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Browsing by Author "Edwards, Cherie D."

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    Counselors' Reflections on Their Experiences in Preparation to Counsel Adult Refugee Clients
    Lackey, Bethany Ann (Virginia Tech, 2021-02-01)
    Millions of people around the world have fled their home countries in search of refuge, and there is a great likelihood they experience traumatizing events in their journeys to safety. Refugees are screened for mental health issues in the resettlement process in the United States, and there is a large body of established research regarding refugee mental health needs and strengths. However, far less is known about counseling refugees, and even less so about counselors working with the population. This dissertation study sought counselors' reflections on their experiences, both personal and professional, they feel help prepare them to see refugee clients. Four post-masters counselors participated in the video interviews. Participants were diverse (3 women, 4 ethnicities, counseling refugees from all areas of the world). Minimum criteria was having three adult refugee clients for a minimum of three sessions each. Four main themes emerged as result of analysis: 1) Trauma-informed, 2) Cultural competence and humility, 3) Counselor determination, and 4) Integration of Self. Participants specifically identified trauma-informed practices, cultural competence, and cultural humility as integral parts of necessary training for counselors to see this population. Counselors in this study found they were ill-prepared when they began seeing refugees and had to overcome obstacles to provide needed therapy. Results show a gap between what is known about refugees in academic literature and counselors' knowledge of the population which highlights the need for accessible curriculum and training on refugee issues as well as best practices for serving refugee clients. Implications for counselors, counselor educators, and future research are shared.
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    Examining Acculturation Strategies in Immigrant and Refugee Youth: A Mixed Methods Approach to Arts-Informed Research
    Edwards, Cherie D. (Virginia Tech, 2017-06-20)
    Extending far beyond migration to a new home, the cultural, emotional, and mental plight of immigration plagues immigrants and refugees of all ages. Nonetheless, immigrant youth are commonly overlooked in acculturation studies. This mixed methods approach to arts-informed research examined the acculturation strategies adopted by immigrant and refugee youth attending community-based programs. Through the use of participant drawings, the think-aloud technique, and the Acculturation, Habits, and Interests Multicultural Scale for Adolescents (AHIMSA) instrument, this research also examines the ways in which immigrant and refugee participants communicate their cultural paradigms. The findings emerging from this study illustrate that immigrant and refugee youth cope with cultural transitions through varied approaches that integrate expressions of individuality and cultural behaviors. By exploring six key findings, this study contributes to literature examining acculturation in youth populations as it provides an analysis of cultural transition that expands beyond traditional examinations of cultural behaviors, and highlights the importance of expressing individuality, values, and interests, in the acculturation process of immigrant youth.
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    Interactive Science Notebooks: Exploring the Extent Which Integrating a New Learning Tool Supports Self-Efficacy in Expressing Science Content Knowledge and Interest in Pursuing a STEM Related Career
    Krachenfels, Jessica Tanya (Virginia Tech, 2019-07-03)
    Interactive science notebooks, used as a learning tool during science instruction, was found to have a positive influence on student self-efficacy in expressing science content knowledge and interest in pursuing a STEM-related career. This study, involving 25 participants, discusses the integration of interactive notebooks into two elementary school classrooms in a rural Kentucky community over 55 instructional days. Through an explanatory sequential multiple-method research design, a quantitative survey given at two intervals, pre and post study, and qualitative student interviews, data found that 76% of the sample had an increase in their overall attitude toward science and 10 out of 12 STEM careers had an increase in overall interest at the conclusion of the study. The qualitative data, three oral interviews, revealed that 22 participants referenced an increase in science interest, two participants stayed the same, and one participant noted a decrease in interest. Nine participants felt that their interest in pursuing a STEM career remained about the same or had no significant changes since their initial survey and 16 participants referenced an increase in pursuing a STEM career in their final interview. This study aims to engage educators and administration in conversation about an explanatory sequential multiple-methods research design involving a unique population of transient students and the influence of a new learning tool used in the classroom.