Articles

This study examines immersive community learning during a student trip to the United States-Mexico border, with nine students documenting their experiences through journals and evaluations. Using innovative techniques from statistical network science, we analyzed commonalities and differences in students' experiences, quantitatively assessing sentiment variations and exploring their first-hand observations. Novel methods using cluster centrality and community detection were deployed to identify broad areas of observation and concern. Emotion fluctuations, recorded with the National Research Council (American English) dictionary, are placed on a firm numerical basis, and thematic currents are unearthed with the presence or absence of topical diversity. Students reported strong emotional engagement with their experiences, reflecting on challenged worldviews through phrases like "border dynamics," "strong stories" from immigrant narratives, and "emotional farewell." These findings demonstrate that community-based learning curricula, which extend beyond traditional classroom limits, can effectively address and overcome misinformation regarding border issues. The study spotlights the transformative potential of education focused on community engagement, empathy, and solidarity, providing a framework for future community-based educational projects and emphasizing their substantial benefits to student learning experience. Four pedagogical contributions and actionable insights to take from this research: (1) preparation and design, (2) emphasis on “communal living,” (3) reflection, and (4) establishing trust.

In the last two decade, it has become clear that retention methods must utilize polychoric correlation instead of Pearson correlation to eliminate drawbacks such as underestimation of the magnitude of the relationship between latent variables that result in spurious findings (Bernstein & Teng, 1989). In the present study, the literature review will be examined and compared using Monte Carlo simulation to determine the most parsimonious method of retention for categorical data. With continuous variables, the majority of researchers still implement Cattell’s scree test (Henson & Roberts, 2006) and Kaiser-Guttman-1 rule (Velicer et al., 2000), because these procedures are the default in popular statistical packages, such as SPSS and SAS. The present study will examine two of the most accurate methods: MAP (Minimum Average Partial) and PA (Parallel Analysis) along with Very Simple Structure (VSS) with categorical variables.

Editorial for the Inaugural Issue of the Journal of Educational Impact

This article explores the need to humanize online learning environments while simultaneously developing students' AI literacies and essential academic skills. Fostering meaningful student engagement by integrating AI tools within the #DigitalPowerups strategy for online discussions, educators can enhance both social presence and collaborative knowledge co-construction, creating a more dynamic and interactive learning experience for students. This approach not only supports creativity, critical thinking, and interdependent thinking, but also ensures that students are equipped with the technological competencies required for success in this digital-age. Remixing these elements—humanized learning, AI literacy, and #DigitalPowerups—provides a comprehensive strategy for engaging students more deeply with course content while preparing them to navigate and thrive in modern educational and professional contexts.

Marcus, a young principal hired to turn around an underperforming school in the rural South, struggles to stabilize the school’s current staffing challenges. Throughout the case study, Marcus navigates recruiting and retaining teachers; however, he also creates an innovative partnership that enables him to train prospective teachers on his campus. The purpose of this case study is to encourage school leaders to pursue non-traditional solutions to staffing. This case also benefits graduate students in education policy, principalship preparation, and educational administration. Further, this case benefits leaders struggling to staff schools in under-resourced communities like the ones in the rural South.