Joshua Bornstein and Elizabeth Gil
Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) supported educators during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgent movement for racial justice that arose in 2020. Four VCoPs offered a…
Abstract
Purpose
Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) supported educators during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resurgent movement for racial justice that arose in 2020. Four VCoPs offered a venue for practitioners and researchers to develop social capital in the face of pandemic and persistent institutional racism.
Design/methodology/approach
Researchers conducted semi-structured interviews with organizers of four VCoPs and collected supporting documentation from those organizers.
Findings
VCoP organizers created opportunities to develop bridging and bonding capital of equity- and justice-focused educators.
Research limitations/implications
The analysis points toward the affordances of VCoPs in crisis response and equity leadership.
Originality/value
This original analysis extends work on communities of practice, generally, virtual communities of practice, and equity leadership development.
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Nimo M. Abdi, Elizabeth Gil, Stefanie LuVenia Marshall and Muhammad Khalifa
In this reflective essay, the authors, four educators of color, explore the relevance of humanizing practices of community in teaching and learning, school leadership and the…
Abstract
Purpose
In this reflective essay, the authors, four educators of color, explore the relevance of humanizing practices of community in teaching and learning, school leadership and the potential challenges for equity work in education, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Design/methodology/approach
This reflective essay draws on lessons learned from the pedagogical practices of women of color, literature on teachers of color, as well as our experiences as educators of teachers and school leaders, as the authors think about new possibilities and challenges for anti-racist practice and living during the pandemic.
Findings
This essay describes community-oriented practice of women of color educators to be important in orienting teaching and learning toward more humanizing practice. The reflections highlight both possibilities and challenges that can be helpful reimagining the practice in teacher and leadership education, as the authors prepare educators for an uncertain future.
Originality/value
This essay offers valuable lessons from women of color educator practice that can offer humanizing approaches to teaching and learning as well as school leadership education.
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Benterah C. Morton and Elizabeth Gil
The purpose of this paper is to describe the origins of a co-constructed peer-mentoring model designed by and for early-career faculty representing historically underrepresented…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the origins of a co-constructed peer-mentoring model designed by and for early-career faculty representing historically underrepresented groups in the field of educational leadership. The model, which includes components of the multicultural feminist model of mentoring, pays specific attention to early-career faculty development and well-being and outlines the need for and benefits of peer-mentoring programs.
Design/methodology/approach
This qualitative study details the experiences of the development and implementation of a peer-mentoring program based on a review of literature that points out the need to provide mentoring opportunities for early-career educational leadership faculty, from historically underrepresented populations, and further posits peer-mentoring as an avenue to enhance faculty development and well-being.
Findings
Faculty representing historically underrepresented groups often experience challenges related to their identities, alongside the general pressures of working toward tenure. Peer-mentoring groups provide support with which to navigate these challenges. Peer-mentor groups are a supplement to other professional groups and interactions within departments and institutions.
Practical implications
The model has implications of being able to prepare institutional leaders to work toward institutionalizing mentoring programs that take into consideration invisible labor while promoting professional growth and personal wellness, thereby increasing the satisfaction and retention of faculty.
Originality/value
This peer-mentoring model can be used as a tool to leverage collective support, rather than emphasize individual success. As a support vehicle, it can foster a cultural change within the field of educational leadership that supports collaboration over competition.
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Amy Elizabeth Fulton, Julie Drolet, Nasreen Lalani and Erin Smith
This article explores the community recovery and resilience element of “building back better” (BBB) through the perspectives and experiences of community influencers who provided…
Abstract
Purpose
This article explores the community recovery and resilience element of “building back better” (BBB) through the perspectives and experiences of community influencers who provided psychosocial supports after the 2013 floods in southern Alberta, Canada.
Design/methodology/approach
The Alberta Resilient Communities (ARC) project adopted a community-based research methodology to examine the lived realities of children, youth, families and their communities postflood. In-depth semistructured interviews were conducted with 37 community influencer participants representing a range of organizations including not-for-profit agencies, community organizations, social service agencies and government departments.
Findings
The findings were drawn from the interviews held with community influencers in flood-affected communities. Major themes include disaster response challenges, insufficient funding for long-term disaster recovery, community partnerships and collaborations and building and strengthening social capital.
Practical implications
Findings demonstrate the need to build better psychosocial services, supports and resources in the long term to support community recovery and resilience postdisaster for children, youth and families to “build back better” on a psychosocial level.
Social implications
Local social service agencies play a key role in the capacity of children, youth and families to “build back better” postdisaster. These organizations need to be resourced and prepared to respond to psychosocial needs in the long term in order to successfully contribute to postdisaster recovery.
Originality/value
The findings illustrate that adopting a psychosocial framework for disaster recovery can better inform social service disaster response and long-term recovery plans consistent with the BBB framework. Implications for social service agencies and policymakers interested in fostering postdisaster community recovery and resilience, particularly with children and youth, are presented.
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Joyce Weil and Elizabeth Smith
Traditional definitions of aging in place often define aging in place specifically as the ability to remain in one’s own home or community setting in later life. The purpose of…
Abstract
Purpose
Traditional definitions of aging in place often define aging in place specifically as the ability to remain in one’s own home or community setting in later life. The purpose of this paper is to reframe aging in place and show how narrowly defined aging in place models can be potentially negative constructs that limit options for older adults. The authors propose a paradigm shift, or a re-framing of, the popularized idea of aging in place. The authors challenge mainstream and literature-based beliefs that are deeply rooted to the idea that aging in place ideally happens in the home in which a person has lived for many years.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reviews common concepts and constructs associated with aging in place as well as gaps or exclusions, and US-based aging in place policy initiatives favoring the aging in place model.
Findings
An expanded definition of aging in place embraces heterogeneity in residence types and living options. A realistic assessment of person-environment fit, matching an older person’s capabilities to his or her environmental demands, allows for the development of additional aging in place options for those living across the continuum of care.
Social implications
Aging in place should be moved from the personal “success” or “failure” of an older individual to include the role of society and societal views and policies in facilitating or hindering aging in place options. The authors demonstrate that these options, in facilities within the continuum of care, can be thought of as appealing for older persons of all levels of physical and cognitive functioning.
Originality/value
Research about aging in place tends to stress the value of one place (one’s home) over other living settings. This limits the ability of people to age in place and curtails discussion of all the items necessary to maintain place.
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The aim of this study is two-fold: (1) to promote a model of youth participatory research and offer a window of understanding into how it can be enacted and (2) to understand…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is two-fold: (1) to promote a model of youth participatory research and offer a window of understanding into how it can be enacted and (2) to understand youth perspectives on youth empowerment. This study asks: “how can youth help us understand youth empowerment?”
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies youth participatory action research (YPAR) and interpretative phenomenological analysis. The study illustrates how to enact a model of YPAR by engaging youth in the process of research in a youth-serving community non-profit organization.
Findings
This study sets out to make two important contributions, one methodological and one theoretical: First, the study contributes to our understanding of the opportunities and benefits of youth-engaged, peer-to-peer research. Specifically, this study promotes a model of youth participatory action research and knowledge making processes, and the associated social and formal benefits for youth. By extension, this study illustrates an approach to engage youth in formal contexts which has implications for both management and organizational studies and education. Finally, the study extends our understanding and conceptualization of the phenomenon of youth empowerment (as informed by youth perspectives).
Originality/value
The study offers insight into how to conduct youth participatory action research and specifically how to address two limitations cited in the literature: (1) how to authentically engage youth including how to share power, and (2) how to perform youth participatory action research, often critiqued as a black box methodology.
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Laetitia Radder, Xiliang Han and Elizna Theron
After identifying those underlying consumer value dimensions associated with the private game reserve experience, and their contribution to visitors’ behavioral intentions, the…
Abstract
Purpose
After identifying those underlying consumer value dimensions associated with the private game reserve experience, and their contribution to visitors’ behavioral intentions, the purpose of this paper is to compare managers’ and visitors’ perceptions of value experienced and value delivered.
Design/methodology/approach
Two similar questionnaires with five-point Likert scales gathered the perceptions of 30 managers and 162 visitors. Data analysis included factor analysis, multiple regression analysis and an independent-samples t-test.
Findings
Consumer value comprises seven dimensions. Managers’ perceptions of value delivered exceeded visitors’ perceptions of value experienced on all seven dimensions. Statistically significant differences existed for emotional value, monetary price, behavioral price, novelty and social value, but not for reputation and quality.
Research limitations/implications
Results cannot be generalized and must be interpreted with caution due to the small samples and the South African wildlife focus. The resulting measuring scale can be further refined and applied to a larger sample of reserves and visitors in an international environment, particularly in African countries known for wildlife tourism.
Practical implications
The results suggest a need to align managers’ and customers’ perspectives to optimize consumer value. Identifying perception gaps will prevent resources being spent on elements not valued by customers, and closing gaps will help improve visitor satisfaction and retention.
Originality/value
Few studies have examined consumer value in a wildlife context, or simultaneously from a manager and customer perspective. This study identified latent value dimensions and gaps in value perceptions associated with private game reserves.