No abstract

National organizations in the United States issued policy proposals for returning to school during the COVID-19 pandemic. A qualitative review, using the constant comparison model, examined six policies from different organizations. The policies operate on the notion of a progressive curriculum, with the values of equity, access, and adaptations driving the planning process. There are five variables national policies utilize to operationalize the progressive curriculum and values: organizing, staffing, scheduling, envisioning, and vulnerabilities. A case study using an individual school district examined the impact on learning within the framework of the policies. Recommendations to improve online and remote learning follow.

COVID-19 mitigation efforts resulted in many schools making the transition to online and remote instruction. Juvenile delinquents, as a group, attained lower academic achievement before the pandemic, and little was known how juvenile delinquents’ education fared after schools ceased face-to-face instruction. Using a mixed methods approach, three steps were conducted to analyze the education of juvenile delinquents in the United States: a qualitative literature review, a grounded theory study of teachers’ concerns in traditional schools, and an instrumental case study of juvenile delinquents’ enrollment during COVID-19. Researchers and experts recommended the development of a community online and in remote instruction, but most teachers felt overwhelmed and unable to rise to the challenge. Juvenile delinquents responded by most students disappearing from school attendance rolls. A grand theme, to shift the nature of online learning, is offered based upon the convergence of the research findings. A theory of humanistic schooling online, centered on a community of learners with the dimensions of academics, physical health, social, and attention to the individual, offers to radically transform practices and past recommendations.

The present study provides a description and analysis of the plight of first-time detained juvenile delinquents in the United States and the impact of noncognitive attributes and academic achievement on grades. Juvenile delinquents have poor outcomes as adults in higher rates of drug abuse, poor high school graduation rates, and lowered employment well into adulthood. The research questions examined the correlation among the noncognitive attributes of grit, academic self-concept, mental health, and self-esteem, academic achievement, and English and Mathematics grades for first-time detained juvenile delinquents aged 10-18. A multiple regression analysis of archival records of students in a short-term juvenile detention center was conducted. Findings showed three predictor variables were statistically significant and influenced academic performance measured by grades: verbal ability, social self-esteem, and prosocial skills. For juvenile delinquents (n = 72; males = 58, females = 14) aged 10-18 (M =15.3; SD = 1.6; range 10-18), the three predictor variables predicted English grades (adjusted R2 = .280) and Mathematics grades (adjusted R2 = .225). There was a discussion and recommendations for policies and research. The results support the need to consider noncognitive factors and the consideration of communication skills in the education of juvenile delinquents.

Thematic analysis is a methodology with wide use in content analysis and field work through interviews, observations, and focus groups. Despite popularity with researchers, there are several questions and problems with the methodology. There was an absence in exploration and explanation of the methods and hidden steps in thematic analysis. Using a case study with a thematic analysis of the methods of thematic analysis and an autoethnography, issues and concerns were examined across a broad sample of articles published using thematic analysis. Seven major problems permeate thematic analysis research, and recommendations to improve thematic analysis and all qualitative research are presented.