussed the challenges women face as they strive to “sit at the table” — play leadership roles in complex organizations. In Chapter 2, she noted that “even now, I am a long way from mastering the art of feeling confident” (p. 37). She concluded the chapter with the following observations:
No one accomplishes anything all alone.
But I also know that in order to continue to grow and challenge myself, I have to believe in my own abilities. I still face situations that I fear are beyond my capabilities. I still have days when I feel like a fraud. And I still sometimes find myself spoken over and discounted while men sitting next to me are not. But now I know how to take a deep breath and keep my hand up. I have learned to sit at the table. (p. 38)
Sandberg’s book offered a host of documented examples of the barriers women still face today as they attempt to climb up the corporate ladder (or jungle gym, her more useful metaphor!). I think the popularity of the book highlights a perceived recognition that many of us long for words of advice and encouragement, along with fresh new images of women as leaders.
Another recent New York Times article spotlighted Elizabeth H. Blackburn who, with Carol W. Greider and Jack W. Szostak, won the 2009 Nobel Prize for ground-breaking work on telomeres (see Charting Her Own Course). Her recent work promises to shed important light not only on the relationship between stress, DNA and mortality, but to offer potentially very powerful biomedical applications that could transform the practice of medicine. She clearly has earned a “seat at the table” as a scientist. With respect to the theme of “confidence,” the following quote from Blackburn warrants attention. Describing her more recent interdisciplinary research activities beyond the laboratory, she stated
I would have been a little afraid to do things, because my male colleagues wouldn’t have taken me seriously as a molecular biologist…[But now] Being senior enough in the field, having enough solidity, I don’t feel afraid of being marginalized” (2013, D6)
One wonders how many very capable women have not been able to pursue new directions in their work, given the long road many face to achieve seniority and therefore security (and perhaps “self-confidence”) in their fields.
In a related vein: At my own institution, a new group — the Women’s Faculty Caucus — has formed to discuss issues of particular concern to faculty women. This lively group has organized several business meetings and social gatherings. Similar groups meet at other institutions. This might be a good day to see what resources are available in your own organization. Just as bias, isolation and marginalization erode self-confidence, collaboration with like-minded others has the potential to strengthen it. – EdProf
References
New York Times, September 24, 2012
Bias Persists for Women of Science, a Study Finds
Science professors at American universities widely regard female undergraduates as less competent than students with the same accomplishments and skills, a new study by researchers at Yale concluded.
New York Times, April 9, 2013
A Nobel-winning molecular biologist explores the connections of emotional stress, health and DNA.
Sandberg, Sheryl (2013). Lean In: Women, work and the will to lead. New York: Alfred Knopf (written with Nel Scovell).
Further reading
Maitlin, M. W. (2012). The psychology of women. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. [See pages 164 – 168 for a straightforward discussion of gender differences in self-confidence. Recommended readings cited on page 171.]
In “The Heart Grows Smarter,” David Brooks describes the Grant Study — a longitudinal study begun in 1938 at Harvard that followed participants for decades. George Vaillant’s recent Trimphs of Experience tells the story of this impressive scholarly achievement. Lifespan development research in action!
The Heart Grows Smarter – NYTimes.com
Further Reading
Vaillant, George (2012) Triumphs of Experience: The Men of the Harvard Grant Study. Belknap Press of Harvard.
Here is a reblogged essay from the Classroom as Microcosm Blog written by irrepressible and indomitable college teacher, “Siobhan Curious.” It explores one aspect of early adult development: the growth of postformal thought.
Formal-Operational vs. Post-Formal Thinking: Brains Grow Up « Classroom as Microcosm.
I have written about emerging adulthood (and academic versus authentic writing) in another post. If you are looking for additional reading on this topic, scroll down to references at the end of my first “Diary of an Ed Prof” essay. — Ed Prof
Educating Professionals 