Browsing by Subject "Resiliency"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    African American female superintendents: resilient school leaders
    (2012-01) Johnson, Bernadeia H.
    Six African American female superintendents who had served as superintendents in at least 2 school districts were interviewed to understand ways in which they responded to barriers and adversity in their roles, with a particular emphasis on issues related to sexism and racism. Study participants shared that they work to engage the community and build relationships with stakeholders. They also reported being courageous and clear in defining where they would take a stand. This required knowing who they are and being true to personal values and ethics. These African American female superintendents reported having strong religious faith and benefitting from the love, support, and encouragement of parents, family, and friends. They identified listening as critical to their success. Mentoring new and aspiring African American women superintendents is one way they intentionally give back to the profession. They expressed the need to be continuous learners and to work hard while still striving to achieve life-work balance.
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    A continuum of persistence: low-income and first-generation college students' Perceptions of critical factors for postsecondary success
    (2014-03) Ganuza Hoaglund, Zoila M.
    The purpose of this study was to explore similarities and differences among low-income and first-generation (LIFG) students' perceptions of influential academic, psychosocial, and contextual factors that shaped their persistence at different stages at the postsecondary level. This study consisted of 29 LIFG students from a large, urban research university in the Midwest who had not declared a major, had declared a major, and had graduated. Student academic data were analyzed quantitatively to supplement information regarding the postsecondary experience and indicated significant group differences in high school performance, high school ability, and college performance. A qualitative interview approach explored influential psychosocial and contextual factors through data gathered from semi-structured interviews. Several themes emerged: high academic expectations held by students, commitment to college to attain career/degree goals, belief that ability could change with effort, problem-solving skills, and high postsecondary expectations held by both their high school staff and parents. Common factors between groups and factors that were unique to each group also emerged and are discussed. In addition, the importance of understanding students' background, perceptions of low academic self-efficacy and lack of college knowledge permeated throughout the student responses. Nevertheless, LIFG students expressed a willingness to work hard, and often, a need to invest more time and effort than their higher socioeconomic status peers. Merits and limitations, implications for research, practice, and policy and directions for future research are discussed.
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    Validity evidence for a model and measure of life balance.
    (2010-06) Matuska, Kathleen
    This study examined the construct validity of a model and measure of life balance conceptualized as both congruence among desired and actual time spent in activities, and equivalence in the degree of discrepancy between desired and actual time spent across activities that meet health, relationship, challenge/interest and identity needs. The life balance inventory (LBI) was used as the measure for life balance and was pre-tested for construct validity. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesized relationships between life balance (LBI), perceived stress (DASS21 stress subscale), personal well-being (PWI-A), and need satisfaction (BPNS) in the hypothesized life balance model (LBM). Four hundred and fifty eight participants representing mixed demographic groups participated in the study by completing the 4 instruments. SEM results indicated that congruence, moderated by equivalence predicted lower stress, higher personal well-being and higher need satisfaction, but equivalence alone did not. Working, having children at home, and being non-white negatively moderated congruence and larger family size positively moderated congruence. This study provides initial construct validity evidence for the hypothesized model and measure of life balance.