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Principles focused evaluation (PFE) can complement existing formative and outcome evaluation plans by identifying Effectiveness Principles (EPs), an operationalization of values and standards that guide practitioners during program implementation. To date, however, few examples of PFE are available in the literature. This description of the application of PFE to the Washington State Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) sexual violence prevention program provides an example of how this flexible approach can augment an existing evaluation plan to distill shared evaluation components across different organizations implementing diverse prevention programming. Specifically, we describe the process used by a team of practitioners, funders, evaluation consultants and state-level sexual violence prevention technical assistance providers to identify EPs, operationalize indicators for each EP, and develop and test an EP measurement approach. In this process, the seven very different RPE-funded organizations, each serving a unique community, were able to identify and endorse shared, core EPs. This description illustrates PFE's promise for augmenting a shared evaluation approach and identifying common guiding tenets across uniquely situated organizations in a larger community of practice.

This study explores how mothers in the US described challenges to their children's (ages birth to eight) play experiences at home during social distancing due to the COVID-19 virus. Understanding their lived experiences is valuable because it will add insight into the effects of this unique time period on the critical role parent-child interactions play in children's physical, social, and emotional well-being. Using a phenomenological design, interviews with 14 mothers revealed a common experience in which play efforts were altered at times due to challenges related to social distancing and COVID-19. Four themes described these challenges: Lack of Parent Resources and Support, Work and Child Care Balance, Children's Struggles with Social Isolation, and Children's Uncertainty Regarding COVID-19. Mothers believed it was their responsibility to keep their children engaged in play as part of their childcare duties. They struggled to balance work and childcare, did not always enjoy playing with their children, and desired alone time to recover during this challenging time. They sought to best meet their children's needs but had to make allowances to their parenting practices and play attitudes. The authors discuss how more intensive parenting philosophies could be difficult to sustain when society does not operate as usual.

Professional literature in human development, social foundations, and academic subject area courses function as a major but understudied tool of teacher preparation programs. Through the overlapping lenses of sociocultural and critical theories of child development, this study employs descriptive content analysis to investigate the potential of common course texts to foster early childhood teachers' proleptical identities as practitioners of democratic education. Findings suggest NAEYC's influential texts on anti-bias education, as well as popular texts in child development, children's literature, and social studies, insufficiently address the democratic goal of fully inclusive classrooms. The presentation of same-sex parent families serves as an exemplar of the problem. Implications for teacher education are discussed.

The present study sought to understand parents' perspectives on the ease with which they felt they could play with their children during the initial period of social distancing. Seven hundred and five participants answered a 48-item questionnaire. This manuscript is focused on one Likert-type scale question and an open-ended follow-up question. Almost two thirds of participants indicated they felt indifference or that it was difficult to play with their children during social distancing. Five hundred and nine participants provided feedback for their answers. Thematic analysis was used to code and categorize these comments. Participants provided varied reasons for how they viewed playing with their children during social distancing, which were used to create five themes: Work and Professional Role, Mental & Physical Health, Time, Access to Resources, and Parenting Factors. The researchers offer implications for promoting play during times of social distancing.

Through a 48-item questionnaire shared via social media, 546 participants from 47 American States reported on their children's (ages 0-8) play activities during early social distancing efforts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results from the questionnaire indicate participants took social distancing guidelines seriously by keeping children at home and away from other children during the period of social distancing, thus affecting play behaviours. The study's findings are significant in that they document some parents' perspectives of their children's play during a unique period in American history. The authors discuss implications for parent and child play behaviours including the need for more unstructured play time, realities of parents working from home with children present, and the effects of children having a lack of access to peers to play with for sociodramatic and symbolic play. Recommendations for future research are provided.

Deep social studies-based engagement is critical in early childhood to provide a foundation for later learning and increasingly mature understandings. Skills and attitudes necessary for active citizenship should be fostered in prekindergarten "in a way which is appealing and pleasurable (Casey, DiCarlo, & Sheldon, 2019, p. 1)". The National Council for the Social Studies College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework is written for kindergarten through 12th grade, but could it a guide for successful inquiries with children in prekindergarten? If so, could the framework also provide a helpful tool for early childhood educators unsure of how to create inquiry experiences? This study's purpose was to examine the experiences and outcomes of eleven prekindergarten students and their teacher as they explored landmarks over a five-week inquiry using the C3 Framework. Qualitative analyses of data sources suggest the C3 Framework guided inquiry on landmarks led to the formation of foundational geographical schemas in the children and supportive inquiry pedagogy schemas for the teacher.

Intercultural education, focused on understanding, respecting, and engaging in dialogue among and about different cultures (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization [UNESCO], 2006) adds to multicultural educational efforts by addressing diverse needs in learning and teaching students. This paper argues for focus on intercultural education in elementary social studies methods courses for pre-service teachers (PSTs) and describes the author-created three-perspective format for developing intercultural educational activities. Use of the three-perspective format is described followed by results from a study using the approach to guide response journals focused on the multicultural novel, "Inside Out and Back Again" (Lai, 2011), with 89 PSTs at a highly research-intensive university in the southern United States. Open coding of collective case studies revealed three themes in students' journal reflections when using the three-perspective format: insight into diverse perspectives, changes in attitudes for teaching, and a valuable learning experience. Combined with researcher field notes and student-generated emails, these emergent themes could indicate that some students experienced lasting change in attitudes and feelings towards others and themselves that had not been previously considered or held. This level of change could facilitate individual transformation and help make meaningful impressions and paradigm shifts in PSTs as described by Mezirow (1991) in Transformative Learning Theory.

Most prekindergarten (preK) teachers are probably unfamiliar with the "College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards." John McDonnell, who teaches a class of eleven four-year-old children, also had not heard of it until he attended the author's workshop on early childhood social studies practices, which included an introduction to the C3 Framework. At the workshop, teachers from preK through third grade learned about using the Four Dimensions of the C3 Framework's Inquiry Arc: (1) developing questions and planning inquiries; (2) applying disciplinary concepts and tools; (3) evaluating sources and using evidence; and (4) communicating conclusions and taking informed action. Even though the C3 Framework focuses on the K-12 curriculum and was not designed for preK teaching, Mr. McDonnell wondered if it could be used to organize inquiry-based social studies lessons for his prekindergarten students at the LSU Early Childhood Education Laboratory Preschool in Baton Rouge, Louisiana (ECELP). This article describes a collaboration between the author and Mr. McDonnell to create the landmarks unit, combining knowledge about young children and social studies to plan for each of the four Dimensions. This prekindergarten social studies inquiry, created through use of the C3 Framework, is probably one of the first of such studies. The experience suggests the C3 Framework can provide a useful, guiding structure for early childhood teachers to ground inquiry experiences in social studies disciplines.

Despite advances in practitioner-researcher partnerships, barriers to the uptake of research evidence in practice sectors that address intimate partner violence (IPV) persist. The purpose of this exploratory study was to examine how practitioners across victim services, criminal justice, and law enforcement systems assess the usefulness and credibility of research evidence to their practice and policy-related decision making. Data were derived through qualitative interviews with 37 representatives of victim services, criminal justice, and law enforcement organizations in the state of Washington. Practitioners were asked to describe the criteria and processes used to determine the credibility and usefulness of research evidence they encounter. Practitioners across systems reported that the identity and credibility of the messenger conveying the research evidence, the relevance and applicability of the research to their own practice context, and the rigor of the methods used to derive the evidence are important criteria in assessing its utility and trustworthiness. A subset of respondents reported a suspicion of the research enterprise altogether, and/or a lack of resources available to engage with research evidence. Given the centrality of the messengers of research evidence in practitioners' assessment of its credibility, IPV systems may be well-served to more deeply invest in research to practice intermediaries who are adequately resourced to translate evidence across sectors. Additional practice and research implications are discussed., Author(s): Erin A. Casey [sup.1] , Taryn P. Lindhorst [sup.2] , Claire Willey-Sthapit [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.462984.5, 0000 0000 9494 3202, School of Social Work and Criminal Justice, University [...]

Sexual harassment continues to be a pervasive problem in institutes of higher education. Despite this, there are significant gaps in research and our understanding related to students' help-seeking associated with sexual harassment. Understanding students' help-seeking patterns is critical in improving and streamlining campus-wide resources. The following study uses a latent class analysis to examine whether unique patterns of help-seeking exist among students experiencing sexual harassment and whether there are meaningful differences between help-seeking groups with respect to incident characteristics, campus climate, and demographic profiles. Data used in this analysis are from an anonymous, web-based campus climate survey across a university system that included 7,318 undergraduate and 3,484 graduate students. Of these, 704 undergraduates and 229 graduate students reported experiencing sexual harassment. Our results indicated four help-seeking groups: Comprehensive help-seeking group (engaged in multiple types of formal and informal help-seeking), Informal help-seeking group (relied exclusively on friends as sources of support), Low help-seeking group (individuals in this group told virtually no one about their experience, including friends or family), and Unsure group (reached out to friends in large numbers but universally characterized themselves as not knowing what to do). Across classes, findings highlight significant differences related to incident characteristics (offender identity and incident location), student status, and racial identity. Our results point to the heterogeneity of patterns and responses in help-seeking for students experiencing sexual harassment. Variations in help-seeking across different classes highlight that students' perceptions and preferences for formal and informal support depend on their specific type. Our study is a reminder that survivors access support through diverse ways; understanding these distinct patterns in help-seeking behaviors based on specific subgroups will help universities tailor programs that better align with students' contextual needs and realities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used latent profile analysis with data from 481 U.S. men to examine patterns of men's attitudes toward gender equity and their engagement in gender-equitable (GE) behaviors. Five resulting profiles included groups with (a) high endorsement of both GE attitudes and behaviors, (b) low endorsement of both, (c) mid-range endorsement of both, (d) strong endorsement of GE attitudes, but low engagement in action, and (e) low endorsement of GE attitudes but high participation in GE behavior. Worryingly, this last group reported higher rates of violence perpetration than other groups, while simultaneously reporting higher rates of participation in gender-based violence prevention actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Engaging men in addressing violence against women (VAW) has become a strategy in the global prevention of gender-based violence. Concurrently, Western public health frameworks have been utilized to guide prevention agendas worldwide. Using qualitative methods, this study describes how global anti-violence organizations that partner with men conceptualize primary prevention in their work. Findings suggest that "primary prevention" is not a fixed term in the context of VAW and that front-line prevention work challenges rigidly delineated distinctions between levels of prevention. Much can be learned from global organizations' unique and contextualized approaches to the prevention of VAW.

Within men's activism to address gender inequities and prevent gender-based violence, and social justice movements more broadly, questions about the usefulness and limitations of the term 'allyship' have surfaced. Moreover, studies demonstrate that social justice activists with privilege often perpetuate inequalities, perhaps despite their best intentions. To explicate the current understanding of allyship and to apply it to male activism, this paper synthesized the primary elements of allyship as defined by 40 activist and academic sources. Eight unique and discrete themes surfaced: constant action of the 'everyday ally'; prioritizing a structural analysis of oppression and privilege; non-self absorbed and accountable self-reflection; amplify marginalized voices; welcome criticism and be accountable; listen+shut up+read, ally is not a self-adhesive label; and allyship: unlikely or undesirable?. While surfacing as discrete concepts, the themes inter-relatedness and interdependence appeared equally crucial. The implications of this synthesis for allyship discourse and scholarship are offered. This synthesis provides conceptual and practical insights that can be applied to men's gender equity promotion and gender-based violence prevention work., Author(s): Juliana Carlson [sup.1], Cliff Leek [sup.2], Erin Casey [sup.3], Rich Tolman [sup.4], Christopher Allen [sup.5] Author Affiliations: (1) grid.266515.3, 0000 0001 2106 0692, School of Social Welfare, University of [...]

This study presents descriptive findings from in-depth interviews with 29 representatives of organizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania, and North and South America that engage men and boys in preventing gender-based violence. In particular, the findings suggest that strategies are responsive to the specific cultural, economic, and contextual concerns of the local community, with nuanced messages and appropriate messengers. In addition, respondents reported key principles informing their organizational strategies to deepen men and boys' engagement. Attention is also paid to respondents' caution about the risks of framing of engagement practices as separate from both women's organizations and women and girls themselves.

Crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) is a specialized mode of photosynthesis that features nocturnal CO2 uptake, facilitates increased water-use efficiency (WUE), and enables CAM plants to inhabit water-limited environments such as semi-arid deserts or seasonally dry forests. Human population growth and global climate change now present challenges for agricultural production systems to increase food, feed, forage, fiber, and fuel production. One approach to meet these challenges is to increase reliance on CAM crops, such as Agave and Opuntia, for biomass production on semi-arid, abandoned, marginal, or degraded agricultural lands. Major research efforts are now underway to assess the productivity of CAM crop species and to harness the WUE of CAM by engineering this pathway into existing food, feed, and bioenergy crops. An improved understanding of CAM has potential for high returns on research investment. To exploit the potential of CAM crops and CAM bioengineering, it will be necessary to elucidate the evolution, genomic features, and regulatory mechanisms of CAM. Field trials and predictive models will be required to assess the productivity of CAM crops, while new synthetic biology approaches need to be developed for CAM engineering. Infrastructure will be needed for CAM model systems, field trials, mutant collections, and data management.

This article is centred on the constructs of teacher quality as defined by early childhood (EC) teachers in Belize. Using the concept of teacher beliefs as a framework, the researchers analyse teachers' perceptions of quality teaching, which should guide policy and practice decisions. For this pilot study, data were collected from 22 teachers using open-ended and Likert-scale questions from a questionnaire (n = 13) or focus groups (n = 9). Guiding research questions first sought to identify behaviours teachers believed were important or need to be stopped or improved, and second, to determine teacher agreement with guiding standards for excellence in EC teacher preparation as identified by National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Open-coding and descriptives were used to interpret qualitative and quantitative findings. Themes identified by teachers as important EC teacher behaviours and behaviours that needed to be stopped or improved are presented, as well as teachers' agreement with standards of excellence in EC as identified by NAEYC.

This article describes how one social studies class used chants to express themselves. One student's chant communicated her understandings of citizenship; it included three specific ways that she can be a good responsible citizen. This student's communication of ideas reflects the fourth dimension of the Inquiry Arc in the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework. Integrating the arts into other content areas goes beyond what many teachers do when they have students listen to a song or examine a painting. Integration requires that teachers offer art instruction (of form or practice) and social studies instruction with equal rigor. Thus, the integrated lesson plan should target learning objectives in art as well as in social studies. This article focuses on Ms. Cruz's second grade classroom in a public school in the East Baton Rouge Parish School District in Louisiana where students are familiar with using arts integration practices to learn and explore new subject matter. It describes how chanting--the repetition of words using a varied rhythm, beat, and pitch--can be used as an art form and a way of learning. The article shares a social studies lesson plan to help other educators create their own C3 Framework lesson using chanting.

The article focuses on the pivotal role of education in cultivating democratic citizenship, emphasizing the significance of early childhood experiences and concepts in shaping lifelong democratic engagement. Topics include importance of fostering democratic citizenship skills such as problem-solving, empathy, and fairness, challenges in social studies education due to curriculum marginalization and legislative restrictions, and advocating for approaches like anti-bias education.

The transition to fatherhood can be a time of stress and excitement for expectant and new fathers. At the same time, the impact of men's use of intimate partner violence (IPV) during and following pregnancy on women is well documented. Currently, a lack of programmatic efforts to engage men during the transition to fatherhood to interrupt IPV exists. This study sought to illuminate the perceptions of men, who had recently become fathers and had perpetrated IPV, about the idea of a transition to fatherhood program, for men like themselves. The thirteen study participants universally favored the idea of and need for such a program. Findings also described participants' identified timing, format, and topics, which could inform future development of transition to fatherhood program for men who have perpetrated IPV. Policy and practice implications for social service and health care providers include implementing pre- and post-natal screening of men., Author(s): Juliana Carlson [sup.1] , Erin A. Casey [sup.2] Author Affiliations: (Aff1) 0000 0001 2106 0692, grid.266515.3, School of Social Welfare, University of Kansas, , 301 Twente Hall, 66044, Lawrence, [...]