Previous studies on Mexican American students in community college have demonstrated a sense of resilience in completing their studies. However, such studies have been student-centric in advising that cultural capital be utilized in fostering student success. In this article, we advise the incorporation of pedagogical conocimientos  as a tool for the professional development of faculty, staff and administrators in humanizing the community college experience. The findings in this article explore ways in which three students draw upon their memories in furthering their education. We analyze how students make sense of lived experiences and transmit them into their educational trajectory.  

Teacher self-efficacy (TSE) is the term used for teachers’ beliefs about their capacity to positively influence students’ learning and social environment. How TSE influences incidences of teacher burnout and student academic achievement has been the focus of previous research. Studies investigating the associations between TSE and socio-demographic characteristics are sparse, and little is known about the possible effects of school-based interventions on TSE. In order to address these areas of research, the aims of this study were twofold. First, the study examined associations between TSE and a) teachers’ socio-demographic characteristics, and b) student’s school-related well-being. Secondly, we investigated the effect of a school-based angermanagement intervention, the Mini-Diamond, on TSE. Students from grades 0 to 2 and their teachers, from all schools in two Danish municipalities, participated in the study. Teachers completed two questionnaires, including the Danish version of the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale and a questionnaire on socio-demographic characteristics. All students filled out a school well-being questionnaire. The questionnaires were completed prior to and after the intervention. Positive associations were found between TSE and teachers’ age, showing that the older the teacher, the higher the TSE. Furthermore, positive associations between TSE and years of experience, as well as TSE and students’ school connectedness, were found. No effects were found of the school intervention on TSE.

The purpose of this research was to examine the new concept of, ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’; the potential influence of self-concept, self-esteem and trust as barriers to student engagement. The study was conducted in a Higher Education University campus located within a 16-19 year old Further Education Institution.A constructivist epistemology, underpinned by symbolic interaction theory utilising a mixed methods approach formed the research design. The sample population were students enrolled at the participating institution and employed teaching staff. Quantitative surveys were completed by 39 students, supported by two qualitative staff focus groups and one qualitative student case study to examine an outlier result. Findings suggest 87% of the student participant sample aligned with the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’. Barriers to student engagement were; specific classroom and assessment activities, relationships with teaching staff and peers, staff absences and staff turnover, all having a significant impact on students’ psychosocial and academic trust. The contribution of this research to the field of Higher Education is three-fold; firstly, findings support the ‘psychosocial and academic trust alienation theory’, secondly it provides insights into the psychological barriers to engagement for the Widening Participation student demographic, thirdly it proposes practical strategies for supporting Widening Participation students in Higher Education. Recommendations for practice include i) counselling, coaching and mentoring support from teaching staff, ii) initiatives to reduce staff turnover and sickness, iii) social pedagogical teaching approaches, iv) teacher training, and, v) peer based learning opportunities to cultivate communities of practice. These strategies could strengthen Widening Participation student’s psychosocial and academic trust, thus reducing barriers to student engagement in Higher Education, contributing to increased social mobility success rates in the United Kingdom and beyond.

Carle Illinois College of Medicine (CIMED) opened its doors in 2018 as an allopathic medical school under provisional accreditation by the Liaison Committee of Medical Education (LCME) and in 2014, the LCME mandated that all U.S. medical schools implement the process of internal continuous quality improvement (CQI). Here, the authors take a retrospective look at how CIMED utilized frequent and granular student feedback to contribute to continuous quality improvement (CQI) during the school’s Respiratory course, by citing specific examples of changes and student satisfaction outcomes from the inaugural class (2018) to the second class (2019). The authors outline how this cycle of evaluation and action can effectively incorporate students into the CQI process to enhance student success via faculty-student partnership. Furthermore, the authors discuss the nuance of feedback interpretation by the involved faculty and advocate for CQI based on a deeper understanding of the student experience such that change initiated by CQI may extend beyond benchmark data collection. The authors discuss how dynamic feedback may be helpful in achieving equipoise between long-standing principles of medical pedagogy and newer trends in medical education, while still maintaining student satisfaction and continuing to develop a culture of quality improvement.

To conclude my reflections on the first two years of AERE, I would like to encourage our authors to continue supporting the journal by publishing with us their wonderful papers and, as a way of expanding coverage to new disciplines and subject matters, to welcome high-quality submissions from STEM education researchers.